Inside College Hockey | 2003 Frozen Four: Chris Harrington

April 3 , 2003
NCAA Tournament
INCH Measures Up Minnesota's Chris Harrington

NCAA Tournament Coverage

By Jess Myers

We're more than 30 years away from the last repeat Frozen Four winner, and since the world of collegiate hockey has gotten so much more diverse and competitive in the last three decades, some have said that it will take a miracle to get another back-to-back NCAA champ.

Defending champ Minnesota comes to Buffalo needing just two wins to make that miracle come true. And hockey miracles in New York State are nothing new in Minnesota freshman defenseman Chris Harrington's family. His father, John, was a standout forward at Minnesota-Duluth in 1979, and a year later was a part of the U.S. Olympic team's famed "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid.

John skated for Team USA again in 1984, then was an assistant coach at Denver and St. Cloud State before taking over as the head coach at D-III St. John's University in 1993. In his decade behind the Johnnies' bench, the elder Harrington has put up a 158-102-21 record, winning three MIAC titles and leading the team to the NCAA's D-III playoffs four times.

Chris was raised cheering for the Denver Pioneers, the St. Cloud State Huskies, the St. John's Johnnies, and Dad's alma mater, the UMD Bulldogs. So there was more than one college hockey watcher surprised last winter when Chris, then skating for the USHL's Omaha Lancers, committed to be a Gopher. With fellow rookie Thomas Vanek on the team, Chris is far from being the Gophers' most-watched newcomer, but he has played in all 42 of Minnesota's games, recording four goals and a dozen assists.

InsideCollegeHockey.com caught up with Harrington after a recent team skate at Ridder Arena (the school's 3,400-seat women's hockey rink) where the Gophers are preparing for Buffalo by practicing on a NHL-size ice sheet.

Inside College Hockey: How many times did your father force the kids to watch that bad "Miracle On Ice" movie starring Karl Malden?

Chris Harrington: I've watched it a few times, and actually, I brought up watching it. Dad kind of keeps those things on the back burner unless someone brings it up with him, and then he's more than happy to share a story. But we've watched it a few times, and every time you can see him kind of get that sparkle in his eyes. It's nice for me to be able to ask him questions about it.

INCH: Were you around your father last winter during the 1980 team's reunion at the Salt Lake City Olympics?

CH: I was in Omaha and got to watch it on TV. It was after a game in Omaha on a Friday or Saturday night and I was at a restaurant having a bite to eat with my housing parents. The opening ceremonies were on and I looked up and said, "Hey, Dad's up there lighting the torch!" People around me couldn't believe that was my Dad. They were much more shocked than I was. It was pretty heartwarming for me to see him up there.

INCH: Coming to Minnesota to play defense after Jordan Leopold left with the Hobey, did you want to wear number 3, Jordan's number?

CH: That was about option Z for me. There weren't a lot of numbers left, and I was apparently one of the last to talk to Harry (Broadfoot), our equipment manager. It was down to 3, 11 and 12, and I figured I might as well take 3. I'd worn 20 all my life, but I figured I might as well take the challenge of wearing 3 right away. People on the team have said they have a lot of respect for me for wearing Jordan's number. So hopefully by the time I'm a senior, things will work out for me the same as they did for him.

INCH: With your family background, there was likely pressure on you to go to about five other schools. Why Minnesota?

CH: Growing up, Minnesota was probably the very last place I wanted to play. It seemed like every place my Dad played or coached, Minnesota was their biggest rival. Everyone wanted to beat the Gophers and I always hated them growing up. So when I finally made my decision, I called him and said, "Dad I'm going to go to Minnesota." And he laughed a little and then said, "Yeah, that's a great decision." I figured that since everyone wants to knock the Gophers off, they must be doing something right.

INCH: Your father was a finalist for the head coaching position at Minnesota-Duluth three years ago. What was that like for your family?

CH: That was the job he'd been waiting for his whole life, so it was exciting. But at the same time it was a little nerve-wracking at home. Everyone around us figured that he was going to get the job for sure, and when he didn't get it, it was a difficult time. But St. John's is a great place for him. It's D-III, but it's one of the better D-III programs in the nation. So he was disappointed about the UMD job, but he realizes he's in a good situation anyway.

INCH: You've obviously got D-I talent, but did you ever consider going to St. John's to play for your father?

CH: We talked about that a few times. Playing for my Dad would've been an unbelievable experience, and I would've probably gotten to play more than one college sport. It would've been fun to play baseball or football too. But at the same time, the reason I played hockey all my life was to get a D-I scholarship at a good school. I always figured that if I'm going to play, I'm going to do it at the best place possible. For me that was Minnesota.

INCH: On the flip side of that, did you ever talk to your father about moving St. John's up to D-I so you could play there?

CH: (laughing) They have some struggles on the D-III level sometimes, so I don't know if they're ready for that just yet.

INCH: With your family ties to all three schools, was it strange for you this season to play against Denver, UMD and St. Cloud State?

CH: What's strange about playing against Denver is that Jason Grahame, a senior defenseman on their team, and I were stick and water boys for the team when we were little because our dads were both assistant coaches there. Playing against him was unbelievable. Against St. Cloud State it was weird when I went up there for the first time. I didn't know how the crowd would react to me, being that I'm from St. Cloud, and there were a few boos, but a few claps too. Of course, you'll get booed at St. Cloud State no matter where you're from.

INCH: Your father won a gold medal, but he didn't ever win a Frozen Four. Have you reminded him of that?

CH: We talked about that this week. He's probably even more excited than I am about going to Buffalo because he's been through the wars and knows how hard it is to get this far. So he'll be out there wearing the big 'M' on his chest and rooting for me to bring a national championship to the family.