The boy becomes a man
Family’s sporting bloodlines, including some tough love from dad, produced a player with NHL potential
B.C.’s Jansen Harkins is set to score at the NHL entry draft
It takes a village to raise a child. It takes much more to raise a potential NHL player.
The family sporting bloodlines that have contributed to North Vancouver-bred centre Jansen Harkins being ranked as a first-round pick for the 2015 NHL draft June 26-27 include his grandfather, Don, who played football for the ferocious Woody Hayes at Ohio State University. It includes his father, Todd, who completed three years of pre-med and stopped his pursuit of becoming a heart surgeon to play 48 NHL games with Calgary and Hartford before stops in the AHL, IHL and the German pro league.
It includes mom Kirsten, a former Disney on Ice performer from Lake Cowichan; and older brother, Nicklas, who was diagnosed at age five with Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) — a rare genetic order that affects physical ability, organ and system functions. Yet, it hasn’t stopped Nicklas from being a witty, wisecracking, hockey-loving, locker-room attendant with the Prince George Cougars where Todd serves as general manager and Jansen managed 20 goals and 59 assists this past WHL season.
All these connections are not lost on Jansen. He knows he’s a player of privilege, but has also been willing to put in the work. His father was director of hockey operations at the North Shore Winter Club for 11 years, and coached the facility’s Triple-A peewee club to a world title in 2002-03 and a perfect season in 2005-06. The NSWC is a village of expertise and expectation and those who call it their hockey home are better for it.
“There are not many places you can go out on the ice any time you feel like it,” Jansen says. “That’s something I’m lucky to be able to do with such a prestigious club on the hockey side. I’ve made a lot of friends here, and that’s something I try not to lose in the game — having fun — and every time I go on the ice by myself, I try to enjoy it. It keeps it real and relevant.”
As much as Jansen will note he was born in Cleveland, he wasn’t much of a resident. His father was playing in Germany when Jansen was born and the family would only spend two or three months in the city in the offseason before eventually relocating to B.C. when Jansen was two.
“I like to say I’m from Cleveland when I talk about LeBron (James) or basketball,” he says, laughing. “I’m definitely a B.C. boy but when it comes to Cleveland, I’m definitely on the LeBron bandwagon.”
Still slight of frame at 6-foot-1 and 182 pounds, the drive comes from within and under the watchful eye of his dad. Taught the 200-foot game at an early age, Jansen has a leg up on his peers because awareness away from the puck is a ticket to the pros. And if some grit comes along with the skill level — Todd always tells his son how tough he was, and isn’t afraid to dispense some tough love — then he could be selected right around where the Canucks pick at 23rd overall.
Jansen was interviewed by Vancouver brass at the recent NHL combine. Teams like his ability to process the game and, as expected, they want to see improvement in his first three strides and better strength and more frequent shots that have accuracy and velocity.
“I think the game pretty well and manage it,” he says. “I definitely tried to be more offensive this year and kind of be the aggressor. That comes with the confidence of being more comfortable with the team and systems. A pass-first playmaker is a definition of my game, but I don’t think I’ve ever been intimidated. It’s definitely a bit of a mind game and as a 16-year-old rookie in the WHL, opportunities were minimal and you’ve really got to work at it. But it builds character and helped me a lot and believing more in what I can do. I’m demanding the puck and a bit of a perfectionist. That’s one of my weaknesses, but I try my best with everything I do.”
Cougars coach Mark Holick compares Jansen to Brandon Sutter, but believes he may have better bite than the Pittsburgh Penguins centre. A complete player, who’s also a good penalty killer, shot-blocker and can contribute offensively, will resonate with a lot of teams at the draft table.
“When it all shakes out and he gets that man strength, he’s going to be a heck of a power forward for a long time,” Holick predicts.
“I have no problem putting him out in the last minute of play because he can win draws and is a real intelligent player.
“Does he make mistakes? Absolutely. Sometimes, maybe there’s a read he missed or maybe a little bit of gamble on the offensive side of the puck. Those are very correctable mistakes. One thing about Jansen, if he makes a mistake, he’ll very rarely makes that mistake twice. He’s a real easy player to coach and when he’s at the rink, he’s pretty dialed in. There’s not a lot of rah-rah from him.”
A lot of motivation comes from the home front. School is a priority in the family structure and it isn’t easy to juggle with the Cougars’ travel schedule and long bus rides. An honours student, Jansen finds time for the books and balancing a relationship when your dad is also the GM.
“Staying neutral is a big part of it,” he says. “Everyone says it and it’s a cliché — not too high or too low — and it’s kind of hard, just turning 18 (on May 23), to manage my time. My dad is a big part of who I am and so is my mom in completing me that way. I’m pretty well-rounded in that (school) aspect with work ethic and making sure I work as hard as I can.”
And if Jansen needs a motivational nudge, dad can always pull out those dusty VHS tapes from his playing days. “He always tries to talk about how good he was or things he did well,” Jansen says of his dad’s six career NHL points and 78 penalty minutes. “He always has these little videos or photos he shows me of him playing in the NHL and kind of teases me about it.
“I’ve seen some tapes, especially of him fighting. He always says he’s tougher than me, which is probably true, obviously. But it was a different style of game.”