Nowak Peaks During Final Year, Prepares for Bruins Competition

Anchoring the Crimson’s top forward line the past two seasons, senior Brett Nowak has improved by leaps and bounds since his injuries sidetracked his early years at Harvard.

Playing primarily alongside juniors Tyler Kolarik and Dennis Packard the past two years, Nowak’s numbers shot up. His point totals for freshman and sophomore year were 17 and 14 respectively. Junior year he scored 14 goals, finishing with 30 total points and recognition on the all-ECAC team.

Part of the disparity can be explained away by ice time. In his sophomore season Nowak was sidelined for nearly a third of the season. But ailments alone do not justify his jump in numbers; the other part of that story lies in practice and off-season improvement according to Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni.

“Brett’s game took major steps forward the last two years,” Mazzoleni said.

“Over the last two years, he’s worked on his release and how quick he can get the puck off—that’s one of the reasons he’s scored a higher number of goals these last two seasons,” he added.

A better shooter’s touch is not all Nowak developed over his final two season in a Harvard sweater; he has also developed into a capable passer with excellent on-ice vision, something Mazzoleni describes as “a strong feel for the game.”

That feeling has helped Brett’s assist numbers climb from seven in his sophomore slump to 16 in his junior year and 29 in his final Crimson campaign.

“Going into his junior year, Brett made a major improvement in distributing the puck and learning how to use his linemates wisely,” Mazzoleni said

The prime beneficiaries of that improvement are Kolarik and Packard, who received Nowak’s passes on Harvard’s top line.

“After playing on a line with Brett for two years, I’ve really learned to appreciate the way he uses his linemates,” said Packard, whose points total has jumped from eight his freshman year to 36 over the last two seasons.

“He knows when to move the puck and when to try to beat a defender one-on-one,” Packard added. “He showed the last two years that, when he was healthy, he was one of the best players in the league.”

Acknowledgement as one of the best players in the league was not as forthcoming this year as last. Despite tallying 11 additional points and being a major offensive threat and power play option on the ECAC’s second-best team, Nowak was not voted onto the all-conference team, a conspicuous absence in many peoples minds.

“He put up numbers that I believe were deserving of league recognition, but that didn’t happen,” Mazzoleni said. “From the position of our coaching staff, he definitely deserved a spot on the all-ECAC team.”

The lack of recognition is water under the bridge now, but after graduation, Nowak will face the competition for spots again. A draft pick of the Boston Bruins, Nowak will be competing and training to claim a spot in the Bruins’ organization, be it Boston or, more likely at first, Providence (site of the Bruins AHL club).

The close proximity of the Bruins front office personnel to the Bright Hockey Center has given the team numerous opportunities to observe Nowak, according to Bruins assistant general manager Jeff Gorton.

“We have the luxury of having him play in Boston, and a number of our scouts and personnel have seen him play,” Gorton said.

In a relatively short period of time, Nowak has impressed his hockey audience in viewings at Hotchkiss and Harvard and his time at the Bruins training camps.

“He’s got pretty good size, a good base for a centerman,” Gorton continued. “He’s a heady player, he sees the ice well.”

Many of Gorton’s comments on the strengths of Nowak’s game echo thoughts voiced by both Mazzoleni and Nowak’s teammates.

“Brett is a great combination of size and skill,” Packard said. “He has very good one-on-one abilities and stickhandling skills, but also has the size to play physical down low and come out with the puck.”

Adding that in addition to size and skating ability the fact that Nowak has great hands, for both passing the puck and receiving it, Crimson captain Dom Moore thinks that sometimes Nowak’s on-ice skills are under-appreciated by the fans.

“When you put these things together you have a potent mix,” Moore said. “I think sometimes people overlook just how uncommon it is to have someone with size also sharing the level of quickness and skill he displays.”

Continuing to display a mix of size and speed will be important if Brett wants to play hockey beyond the collegiate level, which he does.

“I will have to improve my strength and speed,” Nowak said. “The guys at the next level can really skate well and in order to succeed I must match their speed and strength.”

Size and strength were two of the traits that Gorton mentioned as keys for Nowak, as was shot improvement. And, as Mazzoleni said, Nowak also believes he has progressed significantly in that area over time, showing critics that he is capable of anchoring the No. 1 line on a competitive college hockey team.

“It has been great to see him have two fully healthy years and show everyone just how good he is,” Moore said. “He has become a more complete player and also a more confident player in the process.”

And, as Brett Nowak graduates, he can be confident that his improvement over four years at Harvard has been noted not just by coaches and teammates, but also by an NHL team eager to utilize his mix of size and speed.

—Staff writer Timothy M. McDonald can be reached at tmcdonal@fas.harvard.edu.