Prospect Scouting Report - River Harrington

[kirbithan 1,705]

PLAYER NAME: RIVER HARRINGTON

POSITION: DEFENSEMAN

HEIGHT: 6’0”

WEIGHT: 200 LBS.

AGE: 18

BIRTHPLACE: MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA

VHLM DRAFT STATUS: ELIGIBLE FOR S95

VHL DRAFT STATUS: ELIGIBLE FOR S96

 

River Harrington hails from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, born to tech mogul Augustus Harrington and elite fashion designer Cecilia Harrington, though the only child of the Harrington couple is looking to shift the perception of his family name and pave his own pathway to success through hockey, wanting to prove to his parents that he was more than they claimed he was. His goal? The legendary Victory Hockey League.

 

After a successful stint with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants alongside his close friends Brandon Petan Jr. and Slava Kovalenko, which saw the Ontario-born defenseman putting up 71 points in 68 games for the squad, Harrington took his talents to the VHLM as a waiver signing for the Ottawa Lynx at the tail-end of S94 to aid a squad that lacked both offensive and defensive firepower. 

 

OFFENSE: In 19 games for the Lynx as a waiver signing after the trade deadline, Harrington ended the season with 12 goals and 11 assists, with 3 GWG and 5 PPG, with an astounding shooting percentage of 22.64%, which led the team that season. This offensive prowess is one similar to the likes of the renowned Skor McFleury and blossoming star Jillian Woods, the two players Harrington has claimed he is modeling his game after. As a self-proclaimed offensive defenseman, Harrington wants to provide quality play on both sides of the ice and become a flexible asset for any team that requires the service of a high-ceiling scoring defenseman.

 

DEFENSE: On the defensive side of the game, Harrington put up 38 hits and also led the S94 Ottawa Lynx squad in shots blocked with 62 despite only playing 19 games. Although proving to be a prolific goalscorer and playmaker, Harrington is still a projected first pairing defenseman in the VHL if he develops to his full potential, not afraid to put his body on the line and make those physical plays that keep the puck out of his team’s end and as a result, out of the back of the net. 

 

MENTAL: Harrington has been noted to lack discipline throughout the entirety of his youth and junior career, with countless penalties that ended up throwing him in the box more often than not, and kept his talent off the ice. It was only when he was gently chided by a few guiding voices in his life that he decided to clean up his act, as VHL scouts were now starting to keep a keen eye on him as a prospect of interest. In his 19 games for the Lynx, Harrington was able to start improving on his discipline, racking up 16 PIMs as compared to the 63 he acquired in 48 games for the Vancouver Giants. Outside of the slight discipline issue that he is now tackling, Harrington has been praised by coaches and teammates for his work ethic, his loud and commanding voice in the locker room (from previous experience as an assistant captain for the Vancouver Giants), and the energy and passion he brings to the ice every game.

 

Entering the S95 VHLM dispersal draft as a top prospect, Harrington is looking forward to contributing to a team’s defensive core meaningfully, while being able to score and handle himself on the offensive side of the puck.

Edited July 4 by kirbithan