Hangin’ Out With … Harvard University forward Nick Abruzzese

Nick Abruzzese (Slate Hill, N.Y.) was a 2019 Toronto Maple Leafs fourth-round draft pick. (Fred Kfoury III/Getty Images)

New York Hockey Journal catches up with Harvard forward Nick Abruzzese out of North Jersey Avalanche and Chicago Steel. 

Team: Harvard University
Hometown: Slate Hill, N.Y.
Year: Junior
Pos.: Forward | Shoots: Left | Size: 5-10, 174 | Age: 22
Notable: Co-captain and 2022 U.S. Olympian led the Crimson with 15 points (3-12-15) in first 11 games of this season, including five multipoint efforts. Earned 2019-20 ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year and All-America second-team honors after leading all NCAA freshmen in scoring with 14 goals and 30 assists; 1.43 points per game ranked second nationally among all players. Broke Adam Fox’s previous mark for best freshman season in the Ted Donato era as Harvard’s coach with his 44 points. Led ECAC with six goals and 12 assists on Harvard’s top-ranked power play in 2019-20. Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2019 NHL draft (fourth round, No. 124 overall). Led the USHL in assists (51) and points (80) while playing for the Chicago Steel in 2018-19.

Favorites

Pregame meal: “Probably just chicken, rice and vegetables with a little marinara sauce.”
Road rink: Lynah Rink at Cornell
Drill in practice: “Playing a three-on-three, small-area game.”
Vacation spot: “We used to go down to the Jersey Shore a lot, so I’d say Sea Isle City.”
Musician: “Rush. Old school.”
Pregame song: “Enter Sandman” by Metallica
Movie: “Miracle”
TV show: “The Office”
Video game: NHL
Sport other than hockey: Baseball
Sports team: New York Rangers
Non-hockey athlete: Phil Mickelson or Roger Federer

Equipment

Helmet: Warrior
Stick: Warrior
Gloves: Warrior
Skates: Bauer

How would you describe yourself as a player? Who was your biggest NHL influence growing up, and why? “Pretty smart, I’d say. I try to use my head getting around the ice and have good vision, make plays and try to facilitate the game as much as I can.

“Amongst a lot of guys, Patrick Kane and Johnny Gaudreau are probably the two guys I’ve watched the most growing up. They’re both undersized guys, left-handed shots who are incredibly smart and skilled offensive players. There are a lot of guys I watch and try to pick things up from, but those two probably the most.”

Reflecting back on your freshman year, what do you point to as the key to your success? “First and foremost, we had a really good team. Playing with a lot of really good players made the transition easy for me. I think it was also a fine balance of not asking too much for myself and also having a good amount of responsibility on the ice. I think adding those two things together was really a perfect storm and I think what allowed me to have a good amount of success.”

How important were the two years you spent with the USHL’s Chicago Steel? “Those seasons were incredibly important. Even before that, playing locally for the (New Jersey) Avalanche, too. Those years have really been some of the best moments of my career. I met a lot of really good people who taught me the right way to play the game and how to use my tools effectively. I definitely wouldn’t be sitting where I am today without that time.”

How do you feel you’ve grown as a player since your freshman year? “Naturally, I’ve gotten a little bit stronger over the past couple of years. With that, I think I’m a little bit more explosive. It allows me to improve my skating and my first couple of strides. You’re always trying to create more time and space, so skating is one of the best ways to do that. So, skating, edge work and just getting stronger in the gym and adding a couple more pounds were the important things that I tried to focus on.”

Especially since you’ve only played one season due to the pandemic, how special was the honor of being named a captain? “It was really cool. I think, again, having that responsibility and having your teammates vote you into that position is really cool and something I definitely don’t take for granted. I think our team has a lot of guys that are just as deserving as me, so it makes having that position that much easier.”

Your team has seven NHL draft picks among the freshman and sophomore classes. Was it challenging for you and co-captain Casey Dornbach to help such a big group adjust to the college game at the same time? “The good thing is that all the Ivy League teams have had to go through the same thing. … I was fortunate my freshman year to have a lot of really good people in the room who taught me about what it takes to be a college hockey player and a student-athlete. Like I said, we have a lot of really good upperclassmen in our room again this year who lead by example really well. I think we’ve done a good job trying to acclimate these guys. It’s a long season, but I think we’re seeing the growth and improvement that we’ve been looking for.”

Who was the biggest mentor for you as a freshman, and what did you take away from him? “We had a great group my freshman year. Our captain, Nathan Krusko, was a great guy and someone who always did things the right way. When you’re a freshman coming in, I think you also naturally just connect with the group that’s older than you, so the sophomore class (now seniors) has also done a great job. Those are the guys who have been helping to lead through the whole program through these tough times, making sure that everyone is still connected even though we’ve been pretty far apart. The biggest thing is making sure that everyone feels equal, feels that they have a voice and that everyone’s pulling on the rope the same way.”

What have you seen as the team’s biggest strengths? “One of the things that happens with a young team is that you’re going to see a little bit of inconsistency on a day-to-day basis in terms of what we need to do to be successful, but I think we started to see that consistency in our game even before the (holiday) break. If we’re successful with the makeup of our team, we have to be playing really fast. We’ve got guys who can skate and have a good amount of skill. I think the thing that holds that together is a little bit of tenacity and competitiveness. I think we’re starting to build that identity of being a team that works hard and has the speed and skill to capitalize (offensively) like we do.”

Taking away your college career and being drafted, what is your favorite hockey memory? “My dad was a big Rangers fan and grew up playing hockey, and my younger sisters have played as well. Just spending a lot of time with them watching Ranger games or playing in the basement has been really cool.

“I’m the oldest, so dad got me started and I guess I can take credit for getting my younger sisters involved. It’s fun looking back now thinking that’s how it all started. I think I owe a lot of what I do to them.”

What is your major at Harvard? Favorite class? “I’m majoring in psychology. I’ve taken a lot of really interesting psych classes. One of the more interesting ones was health psychology, which I actually took this (past) semester. It taught us different ways that we could psychologically think about our health. We talked a lot about mindfulness and mental skills, which are really applicable to different things going on in life.”

Editor’s note: This article appears in the January/February print edition of New York Hockey Journal.