Jordan Harris (ice hockey) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jordan Harris
Harris with the Montreal Canadiens in December 2022
Born	(2000-07-07) July 7, 2000 (age 24) Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	179 lb (81 kg; 12 st 11 lb)
Position	Defense
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Columbus Blue Jackets Montreal Canadiens
NHL Draft	71st overall, 2018 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	2022–present

Jordan Harris (born July 7, 2000) is an American professional ice hockey player. He plays as a defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Montreal Canadiens picked him in the third round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 71st player chosen overall.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Jordan Harris was born on July 7, 2000, in Haverhill, Massachusetts. His mom, Ginny, is a nurse, and his dad, Peter, is a physical therapist. Jordan is both biracial and Jewish. His mother is white and not Jewish. His father is half-Black and Jewish. He was adopted from a Jewish orphanage.

As of March 2024, Jordan was the only Black Jewish player in the NHL. His dad played ice hockey for UMass Lowell. Jordan almost became a goaltender like his dad and older brother, Elijah. But he loved to skate and play outside the net too much, so he became a defenseman.

Jordan went to Haverhill High School for one year. Then he moved to Kimball Union Academy, a boarding school in New Hampshire. In three years at Kimball, Jordan scored 18 goals and made 64 assists. He played in 111 games. He was the team's captain during the 2017–18 season. That year, he had six goals and 29 assists in 37 games. He was also a star on Kimball's lacrosse team. Jordan also played five games with the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League during the 2017–18 season.

College Hockey Career

Harris playing for Northeastern University in March 2019

The Montreal Canadiens chose Jordan in the 2018 NHL Draft. He had already decided to play college ice hockey at Northeastern University. Another player drafted by the Canadiens, goalie Cayden Primeau, also joined him at Northeastern.

Freshman Year (2018–19)

Jordan scored his first college goal on October 13, 2018. It was the first goal in Northeastern's 5–0 win over Sacred Heart. This was a shutout victory. In his first year, Jordan had one goal and 12 assists in 39 games. Northeastern won both the 2019 Beanpot tournament and the 2019 Hockey East Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

Sophomore Year (2019–20)

Jordan earned points in the first four games of his second season. He doubled his goal total from the year before. By the holiday break, he was a key playmaker for the team. He had three goals and 13 points in 18 games. This placed him fifth among Hockey East defensemen. Jordan helped Northeastern win the 2020 Beanpot in double overtime. They beat Boston University 4–4, giving the Huskies their third title in a row.

His sophomore season ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Huskies gave him the Unsung Hero Award for his achievements. He finished the season with three goals and 21 points. He played between 25 and 30 minutes per game.

Junior Year (2020–21)

Northeastern named Jordan an alternate captain for the 2020–21 season. Experts praised his smart play in the first half of the season. He was named Hockey East Player of the Week on December 14. This was after he scored two goals and three assists in a weekend sweep against Merrimack. He finished the season with six goals and 19 points. This was third-best in the conference. Jordan was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He was also named to the Hockey East Second All-Star Team.

Jordan chose not to sign with the Canadiens after his junior year. People thought he might become a free agent after graduating. But he told reporters he wanted to finish his college degree.

Senior Year (2021–22)

The Huskies named Jordan their captain for the 2021–22 season. He was named Hockey East Defender of the Week on November 1. This was after he scored one goal and had three assists in two wins against Maine. In his final college season, Jordan scored five goals and 20 points in 38 games. He had five goals and 14 points in 20 conference games. For this, he was named a Hockey East First Team All-Star. He also won the conference's Hockey East Best Defensive Defenseman award. He ended his college career with 15 goals and 73 points in 130 games over four seasons.

Professional Hockey Career

Harris with the Canadiens in December 2022

After college, Jordan signed a two-year contract with the Canadiens. He joined them for the end of their 2021–22 season. He played his first NHL game on April 2, 2022. He had a plus–minus rating of +1 and blocked three shots. Montreal won the game 5–4 in a shootout against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jordan played ten games with the Canadiens that season. He scored his first NHL goal in the last game of the season on April 29. The Canadiens won that game 10–2 against the Florida Panthers.

On August 19, 2024, Jordan Harris was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In return, the Canadiens received Patrik Laine and a second-round pick in the 2026 draft.

Playing for Team USA

Jordan Harris played for the United States at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. This tournament was held in the Czech Republic. He scored his first goal of the tournament on the second day. He took a pass from Trevor Zegras to tie the game 1–1 against Germany. The US team won that game 6–3.

The US team lost 1–0 to Finland in the semifinals. This meant they did not make it to the medal round. This was the first time since 2015 that the US team did not advance to the medal round. In five games, Jordan scored one goal and had a +4 plus-minus rating.

Personal Life

Jordan's brother, Elijah, also plays hockey. Elijah was a goalie at Austin Preparatory School. He then went to Endicott College to play for the Gulls. Jordan, his brother, and his father (who are all Black) have talked about the challenges faced by Black hockey players. Jordan spoke at a screening of the documentary Black Ice. He said, "I’m really proud of my heritage and the way I grew up. I feel extremely lucky to have been raised the way I was; biracial and Jewish, and raised to love hockey for what it is."

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and Honours

See Also

• List of black NHL players
• List of select Jewish ice hockey players