Jordan Harris' Road Back: From Surgery Table to Providence Ice
BOSTON - Jordan Harris isn’t taking the usual route to the rink these days. On Thursday, the 25-year-old defenseman made the drive not from the Bruins’ home base at Warrior Ice Arena, but from Providence, where he’s logging valuable minutes with the P-Bruins on a conditioning loan. And for Harris, every mile down I-95 is a sign that he’s inching closer to where he wants to be - back in the NHL, back in Black and Gold.
It’s been a long road since October 21, when Harris fractured his right ankle and underwent surgery shortly after. Nearly three months later, he’s finally back in game action, picking up an assist in his first outing with Providence. But for Harris, just being on the ice again - in any capacity - is a victory.
“I am so excited to play,” Harris said, grinning. “I would literally play men’s league hockey right now at 10 o’clock at night. Like seriously, I would play anywhere.”
That kind of hunger doesn’t come out of nowhere. For Harris, a Haverhill, Massachusetts native, signing a one-year deal with his hometown team in July was the culmination of a dream. He earned a spot out of training camp and skated in five games before the injury hit - a cruel interruption to what was shaping up to be a meaningful season.
Suddenly, the dream was on pause. And Harris, who’d never gone under the knife before, had to face the unknown.
“It was a little daunting at first, honestly,” he admitted. “I’ve never had surgery before.
With stuff like that, it's just, ‘What can I do today to the best of my ability?’ And then keep on stacking days.”
That mindset - showing up, staying consistent, stacking the days - is exactly what’s gotten Harris this far. And he hasn’t done it alone.
John McLean, the Bruins’ skating and skills coach, has been a steady presence throughout Harris’ recovery. But their relationship didn’t start in Boston. It goes back more than a decade, through hockey schools and youth teams, long before Harris was wearing the spoked-B.
“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.”
That work ethic is what’s kept Harris in the conversation, even during his time away. And now, as he gets his legs back under him in the AHL, the Bruins are watching closely.
With his mobility, hockey IQ, and poise under pressure, Harris brings a skill set that fits the modern NHL blue line. But more than that, he brings resilience - the kind you can’t teach.
The road back to Boston isn’t guaranteed. But if Harris has shown anything over the past three months, it’s that he’s willing to fight for every shift, every rep, every chance. And right now, that’s exactly the kind of player the Bruins want in their system.
He’s not just chasing a return. He’s chasing the dream - again.