Sam Harris, the Canadian’s hope who emerges from the shadows

If you Google “Sam Harris” without any other hashtags, the person that comes up first is an author, philosopher and speaker. The left winger of the same name, the Canadiens’ fifth-round pick in 2023, has work to do if he wants to emerge from this virtual shadow.

Even among CH supporters, the name of Sam Harris still raises eyebrows.

– Who?

However, the attacker Pioneers from the University of Denver could hardly do more to stand out. Before the weekend’s matches, he claimed 1st place in the league’s scorers rankings. NCAA with nine goals, four of which were game-winning goals.

Denver is still undefeated (10-0) and Harris, despite playing 13:45, is a big reason why the team has scored more goals than any other. He collected four assists in addition to his nine goals and is an important cog in the numerical advantage of the Pioneers.

Not so long ago, however, Harris’ situation wasn’t so rosy. Before he started, around the middle of February, he was a first-year player relegated to the fourth line, stuck behind a group of formidable forwards that Harris would then help conquer the national championship.

There were a few injuries, I was able to play a role that required a little more ice time and I was able to take that opportunity and make something good out of itexplained Harris, reached by telephone this week by - Sports.

Several key players from last year have moved on to the pros this year, but almost half of this edition of the Pioneers was made up of first year players. Harris therefore believes his team is well positioned to win everything again this season.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that even though he entered college last year, Harris was drafted in his second year of eligibility and he is already 21 years old.

Especially in the NCAAthere is a wide range of ages, Harris pointed out. It starts at 17 and can go up to 26. You’re playing against guys who have been in the league for five years – because of the COVID year, some guys are in their fifth year – and you’re also playing against guys who are coming straight out of the junior ranks. So there’s a lot of variety, and at 21, I find myself quite a bit in the industry.

Inspired by Gallagher

Harris is neither the biggest nor the fastest, but he has a quality that many do not have, that of loving to nest in front of the net. He knows where to go to score goals.

I take pride in going straight to the net and picking up loose pucks, tackling guys and making more space for myself, and using my body to get it into the goal.

Last summer, Harris decided to take the lead in preparation for his first season in a team uniform. Pioneers by taking summer courses. He was also drafted just as he was taking a midterm exam. Having had to skip the Canadian’s development camp, we only saw him arrive in Brossard for the first time this summer, for the 2024 edition of this camp.

Harris had scored a hat trick during the last simulated match of the development camp, but he remembers from his experience in the fold of the CH the speech of Brendan Gallagher in front of the hopes of the organization, which pumped him up.

Brendan Gallagher was a great source of inspiration for me, especially since I grew up being a fan of the Canadian, he confided. The Canadian and the Ducks of Anaheim played a big role in my passion for hockey. So I would name Brendan Gallagher and Corey Perry, two guys who love to go to the net and create chaos.

Hit like Forsberg

In addition to his scoring instincts which are very evident at the start of the season, Harris likes to show a certain robustness. It was one of the dimensions of the game that stood out the most during his time playing in Sioux Falls, USHL. In this regard, Harris does not refer us to Gallagher and Perry, but rather to Peter Forsberg, the former glory of the Colorado Avalanche.

The physical aspect is something I’ve always had, especially watching Forsberg when I was young. With or without the puck, there are always opportunities to protect yourself and the puck, and what I like to do is reverse check like Forsberg did so well. It catches the other team off guard.

Like all players in the college ranks, Harris intends to take advantage of the time at his disposal to gain strength through work in the gym, which should allow him to further highlight this facet of his game.

Brightening life in California

Although his father’s family is from Montreal and his mother is of Swedish origin – he speaks Swedish fluently – Harris was born and raised in San Diego. One of his main drivers for success has always been to demonstrate that he could become an accomplished player even having grown up in an environment that one does not spontaneously associate with hockey.

I’ve always needed to prove myself since I was young. I grew up in California, where there isn’t a lot of hockey, and so it’s hard to become great at something you don’t commonly find around you.

I am very proud to be from California.

During the off-season, he returned to San Diego, where his teammate Zeev Buium also lives. The 1st choice of Wild from Minnesota in the last draft (12th overall) and he worked a lot on their shooting in addition to often jumping on the ice together. Harris believes his shooting has improved and that’s one of the factors that could explain why he already has nine goals on his record.

Perhaps it is an illusion to believe that the 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in), 86 kg (190 lb) winger will be able to continue at a rate of one goal per game, or even that he will continue to dominate all his peers academically. That said, his excellent start to the season is a continuation of what we saw from him at the end of the last season. And what may have seemed to some like a choice out of nowhere is becoming an extremely wise late selection.

Harris does not know how many years he will remain at university, so there will still be a lot of water under the bridge before we can verify whether the Canadian has his next Gallagher in his nursery, a player that the CH had also claimed in the 5th round at another time.

Or perhaps we will draw parallels with Jared Davidson, another former 5th round pick that the Canadian had claimed at an older age and who also stands out more for his offensive touch and his combativeness than for the quality of his skating.

But for now, let’s just let Sam Harris make a name for himself.

It will help his career…and the search engines.