Former Canadiens Player Went Home

In the whirlwind that has been the last two weeks, one signing slipped past me: the contract former Montreal Canadiens draft pick and player Jordan Harris signed with the Boston Bruins for a one-year deal.

Harris was a third-round pick at the 2018 draft and had Habs fans worried when he decided to play his fourth and final year of eligibility in the NCAA with Northeastern University. Some feared the Haverhill, MA native would just wait to become a free agent and sign with his local team, the Bruins.

Harris was a first-team all-star in the Hockey East division, Northeastern’s captain, and the player who won them the Beanpot tournament in 2020 with a double overtime goal. He grew up just 36 miles north of Boston and had never left the area to play hockey, but he ultimately joined the Canadiens and signed an ELC contract at the end of the 2021-22 season, playing 10 NHL games.

He played the last year of his ELC before signing a two-year contract extension with a $1.4 M AAV with the Canadiens and skated in 56 games with the Habs in the first year of that contract, putting up 14 points.

In June 2024, he was named Sports Personality of the Year by the Cummings Center Foundation for his involvement in the community and for being a trailblazer in the NHL. At the time, he was the only Black Jewish player in the NHL.

Less than two months later, however, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round pick. He joined the Jackets just days before the team was hit by an incredible tragedy when an alleged drunk driver killed star player and leader Johnny Gaudreau and his brother.

It was a tough season for the Jackets, but they still came painfully close to qualifying for the playoffs, only being eliminated when the Canadiens won their last game of the year. Still, even though Columbus struggled, Harris couldn’t establish himself as a regular in the lineup.

In the end, he only played 33 games with the Ohio outfit, scoring five points and finishing the year with a minus-one rating. At the end of the season, the Jackets decided not to extend a qualifying offer, and he became an unrestricted free agent.

Boston signed him on July 1 to a one-year contract with a $825,000 AAV, bringing him back home. Should he manage to get a regular spot in the lineup this season, he’ll take on his former Canadiens teammates four times.

Photo credit:  Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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