Dhaliwal: Jack Rathbone signing decision “at least a few weeks” away
By Zach Laing
4 years agoThe potential signing of Vancouver Canucks prospect Jack Rathbone is “at least a few weeks away,” according to TSN 1040’s Rick Dhaliwal.
Rathbone, 20, was drafted by the Canucks in the fourth round of the 2017 draft and has been growing his game at Harvard University for the last two seasons. There, the left-shot defenceman has scored 14 goals and 53 assists in 61 NCAA games.
Should Rathbone ink his entry-level deal, it’s likely we’d see him begin his pro career with the Utica Comets.
At Harvard, Rathbone has been working towards a psychology degree but his season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what he had to say to Sportsnet in mid-March:
“It sucks, to be blunt,” he says. “You feel like you have more in the tank and you’re about to play some of your best, most exciting hockey of the year. And then for it to shut down like that, it’s brutal. You feel for the seniors the most — guys that want one last shot at making a run and they have that stripped from them. It hits hard for life just to kind of come to a halt. It’s something you’ve never experienced before. . . . but you know it’s the right thing to do.“The Canucks have expressed interest (in having me turn pro) and that’s something I’m really excited about because it means I’m taking the right steps. But honestly, with everything going and how chaotic things are, and school stopping and hockey coming to an abrupt end like it has, my family and I just didn’t feel this is the right time to make that decision. It just didn’t feel right. We’re going to make that decision later on.”
On Twitter: @zjlaing
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