Harvard Hockey's Max Everson Acquired by Boston Bruins

Max Everson will begin his professional career not too far afield from the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. The Boston Bruins acquired the negotiation rights for the former Harvard men’s hockey co-captain on Monday and expect him to sign an entry-level deal with their American Hockey League affiliate in Providence in the coming days.

“I want to play a lot of games at the highest level possible,” Everson said Wednesday. “I’m looking to be a consistent player and have a significant positive impact on each game.”

Everson was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011 before recording 17 points and 58 penalty minutes over 101 career games with Harvard. He captained the Crimson to the 2015 ECAC Hockey conference tournament title in his senior season alongside junior co-captain Kyle Criscuolo.

“He was a great leader in the locker room,” Criscuolo said. “He talked when he had to, but the way he carried himself—guys just tried to follow him and emulate the way he worked every day.”

The pending deal will formally end a long period of uncertainty regarding Everson’s career.

In 2012, Everson withdrew from the College in the midst of his sophomore season alongside defenseman Patrick McNally and goaltender Steve Michalek during the Government 1310 cheating investigation.

After the NCAA denied a request in June to restore the three players’ lost season of eligibility, McNally and Michalek signed contracts with the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild, respectively, while Everson pursued an appeal. By the time Everson received the final word from the NCAA in late July, the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate did not have a defensive roster spot left for Everson.

“[My agent and I] kind of scrambled at that point,” Everson said. “We started talking with some guys and the Providence deal came to fruition, so I’m very happy with that.”

According to Everson, the Maple Leafs received “future considerations” in return, essentially gifting him to Providence.

“My agent got in touch with Toronto to see if they’d move me for pretty much nothing in return,” Everson said. “I was very glad that Toronto was willing to do that, and I got a good call from them.”

Everson has two half-courses left toward his Harvard degree and expects to graduate next summer. He will now focus on preparing for the Boston’s rookie camp, which will run from Sept. 10 through Sept. 16 .

With Providence’s six regular skaters on defense returning this year, competition will be tight for Everson to crack the team’s opening night roster on Oct. 9. Should he not make Providence’s roster at the beginning of the year, he will play his first professional minutes with the ECHL’s Gwinnet Gladiators of Duluth, Ga.

“The game is going to be faster and guys are going to be stronger, so I’m just trying to be prepared the best I can right away and hit the ground running,” Everson said.

The Harvard men’s hockey team will vote on captains later this month. With the departure of Everson, McNally, and Michalek to the pros, the Crimson will enter the 2015-2016 season with a young defensive core.

Everson feels his former teammates will rise to the challenge of increased ice time and game responsibility.

“There’s going to be some battles [for ice time] for sure,” Everson said. “There are a lot of guys who have played minutes and a lot of guys who are good hockey players. There’s opportunity—whether it’s young guys or guys who have been here a bit…. If they can show up and have a good fall and start off well early, some guys will have opportunities to make big steps this year.”

Similarly, Criscuolo looks forward to following Everson’s progress down Interstate 95.

“I think he’ll do extremely well,” Criscuolo said. “He’s a fast kid, and he’s really strong for the way that he plays, particularly in his own end.”