Harrison Roy recently announced that he had committed to play his college hockey at Boston College. The Lakeville, Mass. native, who was originally committed to Maine as a 16-year-old, has six points in 16 games in the USHL this season, including a pair of points since he joined Des Moines in a trade seven games ago.
Roy has been developing his 200-foot game since he joined the USHL three years ago, and he said it believes it makes him more ready to jump into college hockey next season.
“He showed improved jump in his stride and was able to carry the puck wide on defenders and make plays at the net,” said our scouts. “His passing ability is deceptively sharp; he finds open lanes, moves the puck quickly and has a firm, accurate delivery. When he makes a pass he doesn’t stop moving, he fights to get open again and did a great job in the neutral zone and in the offensive zone working the give and go’s.”
NZ: How did you first fall in love with the game as a kid?
Roy: “Being the younger brother in my family, my brother first started playing hockey when he was 4 years old and as a result, I just wanted to follow him and do what he was doing.
“I remember my dad building us an outdoor rink every winter since the time I was around 6 years old. I loved to compete against my brother and would try to keep up with him whenever we were playing. I remember always walking around my house with a mini hockey stick in my hand stickhandling as much as I could. My brother and my dad and I would play hours of mini hockey every night and those were the inspiring moments for me. You couldn’t find me without a stick in my hand. The feeling of stickhanding, skating, competing, passing, scoring, and so many more of the amazing aspects of hockey have made my love for the game grow deeper as I have progressed over the years.”
NZ: How would you describe yourself as a player? What are your strengths?
Roy: “I would describe myself as a complete 200-foot player who plays responsibly on all ends and can play in all situations of the game. I consider myself a playmaker who has good hockey sense and looks to create scoring opportunities for my linemates and myself. I see the strongest aspects of my game being my vision, my hockey sense, my willingness to go to the dirty areas, and my ability to handle the puck.
NZ: At the same time, what are some things you’re looking to improve this year?
Roy: “I am continuing to try to improve on my speed, my skating, and the deceptiveness of my shot.”
NZ: What made BC the place you wanted to play your college hockey?
Roy: “It was an honor to commit to play college hockey at BC for several reasons. The opportunity to play for Boston College and play for Coach York, who has played a major role in developing so many great players who have gone on to play professional hockey, is a privilege. I have a desire to continue my development under a coach and program that will provide me with the greatest opportunity to pursue those goals, and Boston College does just that.
“BC has a rich hockey tradition as well as an incredible academic reputation. The opportunity to play for such an amazing coaching staff and the style of play that they promote is the best fit for me. As a kid growing up in Massachusetts, it is a privilege to be able to further my hockey dreams at a program like Boston College so close to home. Having multiple in-depth conversations with the coaches, it was important to me to understand how a program views me and what type of impact I can have on the program. They were very specific and honest in the type of role and impact they see me having and it was in alignment of what I believe I can bring. I appreciated their honesty and transparency of how they viewed me and it made a difference in why I chose BC.”
NZ: What was your recruiting process like?
Roy: “Throughout the whole recruiting process, Coach Jerry York, Coach Mike Ayers, and Coach Brendan Buckley were consistently in contact with me and were always very upfront and honest as to where they saw me and where I fit into their program. While other schools were recruiting me, the BC staff really emphasized how much I fit their mold as a person and as a player. The coaching staff provided me with a clear picture of what I can add to their team both on the ice and off the ice through the process and as a three-year veteran in the USHL they valued the type of leadership I can bring to their incoming freshmen class.”
NZ: Having gone through the process when you were younger – and originally choosing Maine – did you feel like this time it was easier? A lot of guys say that if they re-open their recruitment, the second time it’s a lot more fine-tuned because they know more about what they’re looking for in a program.
Roy: “I believe it was somewhat easier to make this decision the second time around. Having played almost three years in the USHL for multiple different coaching styles during that time, I have a greater experience to draw from in terms of the type of style that would fit me best during my college years. As I am now 19 years old and looking to enter into school next year, it is a more fine-tuned process because both the schools and I know the type of player that I am and what kind of immediate impact I can have coming into the program. Therefore, when talking to schools, one of the first questions I asked is what kind of role and impact do they see me having on their program coming in next year? This made it more narrowed down and less open-ended than it was when I was much younger going through the process.”
NZ: It looks like we featured you back in 2016 when you were with the Bandits. Since then you’ve made the jump to the USHL. Where do you feel like your game has grown the most over these three years since you last spoke to NZ?
Roy: “During the past three seasons in the USHL, since leaving Prep School, I have played for multiple coaches who ran different styles. I have tried to take away something from each place that I’ve been to improve my overall game. I came into the USHL as a player that mostly focused on my offense. Throughout my time in this league, I have learned how important it is to play a full 200-foot game and compete for every inch of ice. As a result, I now view myself as a much more well-rounded 200-foot player who values taking care of every detail.”
NZ: Des Moines picked you up a few weeks ago in a trade. What has it been like since you joined the Bucs and playing for Coach Mannino?
Roy: “For what has been a short amount of time playing for the Bucs thus far, it has been an incredible experience playing in this organization under Coach Mannino. The biggest takeaway I have recognized from Coach Mannino is his emphasis on caring about us as people first, and then hockey players second. He is a three dimensional coach that knows each and every one of his players and wants the best for all of them. I feel I have already built a great relationship with Coach Mannino and have great respect for him. He expects a lot from us because he wants the best out of us and we are working to get better every day in pursuit of a Clark Cup championship.”