The Sunday Read: Talking Recovery, Hockey and Puppies with Jordan Harris 

BOSTON –– Jordan Harris drove home from hockey practice on Thursday.

​Instead of coming from Warrior Ice Arena, the defenseman logged the miles from Providence. The AHL assignment was more than welcome, though. It meant he was one step closer to his return.

​Harris suffered a fracture to his right ankle on Oct. 21 and underwent surgery soon after. Nearly three months later, he reported to the P-Bruins on an LTI conditioning loan. The 25-year-old posted an assist on Friday in his first game action.

​“I am so excited to play,” Harris said. “I would literally play men’s league hockey right now at 10 o’clock at night. Like seriously, I would play anywhere.”

This is nonetheless not what the Haverhill, Massachusetts, native pictured when he signed a one-year deal with his hometown team in July. Harris earned a spot in training camp and skated in five games for the Black & Gold before getting hurt.

He had realized his childhood dream, and then was forced to battle for it once again.

“It was a little daunting at first, honestly. I’ve never had surgery before,” Harris said. “With stuff like that, it's just, ‘What can I do today to the best of my ability?’ And then keep on stacking days.”

John McLean, the Bruins’ skating and skills coach, has guided Harris through that process. Luckily, it was a familiar face. Harris has worked with McLean for over 10 years.

“Hockey school, youth hockey teams. I’ve known him and his brother, a goaltender, and his dad. We go way back,” McLean said. “There is no difference. He has always been a great kid. Polite, hard worker. He is here because of how hard he worked – one hundred percent.”

McLean – who is from Wakefield, Massachusetts, and played four seasons at Boston College (1983-87) – has followed Harris throughout his hockey career; from Kimball Union Academy, to the Youngstown Phantoms, Northeastern University and then the NHL. McLean put the local college rivalries aside when Harris wore the Huskies jersey.​

“You know what, that was a long time ago. Kind of root for the kids now, not so much the school,” McLean said with a smile. “I’m very happy that he is here.”

While it was a small sample size, head coach Marco Sturm was also happy to have Harris as an option on the backend. The first Harris that he met, though, was Jordan’s father, Peter, who is in the Sports Medicine Physical Therapy department at Massachusetts General Hospital. Peter helped Sturm recover from his knee injury in 2010 while a player with the Bruins.

“[Jordan] is great. He’s such a good kid,” Sturm said. “He works really extremely hard. He was very disappointed, obviously, being out that long, being from here. He’s been very professional. During rehab, it always goes up and down a little bit, but overall, he was always in a good mood. Smiling, working hard. And now I think it’s just getting him reps. That’s all that it is.”

​McLean and Harris have been patient with the recovery. Having a strict routine has helped the mental aspect of the rehab, Harris said, whether or not the team is on the road or in Boston. On any given day, Harris will arrive at Warrior Ice Arena, get treatment, do what he can in the gym to build up strength and then hit the ice.

“We’ll literally start gliding. Depending on the injury and what we can and can’t do, we might start with a five-minute skate,” McLean said. “We might literally just shift and transfer our weight until he’s pain-free, and then we’ll take the next step, and we’ll do some strides, crossovers and edge work. It’s a long, slow process.”

In the very early stages of Harris’ injury, he could be found scootering around on his knee walker. Then came the boot, sneakers, and, at last, skates. The left-shot blueliner felt good about his game – he quickly posted a goal and an assist – to open the season, and is trying to get that confidence and level of play back.​

“What I really appreciate from [McLean] is that he will be dead honest with you. He’s known me so long, so he knows how my stride is, how I play as a player, who I am as a person. I really appreciate his honesty, and I know he always wants the best for the players,” Harris said. “John is the best. I’ve skated with him for a long time, and we’ve kind of become like family.”

Harris got some normalcy back last week when he joined the Bruins on their two-game road swing, which also happened to be the siblings' trip. He brought his older brother, Elijah, who also grew up a Bruins fan.

“I will remember that for the rest of my life,” Harris said.

At a team dinner, each sibling had to stand up with a microphone and tell a story about their brother. Elijah was nice, Harris said, and chose a tale that displayed the competitiveness that got his younger brother to where he is today.

“We always battled each other in sports, and he would always crush me,” Harris said.​

One afternoon when they were kids, the Harris brothers decided to strike up a tennis match at the high school about a mile away from their family home. Elijah claimed the winning points, and Harris smacked the ball out of the court, yelling in frustration.​

“I refused to get in the car with him to drive home. I was like, ‘I’m not getting in the car with you, buddy, I don’t want to be near you,’” Harris said. “So I ran home the mile, and he drove alongside me the whole way. I probably didn’t talk to him for a week after that.”

Evidently, being an athlete is not just an occupation for Harris; it is a lifestyle. He has never been away from the game for this long, so it has been an adjustment.

“I think I’ve watched every single NHL highlight for the past three months,” Harris said. “Like, I’ve not missed one game.”

Harris’ fiancée, Codie, has been by his side through it all. She can relate to the experience, too. Codie and Harris met at Northeastern, where she played defense for the women’s ice hockey team. Codie suffered a bad high-ankle sprain during her senior year, Harris said, and had to rehab while in-season.

“She was so helpful with all that stuff. And she knows how tough it is when you’re out and you’re not playing,” he said. “Just to have her around for support and just to chat with her when some days are worse than others, it means the world.”

The couple brought home their new puppy, a Mini Bernedoodle named Chai, on Wednesday.

“We should’ve gotten the puppy like two months ago. That would’ve been smart,” Harris said with a laugh. She’s the best. I am in love with her already, and I spent like three hours with her.”

​Harris has been able to keep himself grounded – in the work, in his family and teammates, through trusting the plan, and now, raising Chai. Asked what he has learned about himself through this adversity, Harris paused and said, “Things will be okay.”

​His belief in that sentiment is why Harris’ season is not over. He is just getting ready for his second act.

“It’s been a dream come true to play for the Bruins. It was only five games to start the year, but I didn’t take it for granted. Every single shift, every single game, has meant so much to me and my family,” Harris said. “I felt good on the ice, and I do feel good. I felt really good and was happy with my start. Hopefully, I can get back into rhythm.”