Family has been instrumental in the development 2015 draft prospect Jansen Harkins. Enjoying a strong season on the resurgent Prince George Cougars, now in the playoff hunt after finishing 9th in the Western Conference last season, leading the team in scoring with 49 points (44-13-36-49) tying him for 12th in the league. A steadily improving profile projects him to go towards the end of the first round by McKeen’s scouts.
Another son of an ex-NHL’er rising in prominence, father Todd Harkins is also the current General Manager of Prince George. Todd was a second round pick of the Calgary Flames in 1988 (42nd overall) and played 48 games in the NHL and played professionally for 11 seasons. Jansen and his father were also united at the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver along his hockey path. The family is brought even closer by his brother suffering from a rare genetic disorder (MPS) and currently the Cougars locker room attendant. You can read more about their relationship in this excellent article by Aaron Vickers at NHL.com.
Harkins draft year is unfolding well beyond his significant contributions to the Cougars. He was named to Team Orr at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game coming up next week after winning gold at the U18 Ivan Hlinka Tournament scoring six points (5-2-6) to start the season.
McKeen’s correspondent Randy Gorman caught up with him recently and provided this interview:
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McKeen's: Where did you play your minor hockey?
Harkins: I played all my minor hockey with the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver, where my father was a very big part of at the time. My midget hockey was played right here with the Northwest Giants of the BC Major Midget League.
McKeen's: What is the biggest adjustment you had to make coming from minor hockey to playing major junior hockey with the Prince George Cougars?
Harkins: I think just playing a two-hundred-foot game, I think coach Mark Holick and the coaching staff have really pushed me to improve my defensive game in the defensive zone, and for the most part I think I’ve done that, you have to be bigger, stronger, and faster in this league, and that is the biggest adjustment you have to make. Aside from, like I mentioned, adjusting to playing good defense.
McKeen's: With this being your draft year, were there any set goals you wanted to achieve personally and team wise?
Harkins: Yes, obviously you want to have short and long term goals. For me personally I would be drafted by a team that wants me and to go as high as I can in June. It's always been a dream of mine to play in the NHL like my dad did. I think it's always very important to win as a team, we want to do well and win as many games as we can and turn this franchises' fortunes around. So far we have been doing a pretty good job as a team in accomplishing that and we just want to keep that momentum going.
McKeen's: What is the strongest part of your game, and what the things you are working on?
Harkins: I think I'm a good play-maker, I see the ice well with a high hockey IQ, I have a good shot, I'm a pretty good skater. However, my first three explosive steps from push off should be better and I want to improve on that, but that's usually the case with young players, I'm still developing my game, and much like most players in this league I want to get bigger, stronger, and faster.
McKeen's: Well just how important, and how much time do you put into off ice weight and core strength training?
Harkins: Last year coming into the league, as I stated already, everyone is much bigger, stronger, and faster, that being said - you really have to engage yourself and get ready to compete at this level and that means training hard with the training and coaching staff to get at that level you want to be at out there on the ice. It's not just one or two shifts that you have to go compete hard, it's doing it consistently with raw emotion and intelligence, you can't take a shift off or puck can be in the back of your net in a hurry.
McKeen's: You touched on this earlier, you said you wanted to change the fortunes or culture on this team here in Prince George, they have had a lot of losing or subpar and disappointing seasons over the last five or six years, since your dad Todd Harkins has taken over the General anger's duties and ownership has changed it seems to have breathed new life into the team?
Harkins: Yes, this has been big, this team has been down in the dumps the last few years, I've experienced this last season, we had a good team but the results and the record were not what we wanted in the end and we ended up missing the play-offs last season. But this season so far we are winning those one-goal games, we are putting the same effort in, and in some cases putting a better effort in and we are getting the results in the standings. Of course, the goal is to make the play-offs and go on a long run. Getting better as a team and remaining focused on the task at hand and being positive will go a long way in what we want to achieve as a team going forward.
McKeen's: I've witnessed the team is playing with confidence and poise this season, for example not getting flustered if the team gives up the first goal or a bad goal, picking it up after that with a strong push-back effort, is that a fair statement?
Harkins: Well I will give you an example, we used to have a hard time playing against the Vancouver Giants in this building, we have been able to pick up a couple of wins here this season and that does a world of good in the dressing room when the team knows that we can win here and the confidence just spreads throughout our team.
McKeen's: Does it bother you that so many scouts are watching you every night whether it's at home or on the road?
Harkins: No, I think it comes with the territory, I want to be one of those guys that everyone wants to go watch perform out there on the ice, I want to be able to entertain people because hockey is an exciting game. Everyone wants to be in the spotlight. I grew up with hockey in the family, with my dad playing pro, I wanted to accomplish what he did. I really don't mind scouts critiquing my game, that's their job, I just to be consistent every game to show them what I can bring to the game as hopefully a future pro.
McKeen's: Here at NcKeen's we are a scouting service with a ranking's list that we put out just like other scouting services, during the season do you pay much attention to the rankings and where you might be situated on those lists?
Harkins: Yeah, most players when they get asked that question Answer back that they really don't care or think about ranking's. Everybody's list is different, I doesn't matter what players' say, they will eventually look at where they stand either themselves or somebody else shows them. For me, I just try to focus on what I'm doing right out there. Let's be honest, it's really about what individual team NHL scouts think and what they are looking for at the time of the draft and who they believe can help their team long term.
McKeen's: We talked a little about your dad, former NHL'er Todd Harkins, how important was it that he took over the General Manager's duties, and what things has he taught you throughout your hockey career, coming up through the North Shore Winter Club program where he was the former director.
Harkins: I might sound bias, but I thought he was the best man for the job. He has always encouraged me and brought out the best in me. He has really taught me a lot, whether it's been basic skills while I was younger, or as I got older, tricks to be better taking face offs or getting better defensive body position on opposing players. He has helped shaped how I approach playing the game, what I want to accomplish, and how I go about achieving it. He helped challenge me to be better and I thank him for that. Also, it's not a pressure thing with either of us, having him around means like being at home and not billeting, I know what is expected of me and it is a relaxed atmosphere. Things are going good and I couldn't ask for a better mentor than my dad.
McKeen's: How important is playing defence at both ends of the ice in your developing as a complete player and advancing to the pro level?
Harkins: In this league its huge, when you’re younger in minor hockey your train of though is more offensive in nature. Most of the teams that are successful in the WHL are also very good defensive teams, the ability to prevent and stop other teams from scoring is line addition from subtraction. If you play a good defensive game, it can also lead to better offensive chances, the competition is fierce at this level, so you’re fighting for every inch of space out there. So defence is something I have really instilled in my game, and I constantly want to improve on that.
McKeen's: Growing up watching NHL players, including your dad, was there any player you admired and wanted to emulate and pattern your game after?
Harkins: Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews are a couple of guys I admired and wanted to pattern my game after, because of the way they play and conduct themselves off of the ice.
McKeen's: Are there any other sports that you play other than hockey to relax away from the game in the off season?
Harkins: I'm a competitive sports guy, so there are many sports I like to play to relax away from the game of hockey.