Before Sidney Crosby went to this year’s Player Media Tour, Finn Harding gave him the heads up that he would probably run into his dad.
Jason Harding is the Head of Production Design and Innovation for Rogers Sportsnet, and has been with the company since Finn and his brother Jared were kids. His duties lay on the creative and media side, and at this particular event, he was running Sportsnet’s on-ice set, gathering content for the upcoming season.
“I told Sid when we were having lunch, like, hey, I think my dad might see you, you might cross paths with him in Vegas,” said Finn, a 2024 draft pick entering his second year of professional hockey with the Penguins. “I guess my dad said something, and they obviously had a convo, and then Sid came back and mentioned it, which was cool. It was just funny. Small world.”
Finn and Jared would witness interactions like that when they were younger, as Jason occasionally brought the boys on set. One time, MLB pitcher Marcus Stroman even filmed a ‘Happy Birthday’ video for Finn. “That was a highlight for 8-year-old me,” Finn said with a smile.
Through firsthand visits and hearing about Jason’s career secondhand, Finn gained an appreciation for how much goes into a broadcast apart from the on-ice product.
“So, I kind of know what you guys are going through because I hear what he does, right?” Finn said. “Just kind of being in the hockey world and all that, it's been really cool for my brother and I to kind of share that with him, which has been nice.
“We always joked about crossing paths at some point because he works with the NHL and all that, and now it's kind of coming to fruition, which is cool. It’s cool sort of sharing the same industry, or kind of business.”
Jason played hockey himself, which means Finn and Jared got into the game at a young age. They loved watching it – knowing their dad was behind the scenes on legendary programs like Hockey Night in Canada made it extra special – and playing it.
Penguins Director of Player Development Tom Kostopoulos called Finn “a hockey nerd,” saying the 2024 seventh-round pick is intelligent, open to learning, and arguably absorbs information and direction better than any kid Pittsburgh has had in the organization.
“Anything you tell him, you can tell he learns it, and he works at it,” Kostopoulos said.
Video study is something that has helped Harding in that regard, as he’s big on that during the season.
“I find I'm able to get that edge, whether it be other teams' video, other leagues' video, my video, just being a sponge and soaking all that I can in,” Harding said. “I like watching the right-handed defensemen, guys like (Kris Letang) and (Erik Karlsson). Seeing them in person as well helps. But just kind of their detail and their stick work defensively, and also their spots they're looking at.”
The Penguins felt that Harding just kept improving through his first season of pro hockey in 2025-26. It’s not easy to play in the American Hockey League as a 20-year-old, but Harding became a fixture in the lineup.
“He defends hard, he's physical, he's got an undercover little snarl and edge to him, which I like. And he brings some offense,” Kostopoulos said before bringing up Harding’s plus-32 rating, which ranked fourth in the entire league. “That doesn’t happen by accident.” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Head Coach Kirk MacDonald agreed.
“It’s a stat that's not important until it is, right?” MacDonald said. “If you're a really good plus, like Finn has been consistently for the last couple years, or you're really in the minus bad, that stat starts to mean something when you kind of separate yourself from the herd, so to speak.”
In a way, Harding has also done that with his character. If you talk to anyone who knows Finn, they couldn’t be more complimentary of the person that he is.
“He's a spectacular kid,” Kostopoulos said. “Coaches love him, teammates love him. He's got a bright future.”
