It sounds like Brett Harrison will fit in nicely with the Boston Bruins.
The 18-year-old center was drafted by the Bruins on Saturday in the third round of the NHL Draft. A 6-foot-2, 188-pound center who can also play on both wings, Harrison is playing in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals.
He’s a Bruins and Patrice Bergeron fan, and, coincidentally, Harrison is a native of a town named Dorchester in Ontario.
So, how did a kid from Toronto Maple Leafs territory end up a B’s fan?
“I’ve always been a Bruins fan. It just ran through the family as my grandpa was best friends with Gary Doak. It was a dream come true when I saw my name pop up and a moment that I’ll never forget.
Doak spent 14 seasons with the Bruins and played in 610 games with Boston from 1966-70 and 1972-81. He died in 2017, before Harrison got a chance to meet him.
Otherwise, his direct connections to current Bruins are minimal. Bruins center prospect Jack Studnicka also played for Oshawa, but went pro a year before Harrison arrived in the OHL. Their fathers are friends, however. He also once shot on Boston goalie prospect Kyle Keyser at a training camp when Keyser was in Oshawa.
