When John Farinacci was invited to play in the 2018 USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game in September at Xcel Energy Center, the center’s goal wasn’t to just enjoy the event. He wanted to find out what he could improve as a player.
“It was less of a fun trip, and more of a business trip,” said the 18-year-old Chatham, N.J., native, who recently completed his second season and first as captain at Dexter School, totaling 33 points (12-21-33) in 16 games. “You’re playing with many great players and competing on a high stage, so you can see what things you need to work on and what things you can emulate from other guys. You play to the best of your ability and learn new lessons, techniques and skills.”
The aspect of his game which he’s improved the most since that visit to St. Paul, Minn., has been his skating, the same skill that he’s been working on and come the furthest with since his earliest days playing the sport.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always gotten nitpicked about my skating and my first couple steps,” the 5-feet-11, 185-pounder said. “That fuels me; whenever I can get constructive criticism I take it as a challenge to improve myself. Ever since I started hearing about it, I’ve worked on my skating and my foot speed. I’ve come a long way from where I was, but there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done with that, and every facet of my game.”
Farinacci’s commitment to keep upgrading his skill-set is one of his chief characteristics, and his success in doing so hasn’t gone unnoticed. In January, the right-handed shooter, who models his game after Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, was slotted 37th among North American skaters by National Hockey League Central Scouting in its midseason rankings for the 2019 NHL draft. And while Farinacci calls being on that list “an honor,” he notes that “it’s not the most important thing.”
“My goal is to play in the NHL and make a career out of it,” he elaborated. “I want to play hockey for a living. I try not to pay attention to the draft. It’s a special thing, but for me, at the end of the day, it’s about continually developing and getting ready for the next step.”
That’s what the sport has always been about for Farinacci, who was placed onto the ice at 3 years old by his father, Tony, and shortly thereafter joined a learn-to-skate program and at age 5 a house league.
Tony’s inspiration for introducing his son to hockey was his passion for it. He was a defenseman at Hofstra University, although he was really something else.
“He was an enforcer, didn’t have a ton of skill,” Farinacci chuckled. “Fortunately for me, I got the opposite end of the spectrum on the skill side, but I do like to mix it up sometimes.”
Farinacci’s skill was on full display during his youth hockey days when he played with the Red Bank Generals and New Jersey Colonials.
Growing up, he also engaged in some fiery battles with his brother, Anthony, who’s three years his senior and just concluded his junior campaign at Tufts University.
“We always went at each other, whether it was mini-stick hockey at home or football outside,” Farinacci reminisced. “We were super competitive with each other. Hockey wise, whenever we had private skills lessons or camps, we always competed against each other. Being such a competitive kid and wanting to win at everything helped me in the long run.”
Their sibling rivalry was put on hold during the 2015-16 season when the duo were teammates at Delbarton School and helped lead the Green Wave to the NJSIAA Non-Public state championship.
That campaign, Farinacci’s only one at the school, is arguably the most important one in his burgeoning hockey career to this point. He started it on the first line but was bumped to the fourth unit after just a few games. He remained in that spot for nearly the remainder of the year.
Not used to playing such a limited role, the experience provided Farinacci with some much-needed knowledge, the most notable piece being the importance of sticking to his plan despite the demotion.
“You have to keep working hard, never complain and always show up to the rink and practice,” he said. “I learned the value of patience and being able to deal with certain situations. That was tough, but just being able to handle it helped me. All the hard work and dedication ended up paying off, as I got rewarded for it.”
He sure did. Right before the title game, he was back on the first line with his brother.
“That was a really special moment for me,” Farinacci said. “Being able to share that season with him and winning a championship was awesome.”
The victorious feeling was especially sweet for Farinacci because of the balancing act he had to perform that season since the campaign marked his final one with the Colonials, whom he captained that year.
“Trying to manage the school work at Delbarton and playing for two teams was a tough challenge for me,” he stated.
Farinacci succeeded, and the experience aided him the following season in 2016-17 when he attended another prestigious prep school, Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota. This time, after a less-than-ideal tryout, he was immediately slotted on the fourth line. Again, though, he built his way back up to a top-six role, where he skated for most of the season.
