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MONTREAL - Sam Harris found out he was being drafted to the NHL in a very unique way.

While catching up with the Canadiens prospect, the 21-year-old explained how he was writing a science exam at the University of Denver while Montreal called his name in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft two summers back.

Find out more about that story, Harris’ ties to Montreal and Sweden, and more in the latest edition of the team’s “Catching up with…” prospect series.

Please note answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.

Hockey isn’t exactly the go-to sport in California. How did you first get into the game, and what drew you to the sport?

My dad’s family is from Montreal, so he grew up playing when he was younger. He brought me to the rink when I was two or three years old, and I never looked back. Also, my mom's family is from Sweden, so there’s a lot of hockey there as well.

What was the biggest challenge of growing up as a hockey player in Southern California?

The distance. It's a lot of driving and big commitments. My second year of Bantam, I played up in Anaheim, so I drove about an hour and a half from school to practice, two or three times a week. It’s a big commitment to drive that far, so I’m very thankful for my parents.

You played in the Quebec Peewee tournament in 2015. What do you remember from that experience?

That was awesome. We were the last year to play in the Coliseum there, and my dad also played in that tournament, so I played in the same building that he did when he was 12 years old, which was really special.

Take us back to the moment you found out you were drafted by the Canadiens. How did you learn the news, and what was your immediate reaction?

I was doing a summer class in Denver, and I was actually taking a science exam. A couple of my buddies had their phones pulled out during the exam, watching [the Draft] and seeing who was going. So, as soon as I finished my test, I turned it in, walked outside and I got the text from my dad, It was really cool. […] I wouldn't say I was the most focused on the exam. It was the worst one I wrote in that class.

Don’t worry Habs fans, he passed the exam—and rather comfortably.

Can you describe the feeling of winning a national championship with the University of Denver last season?

It's really special, especially the [national title] that put us above all other schools. Now, we're the number one ranking team when it comes to national championships. To be a part of that, and to be part of the groups that have come before us is really special.

On a personal note, how would you explain your strong finish to last season and hot start to this year?

Getting more comfortable, gaining some more confidence, and understanding my role on the team. I'm somebody who likes going to the front of the net, so just doing that on a nightly basis, being strong, and the puck keeps finding me.

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Brendan Gallagher was around at development camp. As someone who also loves going to the front of the net, did you have a chance to speak to him one-on-one?

I didn’t speak to him one-on-one, but he came and spoke to our group in the locker room before we went out for practice, and I saw him working out in the facility. It’s really cool to be around somebody that I’ve watched for so many years, especially growing up as a Canadiens fan.

What is something the average person wouldn’t know about you?

I speak Swedish fluently. Everybody on my mom’s side lives in Sweden, so whenever I go there, I’m able to blend in and speak the language.

Your dad was an Olympic-level show jumper. Have you ever tried horseback riding, or do you stick to the ice?

I stick to the ice. I never got into it because it is way too expensive. It is a very expensive sport.

As a Southern California native now living in Denver, which would you choose: surfing in California or skiing in Colorado?

Funny enough, I don’t do either of those. But, if I had to choose one, I’d say surfing in California because I’m a big fan of the sun and big fan of the beach.

If you could play on a line with any two NHL players in history, who would they be and why?

Peter Forsberg and Teemu Selanne. Forsberg has been one of my biggest idols growing up. He’s a Swedish guy who kind of changed the way people think of Swedes, now as tough and physical players, who are also able to make plays. Selanne played in Anaheim, like an hour up the road for me, so he was somebody I was able to go watch. I actually stood next to him on the blue line one game for the national anthem, which was really special.