Undrafted and previously drafted college hockey players are beginning to sign with National Hockey League teams as college squads get eliminated from conference tournaments and the NCAA National Tournament. Some of the top players available are finding homes in the NHL. Some of these prospects include Boston College junior Nikita Nesterenko (Anaheim), Arizona State sophomore Josh Doan (Arizona), Bemidji State senior Will Zmolek (Philadelphia), Northeastern junior Devon Levi (Buffalo), and Colorado College junior Hunter McKown (Columbus). The Bruins have been successful recently with signing college players during the spring. Here is another player outside of the college ranks that the Bruins might consider.
James Hardie is a high-scoring forward who attended Bruins Rookie Development Camp this past summer. Hardie is a 21-year-old left wing who has gone undrafted despite showing high-end offensive ability in the Ontario Hockey League. In four seasons with the Mississauga Steelheads, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound winger 127 goals and 115 assists in 252 games.
When draft-eligible in 2020, eliteprospects.com had the following scout on Hardie: “He scored the opener and the game-winner in the final minute. His first goal came off a 2v1 rush, an excellent cross-body catch-and-release to the short side. It was perfectly executed and showed his potential as a scorer. The game-winner was a great play to the net front by Harley, and Hardie was positioned perfectly off to the side to pot the rebound.” Questions about his skating ability and the pandemic hurt Hardie’s chances to be drafted. There is also a concern about whether he can be an effective defensive forward. But the skills are there to score goals in any league.
Now, the time has come to potentially sign with a National Hockey League team. After being overlooked in two NHL Drafts, Hardie is an intriguing player on the free agent list. The Bruins are familiar with the player and could be in the mix to sign Hardie to a deal. The Barrie, Ontario native has totaled 80 points this season as captain of the Steelheads and has consistently been a top scorer in the OHL with 78 goals in the last two seasons.
With another opportunity to hook onto an NHL team approaching, the motivation has certainly developed for James Hardie, and the Boston Bruins could make his dream of playing professional hockey come true. Keep an eye on left-shot left-wing James Hardie on the free agent market.
