Habs prospect Farrell lights up USHL
Canadiens prospect Sean Farrell expected to be playing in front of family and friends this winter as a freshman at Harvard.
That was before Harvard and the other Ivy League schools decided to cancel all of their athletic programs in the wake of the COVID -19 pandemic.
“It was disappointing when they decided not to play, but I was fortunate that I was able to come back to the Steel,” said the 19-year-old left winger who is lighting it up in his second season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL.
Farrell has scored 12 goals and added 23 assists in 18 games to rank second in the USHL scoring race, five points behind teammate Matt Coronato, who has committed to Harvard next season.
The Canadiens were happy that Farrell was available in the fourth round (No. 124 overall) of this year's draft. His size — he's 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds — might have scared some teams off, but Steel head coach Brock Sheahan offered some insight into why the Canadiens were interested in Farrell.
“He's relentless, he never stops working,” said Sheahan, an Alberta native who was a captain at Notre Dame. “We place a value on education and character, and that may explain why we have four players who are going on to Harvard.”
Farrell is already taking classes at Harvard, which has moved most of its instruction online. He's taking a full load as a freshman and hopes to arrive on campus next fall as a sophomore.
“My goal is to play professional hockey, but for now, I'm working to get better and I'll make the jump when the Canadiens feel I'm ready” said Farrell. “I like to get involved when I'm on the ice and I want to be known as a 200-foot player. I can play on the power play and kill penalties and I like to make plays. I'm on the left wing most of the time, but I can play any of the forward positions.”
Farrell grew up as a Bruins fan in Hopkinton, a small town best known as the starting point for the Boston Marathon. His favourites players were Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, but he has also developed an appreciation for Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau and Tampa Bay's Tyler Johnson, two smaller
players who have had success in he NHL.
The Steel hasn't been able to welcome fans to its arena in the Chicago suburb of Geneva, but Sheahan said the team hasn't experienced any financial problems because the team's owner is Larry Robbins, a self-made billionaire and philanthropist who loves hockey. Robbins, who captained the hockey team at the University of Pennsylvania, has a net worth pegged at $1.8 billion. He named his hedge fund Glenview Capital Management, after the suburban Chicago rink where he learned to play hockey.
Farrell isn't the only Canadiens prospect who is enjoying success in the USHL.
Goaltender Jakub Dobes, who was selected in the fifth round in
2020 (No. 136 overall), has been keeping the Omaha Lancers in contention in the USHL'S Western Conference. He leads the league in wins (11), goals-against average (1.91) and save percentage (.926).
A native of Czechia, the 6-foot5 Dobes is headed to Ohio State next season.
Levi played hurt: Goaltender Devon Levi was playing with a fractured rib when he posted a .964 save percentage at the world junior championship to break Carey Price's tournament record.
Levi, who is from Dollarddes-ormeaux, told TSN'S Gino Reda the injury occurred when he stretched to make a save on Germany's Tim Stützle in Canada's second game. The injury has delayed Levi's NCAA debut at
Northeastern University. Women hit the ice: Five Quebecers are among the 35 players who have entered a bubble in Calgary for the BFL national women's team training camp. The women are preparing for the world championship, which is scheduled for Halifax and Truro, N.S. in April.
Goaltender Ann-renée Desbiens, defender Lauriane Rougeau and forwards Mélodie Daoust, Ann-sophie Bettez and Marie-philip Poulin are all veterans of the national team.
Elizabeth Giguère, the daughter of former NHL goalie Jean-sébastien Giguère, is one of a dozen players who will join the camp virtually.