Jordan Harris was a perfect Canadien, on and off the ice

The hype of the Montreal Canadiens acquiring Patrik Laine will cause Jordan Harris to get lost in the shuffle. We'd like to take this time to honor Harris for some of his great moments with the Habs. Harris is one of those players who you can say was an even better person off the ice than he was a player on it. That isn't to say Harris wasn't a great player for the Canadiens, as he was a victim of the numbers game more than anything else. The Columbus Blue Jackets are getting a great left-handed defenseman to add to their core.

The Canadiens drafted Harris with the 71st pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He captained Northeastern University in the 2021-22 season, before signing with the Canadiens for the season's final ten games. Harris remained with the Canadiens for the following two seasons, playing 121 games and recording 31 points. The numbers game was beginning to catch up to Harris, as Lane Hutson, Adam Engstrom, Justin Barron, David Reinbacher, and Logan Mailloux will soon be looking for a full-time run with the Habs. Johnathan Kovacevic was the first move earlier this season.

Jordan Harris' Canadiens Legacy

Harris' legacy with the Canadiens is probably obvious if Laine returns to his star status. Harris will be the player who got the Canadiens their star sniper on the way to Stanley Cup contention. However, some fans in Montreal will remember how much of an impact Harris had on the community during his time in the bleu, blanc, et rouge.

Harris was the Canadiens' nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2022-23. The award is presented to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.

The Canadiens official website described Harris nomination like this:

"A rare rookie to be nominated for the award, the 22-year-old exhibited maturity beyond his years in his inaugural NHL season, investing himself in a number of important causes throughout the year. An ally to marginalized people and a positive role model to youth, Harris, who is mixed-race himself, was a vocal and engaged spokesperson in many of the organization's community initiatives, using his platform during Black History Month to shine a light on issues impacting the Black community, participating in the Inuit Games with 15 youth from Native Montreal (a community organization) just prior to the team's Indigenous Celebration game, and serving as an active supporter of the team's Pride Night activities."

The Canadiens will miss Harris on the ice, but his absence in the community also won't be forgotten.