Two years ago, winger Mike Hardman had just completed a stellar junior hockey season in Canada but had been snubbed in the NHL Entry Draft. As he prepared to enter Boston College, there were questions about how effective he could be in Hockey East.
In 2021, the 22-year-old is an NHL hockey player with the Chicago Blackhawks, having signed with the Original Six club after his sophomore season with the Eagles. Any of the doubts about his development and the path he took to get there are all but gone.
“I’ve always had great coaches growing up,” Hardman told New England Hockey Journal. “They always gave some pretty good guidelines about where to play and where to get exposure.”
This article appeared in the print edition of the September/October 2021 New England Hockey Journal magazine.