At the rink, his game reached another level as he learned “how to play real hockey with systems” under the tutelage of coach Mark Abalan, who’s now an associate head coach with the United States Hockey League’s Sioux City Musketeers.
Off the ice, he matured as a person, since he was no longer living with his parents in the Garden State.
“The biggest thing I got out of that year was being away from home at such a young age,” said Farinacci, who recorded 63 points (28-35-63) in 53 matches in his only season at the school. “After being around my parents, with how important and impactful they are for me, I had to learn how to live on my own and take care of myself. Mommy (Noreen) and daddy aren’t there for you anymore. You have to learn to be a man.”
In the midst of that year, Farinacci had to overcome what he considers his toughest challenge to date, when he tried out and failed to make the United States National Team Development Program.
“That was a tough pill for me to swallow,” he said. “Growing up, I always wanted to play for them and play for my country. It’s always an honor to do that.”
Farinacci vividly remembers the day after he received the news. “I woke up in the morning and went to the gym,” he recounted. “I knew it was time to get to work because there was nothing I could do about it at that point. You can’t sit there and sulk. I learned from it and it instilled a stronger work ethic in me, and it pushed me to be the player I am today.”
Ahead of the 2017-18 campaign, Farinacci brought that invigorated work ethic back east to Dexter, where he’s playing for his uncle Dan Donato, who pushes his nephew to reach his peak level.
“Every day in practice, he’s always harping on me to pick up the tempo and move my feet more,” said Farinacci, who registered 53 points (26-27-53) in 27 games in his first season at Dexter. “He’s definitely a great motivator for me. I love a coach who challenges me.”
In each of the past two seasons, Farinacci played in a pair of contests with the USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks and was able to slightly fulfill his childhood dream by receiving promotions to the U.S. NTDP Under-17 and Under-18 squads.
“You never take a moment when you’re playing for your country lightly,” said Farinacci, who served as captain of the U.S. national team that took first place at the 2017 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, where he notched four points (2-2-4) in four games, and the club that competed at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he totaled five points (2-3-5) in five contests. “Those experiences are something that you cherish. Every time you’re able to put that USA jersey on, it’s a really special moment. Going out to that team was incredible with all the success they’ve had and all the great players who are on that team. You learn something from them; you see how they behave and act, and you see what you can take away by watching them.”
His biggest takeaway is “how hard they work.”
“Every day they’re working out and skating,” Farinacci explained. “And one thing I’ve noticed about them is they can have a game the next day and they’ll still be in the gym. It’s all about getting better every day. That’s why it’s called the development program. You’re developing your game every single day, and everything they do is about hockey. It’s really cool to watch them and kids like Jack Hughes (the projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL draft), who’s a really special player. It was cool to see how he plays the game, how he thinks the game and his work ethic.”
Farinacci will continue to develop his game next season when he begins his college career at Harvard, where he’ll play for another uncle, Dan’s older brother, Ted.
“Growing up, I was always at Harvard games, always around its rink,” Farinacci remembered. “Ever since a young age I’ve wanted to go there. When I visited the campus as I got older and saw what it was really all about, it was everything that I imagined it would be. When you’re a young kid, you fantasize about the players and playing college hockey at Harvard, but when you finally get to go there and soak it all in, it was a no-brainer for me.”
Before he heads to Harvard, he’ll spend the summer training and visiting family. One such relative he’ll see is his cousin Ryan, Ted’s son, a center with the Minnesota Wild and former Boston Bruin.
And just like he has done his whole life whenever he’s around someone with hockey ties, Farinacci will use his time with Ryan wisely. “I’ve learned a lot from Ryan, seeing how he handles himself as a pro and a person, and his maturity and work ethic,” Farinacci said. “Everything he does is to get better. If you’re around him for a week — or even a day — you see why he’s such a good player. He eats right, goes to bed on time, works out. He’s always doing the right thing.”
So is Farinacci, and that’s why he’s poised to become the next member of his family to hear his name called at the NHL draft.
