Color of Hockey: 'Harris' Huskies' helping to inspire kids in Boston 

William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he profiles Boston Bruins defenseman Jordan Harris, who has launched “Harris’ Huskies,” a collaboration with Northeastern University and SCORE Boston, a Hockey Is For Everyone affiliate.

It all came back to Jordan Harris when he presided over his “Harris’ Huskies” initiative with players from the SCORE Boston youth hockey program recently at Warrior Ice Arena, the Boston Bruins practice facility.   

The moment reminded the 25-year-old Bruins defenseman of that day in 2010 when then-Boston forward and current coach Marco Sturm visited his youth hockey team’s practice in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

“I took a picture with him, and I believe it's still on the fridge at my parent’s house to this day,” Harris said. “So to kind of see this, it comes full circle that I might have an impact on one of these kids, days or weeks or even years to come, to maybe inspire them.”

That’s the goal of “Harris’ Huskies,” a mentorship program that connects Harris and players from Northeastern University with kids from SCORE Boston, a longtime Bruins partner and Hockey Is For Everyone affiliate, to create opportunities on and off the ice.

Harris kicked off the initiative on Feb. 14 with a clinic including 39 SCORE players at Warrior Ice Arena. He put the young players through drills with the help of former Northeastern women’s hockey players Molly Griffin, Katie Cipra and Codie Cross, who is Harris’ finance. Olivia Zafuto, a defenseman for Boston of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, also served as a coach.

The Bruins highlighted “Harris’ Huskies” during their 4-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden on Thursday. Harris met with 10 SCORE Boston players who were guests of the Bruins in a suite.

“The Bruins have a long and proud legacy of giving back, with a strong belief in collaborations that lead to the betterment of our community, said Bruins general manager Bob Sweeney, who is also president of the Boston Bruins Foundation.

“Jordan’s effort adds a meaningful element to our ongoing relationship with SCORE Boston.”

More on-ice clinics are planned for “Harris’ Huskies” this season along with an equipment donation drive for new youth players, tours of Northeastern’s downtown Boston campus and attending Northeastern men’s and women’s hockey games.

“I think it's good for the SCORE kids to learn about the importance of education in college hockey," Harris said, "and see the campus and see the rink, and then also for the Northeastern players to get involved.”

Harris, a native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, played 130 games with Northeastern from 2018-22 and was captain his senior season.

He had 73 points (15 goals, 58 assists) and scored a double-overtime goal in a 4-3 win against Boston University that propelled Northeastern to the championship in the 2020 Beanpot, the iconic annual tournament in which Northeastern, Boston University, Boston College and Harvard battle for a trophy and local hockey bragging rights.

Harris reached out to SCORE Boston about the collaboration shortly after he signed a one-year contract with the Bruins on July 1, 2025, after 164 games with the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets from 2021-25.

The overture was part of Harris’ desire to give back, infused by his positive experiences at Northeastern, where he won two Beanpot Tournament championships. He is also a member of the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, a group of current and former NHL players and women’s professional hockey players who work to advance inclusion in hockey on and off the ice.

“From the moment Jordan entered our locker room, he embodied the type of leadership traits that made everyone around him better, including me as a coach,” Northeastern men’s hockey coach Jerry Keefe said. “Our players look forward to working with him on an initiative that blends on-ice skill development with life lessons that resonate beyond the game.”

Funding for “Harris’ Huskies” was provided through the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition Action Fund, which was created in 2023 -- with the financial support of the NHL/NHL Players’ Association Industry Growth Fund -- to empower players to provide support to grassroots programs that welcome and celebrate new hockey audiences.

“The NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund is always pursuing innovative ways to strengthen the future of hockey, said Rob Knesurek, NHL senior vice president, youth development and industry growth. “Members of the NHL PIC have been at the forefront of developing new ideas, and we are proud to provide support for Jordan’s efforts.”

Chris Campoli, NHLPA divisional player representative, said: “Through this program, Jordan is representing the tradition of NHL players using their platforms to grow the game and support the next generation. We are excited to see the positive impact that will come from this involvement.”

So is SCORE Boston president Wendell Taylor, who said “Harris’ Huskies” is a key component in SCORE Boston’s drive to evolve from its once-a-week “Learn to Play” roots of nearly 30 years ago to a more robust program on par with others in the Boston area and New England.

The effort is also backed by financial support from the Boston Bruins Foundation and Rapid7, a Boston-based cybersecurity company.  

“The goal was to expand and turn us into a program that can integrate into the Massachusetts hockey community and join leagues and practice multiple times a week and give these kids the opportunity to compete,” Taylor said. “What ‘Harris’ Huskies’ also does is provide a role model they can relate to who can step up and say, ‘I’m Black player from New England. I know the struggles of playing hockey in New England.’”

Harris comes from a proud line of Black Northeastern players that include Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble; defenseman Jackson Dorrington, a sixth-round (No. 176) pick in the 2022 NHL Draft who plays for Hartford of the American Hockey League; forward Wayne Turner, a captain and forward who guided Northeastern to its first Beanpot championship in 1980; and forward Nikki Petrich, one of Northeastern’s first Black women’s players (2004-08).

Northeastern's men’s team has three Black players this season: forward Grayson Badger, defenseman Noah Jones and forward Ethan Fredericks.

“The history there of having players from different backgrounds is amazing,” Harris said. “I talked to Grayson about helping out with some of our SCORE stuff and he’s really interested.”