Jimenez' journey to Harvard inspired by dad's love for Rangers

The New York Rangers’ run to the 1994 Stanley Cup is a core memory for many hockey fans. José Jimenez is one of them.

He grew up in Queens, the son of immigrants from a farming community in Colombia. He didn’t have access to ice time, but he loved the game. He played roller hockey and passionately followed his Rangers. When José and his wife, Joanna, had their first son, they put him on skates by the time he was 4 years old.

Eighteen years later, Christian Jimenez is on skates for the Harvard University men’s hockey team.

“The game has been unbelievable for me,” Christian Jimenez said. “It’s funny to think that I don’t necessarily come from a lineage of hockey, but it was because of my dad’s love for the game and the Rangers that I got started.”

This week, the senior defenseman will enjoy a life-changing opportunity made possible by his -- and his father’s -- love of hockey. The Harvard men’s team is traveling to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to participate in the Friendship Four tournament, alongside Boston University, Merrimack, and Notre Dame.

“It’s going to be absolutely incredible,” Christian said. “Hockey aside, it’ll be tremendous to explore the world, and a new place, with 30 of your best friends . . . We’re so grateful that Harvard hockey alumni and the Varsity Club agreed to pay for a trip like this and let us be part of [the event].”

It’s the kind of experience Jimenez envisioned when he committed to Harvard. Prior to attending a USA Hockey camp in Amherst, New York, during high school, he’d received interest from another Ivy League school. After he impressed at the camp, Harvard offered him a spot in their recruiting class. His decision was immediate.

“It’s Harvard,” the 22-year-old said. “It would change the trajectory and legacy of my family. My (maternal) grandfather came from Puerto Rico to the United States with no shoes on his feet and got a job right off the plane as a burger frier at a diner. My grandmother came here when she was 18 from the U.K. and worked as a nanny.

“On my dad’s side, my grandparents came from a farm town in Colombia. With my parents being first-generation, and where my grandparents come from, it was a no-brainer that they could say their grandson went to Harvard and was part of this fantastic institution. It’s such a prestigious place to be.”

Christian speaks with uncommon perspective about the importance of honoring the family members who made it possible for him to attend Harvard. He celebrated his heritage by joining the Puerto Rican national team in recent summers, including a three-game series against Jamaica during the 2023 Fiesta de Hockey in New York.

“Great experiences,” he said. “The hockey is not at the level I play right now at school, but I think that’s what it’s all about -- growing the game and being a good role model, not only for my teammates but also the younger Team Puerto Rico teams. Being an influence for them, to see someone with a similar last name playing at a high level could be very powerful and encouraging to a youngster like that.”

Christian has built a strong relationship with his paternal grandmother, Idaly Jimenez, who is his lone surviving grandparent. He’s made a point of learning about Idaly’s experiences growing up in Colombia and establishing her life in the U.S.

“Very proud of what she’s accomplished in her life,” Christian said. “Starting her family here in the United States is definitely more real and nerve-racking than anything I’ll ever do in life. Just paying homage that way, never forgetting where you’re from, doing things like this (interview), playing for Team Puerto Rico. (I am) trying to use my platform to honor my heritage and break systemic barriers and perceptions around who can play hockey and who can’t. I think it’s really cool to be part of that and pay homage to my heritage in that way.”

His pathway to college hockey was an education unto itself. Christian grew up in Westchester County, New York, and as a freshman attended Lakeland High School while playing for the Westchester Express 14U AAA team. He spent the next two years at The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. Then came two seasons with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers to ensure he was ready for ECAC Hockey.

With his move from Taft to Iowa, Christian went from an elite preparatory academy to a public high school where classmates routinely woke up at 4:30 am to work on family farms.

“My billet families were tremendous people,” he said. “I had so much support and love in that community. Coming from New York, it’s a bit of a culture shock, but it added to my scope and perception of what the world is and what our country is. It was very rewarding to play for those fans, and to be part of that great organization that gave me so much opportunity. Nothing but great things to say about Sioux City.”

Minnesota State head coach Luke Strand, who previously had the same role in Sioux City, describes Christian as a first-rate leader who influenced those around him to set high goals and achieve them. During that time, his USHL teammates also became aware of his passion for music. He played the violin intensely throughout childhood, occasionally missing hockey practices because of concerts for his chamber ensemble. The balance between hockey and music taught Christian the value of following a disciplined schedule.

Today, he plays the violin, guitar, ukulele, and a little bit of the piano. He sings, too, and has influenced several teammates to start learning the guitar.

“I started playing (the violin) in fifth grade, and I was very intrigued by it,” he said. “It was pretty unique, I guess, for the stereotype of a male athlete. I just fell in love with the sound of the instrument and the instrument itself. Very stimulating for me. My mom’s a great musician, so she instilled that side of her in me.”

Division I hockey requires discipline and sacrifice. Harvard’s academic demands add to the rigor. For Christian, music is as important today as ever before.

“It can be alleviating at times,” he said. “Harvard can be a very stressful place, but my teammates going through the same thing really helps. Trusting yourself that you’re here for a reason, when you really lean into the experience at the rink or in the classroom, makes it easier.

“You have your tough days, your stressful days, but music has definitely been an outlet for me in terms of mental health and managing stress -- in and out of the classroom, on and off the ice.”

The Jimenez family is passionate about sports. Christian’s younger brothers, Joseph and Jack, each have played collegiate lacrosse. Meanwhile, Christian realizes he’s much closer to the end of his hockey career than the beginning. He will hang up his skates after the season and begin work this summer as a high-yield bond trader in New York.

Long after his final shift at Bright-Landry Hockey Center, he will have the character traits built through the sport he loves and heritage he embraces. He credits his parents for instilling in him that there are more important things beyond hockey.

“Faith and family -- one and two,” Christian said. “Friendships. Relationships with teammates. Relationships with coaches, mentors. These are things they taught me to value. I’m trying to keep those with me.

“It’s hard sometimes when you bounce from place to place like I did. A lot of hockey players sacrifice stability. I didn’t go to prom. I went to three different high schools. Sometimes what you think you’re missing out on actually gives you so much more . . . I didn’t have that normal high school experience, per se, but I think I got way more. It’s that perspective that I saw in [my parents] and wanted to have that same kind of mentality.”