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Longtime Jr. Gull Harris is on NHL draft watch list

By Chris Bayee, 10/25/22, 1:00PM PDT

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The forward is playing for Sioux Falls in the USHL.


Sam Harris is off to a strong start in his second season of junior hockey Sioux Falls of the United States Hockey League. Photo courtesy of the Sioux Falls Stampede


Forward Sam Harris was a member of the Jr. Gulls' Quebec International Pee Wee Tournament team in 2015.

Longtime San Diego Jr. Gulls player Sam Harris has made the NHL Central Scouting 2022-23 Preliminary Players to Watch List.

He is a late 2003 birth year, and this is his second year of eligibility for the NHL Entry Draft.

Harris, who is in his second season of playing junior hockey for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League, took the news in stride.

"This is my second year being on the list, so obviously it's important and good to have," Harris said. "As far as this season, it's business as usual. I still have a job to do, and I have a lot of work to do to take that next step."

Harris has committed to play Division I hockey for defending national champion Denver. It's expected he will start his NCAA career next season. 

"I'm super excited to go there," Harris said, adding he is looking forward to playing with longtime friend and sometime teammate Shai Buium, who is a sophomore for the Pioneers, and his younger brother Zeev, who also is slated to be a freshman at DU next season. 

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Harris is off to a hot start in his second junior campaign. The forward has eight points, including five goals, in his first seven games.

"I've been working on my hockey sense, the game is slowing down for me," Harris said. "That has made a big difference."

Last season, Harris put up 35 points (16 goals) in 60 games. He said it was an uneven season for both the Stampede and himself, but he grew because of it. 

"The transition to junior was difficult," he said. "I had a point per game the first 10 games, then for 20 or so I didn't register a point. Our whole team struggled.

"Facing that adversity built mental toughness. I tried to come to the rink with a positive attitude and work on what I could to get better."

Harris credits his time with the Jr. Gulls for laying the foundation for his game.

"Coach Randy (Moy) was the best," Harris said. "He laid the groundwork for my skills. My development from Squirts to Bantams was because of him. 

"He cared a lot about small things, the details of the game. He helped me get rid of a lot of bad habits."

All of the time and effort Harris has put in have helped pave the way for a new habit, showing up on NHL scouts' radar.