New England Hockey Journal catches up with Chicago Blackhawks left wing Mike Hardman out of Boston College
Key facts
Teams: Chicago Blackhawks; Boston College Eagles; Winchendon; Xaverian; West Kelowna; Des Moines
Hometown: Hanover, Mass.
Pos.: LW
Shoots: Left
Size: 6-2, 205
Age: 22
Notable: Made NHL debut with Chicago on April 27 vs. Tampa Bay and scored first NHL goal/point on May 4 at Carolina. Finished season with two points (1-2-3) in eight games with the Blackhawks. Prior to signing with the Blackhawks, played two campaigns (2019-21) at Boston College, where he recorded 44 points (22-22-44) in 58 contests. Previously played for West Kelowna (BCHL) and Des Moines (USHL).
Favorites
Food: Steak and sweet potatoes
Movie: “Zero Dark Thirty”
TV show: “Friday Night Lights”
Actor: Vince Vaughn
Actress: Margot Robbie
Musician: Post Malone
Book: “Eleven Seconds” by Travis Roy
Road college rink: Gutterson Fieldhouse (University of Vermont)
Vacation spot: Florida
Sport other than hockey: Lacrosse
Non-hockey athlete: Michael Jordan
Type of goal: “Be on an odd-man rush with Alex Newhook and Matt Boldy, get a one-timer pass from one of them in the slot for a bar-down goal and then celebrate with those two guys. They are my two best friends. I played with them for the last two years and both of them are going to have great NHL careers.”
Equipment
Helmet: Bauer Re-Akt
Gloves: Bauer
Skates: Bauer Nexus
Stick: Bauer Nexus
You played two seasons (2019-21) at Boston College. What were your expectations going in and how do they compare to the reality of playing for the Eagles? “Going into school, I didn’t know what it was going to be like and I had no idea where I was going to fit in the lineup, so I went in and tried to be a hard worker off the bat. I started off on the fourth line in my first game, and it was a really fast game with guys who were older and stronger. I continued to work as hard as I could, and later on a few guys got injured and I moved up in the lineup. By the second half of the year, I started playing with Alex Newhook and Matt Boldy (Millis, Mass.). In the offseason, I trained really hard to get quicker and also stronger. Going into my second year at BC, I knew what the pace was going to be like after playing a full year of college hockey, so it was a lot easier going into that summer and knowing what I had to do to have a good sophomore year.”
What parts of your game did you improve the most from your first game at BC to your last game? “As a player, my skating improved and I picked up a step. My creativity with the puck also got better and I tried to make plays as much as possible. In my first game, I definitely was nervous. I didn’t want to turn over the puck or make mistakes. In my last game, I wanted to make plays and help my team score goals. I had a different mindset going into the game.”
How did you develop as a person during your time at BC? “Off the ice, I matured a lot. Coach Jerry York is the best coach you could have. He teaches each guy who goes through that program to not just become a better hockey player, but also to become a better person, and that’s being a better person everywhere you are, on and off the ice. He knows that being a BC hockey player means people are going to notice you around campus and even around the Chestnut Hill area. You have to be smart about what you do and be a professional at every step.”
What’s your favorite moment from your time with the Eagles? “Playing in the Beanpot my freshman year was definitely the highlight. Being a Boston guy and growing up going to all the Beanpot games, it was awesome to be able to play in it. My first Beanpot game was versus Boston University, and I’m pretty sure TD Garden was sold out. Both colleges brought everyone there. It was crazy looking up and not really seeing an empty seat. It was unfortunate that we lost the game in overtime, but it’s a game that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
After your sophomore season, you signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. You made your National Hockey League debut on April 27 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning. Is there a particular moment from that experience that you’re never going to forget? “The day before the game, coach Jeremy Colliton came over to me after practice and said, ‘You’re going in tomorrow,’ and told me to be ready. I remember shaking my head; it was a crazy feeling. After that practice, I called my mom (Janine) and my dad (Mike) and let them know that I was playing. I looked back on all the memories that me and my mom and my dad went through to get here. There are so many obstacles that they went through to get me here, and it’s a credit to them. They were awesome and supported me the whole way.
“Playing my first game, I went in with a lot of nerves and excitement. In the third period during a TV timeout, I remember stepping back and seeing guys on the ice like (Lightning defenseman) Victor Hedman and sitting next to (Blackhawks right wing) Patrick Kane on the bench and thinking, ‘This is crazy. I made it to the NHL and I got to play in a game.’ It was awesome to play in that first game, against the defending Stanley Cup champions, and seeing guys who are going to be Hall of Famers in the future. It’s a day I’ll never forget.”
You scored your first NHL goal/point in your fifth game, on May 4 at the Carolina Hurricanes. What were your emotions after you scored, and what are you going to do with the puck? “It was a great play on the breakout. Kane passed the puck to the middle to (right wing) MacKenzie Entwistle, who skated wide and shot it off the goalie’s pad. What I learned from all my coaches growing up is to just go to the net hard, and I went to the net and I’m lucky the puck found my stick there and I tapped it in. It was a crazy feeling to be able to get my first goal this spring, and it was definitely a confidence booster for me not having to worry about that next season. It’s really hard to get points in the NHL.
“I have my first college goal puck back at my house in Hanover, Mass., so I’m going to bring my first NHL goal puck back to Hanover as well and put it next to that one. Those two pucks I’ll keep for the rest of my life. They mean so much to me.”
