Harvard Professional Athletes

Adam Fox: Same Story, Different Season

Adam Fox is doing what Adam Fox does. The Rangers defenseman — Harvard's most decorated NHL alumnus and a Norris Trophy winner — is already producing at an elite level through the opening week of the 2026–27 season, picking up right where he left off a year ago, according to two Sports Illustrated reports tracking his early-season work.

Fox's underlying numbers and zone-exit contributions have drawn attention even as the Rangers stumbled in a 3-1 loss to the Capitals on Friday night, a game in which he finished at -2. That dip won't rattle anyone who has watched Fox for long — he has a way of bending the analytics toward his team even when the scoresheet doesn't fully reflect it. The early-season case for Fox as an elite two-way force is already being made by observers who cover the club closely.

John Marino Shines in Utah

The more eye-catching box score of the week came from defenseman John Marino, who posted a goal and an assist as the Utah Mammoth dismantled the Sabres 4-1 on Saturday. Marino finished +1 and turned in what was arguably the best individual performance by any Harvard alumnus in the opening frame of the season. The former Pittsburgh blue-liner has carved out a reliable role on a young Utah franchise still finding its footing in the league.

Alumni Across the League

Opening weekend featured Harvard jerseys scattered across a half-dozen NHL arenas:

• Alexander Kerfoot (Predators) posted a +1 in Nashville's 2-3 loss to Ottawa, continuing to provide dependable two-way center depth for a Predators team in transition.
• Ryan Donato contributed an assist for the Blackhawks in a 2-5 loss to Carolina, though his -1 rating reflected the result. Donato's ability to generate offense on a rebuilding Chicago squad keeps him relevant on a night the team struggled.
• Alex Killorn finished +1 as the Ducks upended the Jets 5-1 — Anaheim's most lopsided result of the young season and a welcome sign for a franchise that has been rebuilding for years.
• Jack Drury and Kerfoot were both on the ice for Nashville, giving the Predators a notable Harvard pipeline at center.
• Colin Blackwell suited up for Dallas in a 1-2 loss to Pittsburgh, though he didn't factor into the scoring column.

The Ducks, Predators, and Rangers each carry multiple Harvard alumni on their rosters this season — a testament to the program's sustained pipeline into professional hockey. Anaheim alone features Killorn, Sean Farrell, and Ian Moore, making the rink in Anaheim something of a Crimson reunion night on certain evenings.

The Bigger Picture

Eleven Harvard alumni logged game action across the opening weekend slate. Fox remains the headliner, and the early returns suggest that won't change anytime soon. But Marino's two-point game and Killorn's role in Anaheim's blowout win are reminders that the program's reach in the NHL runs deeper than one Norris Trophy winner in New York. Week One is a small sample — but Harvard's alumni class is off to a legitimate start.

Harvard Men Are Running the Show in the NHL

Two Crimson alumni are walking into the 2026-27 NHL season with something to prove — and, in one case, something brand new on their chest.

Jack Drury earns his first leadership role

Jack Drury has never worn a letter in his six professional seasons. That changes this year. The Nashville Predators named Drury an alternate captain for 2026-27, making him one of the first faces the team turned to when building out its leadership group despite him being one of the newest faces on the roster.

General Manager Chris MacFarland has tracked Drury's development closely, and head coach Andrew Brunette was equally direct in his belief in the Harvard center. For a forward who has steadily built credibility without the flash of a big contract or a highlight reel full of 30-goal seasons, the 'A' is a quiet validation of exactly the kind of player Drury has become. He's joined in Nashville by fellow Crimson alumni Alexander Kerfoot and John Farinacci, giving Harvard an unusually strong footprint on one roster.

Adam Fox: built for a bounce-back

Over on Broadway, Adam Fox is entering 2026-27 with the kind of quiet urgency that tends to precede big seasons. The Rangers defenseman and 2021 Norris Trophy winner has never stopped being one of the league's elite puck-movers, and by all accounts New York is counting on him to anchor the blue line in a meaningful way this season. Fox, who built his game at Harvard before becoming one of the most decorated defensemen of his generation, is being positioned as a centerpiece of the Rangers' push — and the expectations are as high as they've been in recent memory.

Killorn and the Ducks get a win

Out in Anaheim, Alex Killorn picked up a goal in the Ducks' 4-3 preseason victory over the Vegas Golden Knights — a tidy reminder that the Harvard left wing, now in his second season with Anaheim, remains a reliable contributor on a young roster that's still finding its identity. Lukas Dostal made 30 saves to backstop the win, but Killorn's finish was a bright spot worth noting for a Ducks team that could use veterans stepping up.

The bigger picture

Harvard's NHL footprint remains one of the most impressive of any college program. From Fox anchoring a Cup contender's defense to Drury taking on formal leadership duties with a rebuilding Predators squad, the Crimson's 2026-27 presence is defined less by raw numbers than by roles that matter. Drury's alternate captaincy, in particular, signals something clubs don't hand out casually — trust. For a program that has consistently produced pro-ready players with high hockey IQs, that's on-brand.

Harvard Alumni Report: NHL Preseason, Sept. 20–26

Two Crimson alumni grabbed headlines as the NHL's 2026-27 preseason rolled into full swing — one making his debut in a new market, the other reminding the league why he's among its elite defensemen.

Kerfoot Heads to Nashville

Alexander Kerfoot has a new hockey home, and the connection runs through Colorado. The Harvard product signed with the Nashville Predators, a decision rooted in his relationship with GM Chris MacFarland, who previously worked with Kerfoot during MacFarland's time with the Avalanche. It's a reunion built on trust, and Kerfoot joins a Nashville roster that's undergone significant reconstruction — he won't be alone in that regard, with the Predators also adding fellow Harvard alumni Jack Drury and John Farinacci to the fold. Three Crimson forwards on one NHL roster is a remarkable concentration of Ivy League talent, and it gives Nashville a cerebral, versatile forward group with deep collegiate ties.

Fox Deals Out Three Assists in Blowout

If Adam Fox needed any time to shake off the offseason rust, he didn't show it. The Rangers' All-Star defenseman recorded three assists as New York dismantled the Islanders 6-1 in preseason action, with Fox doing what he does best — quarterbacking the power play, orchestrating transitions, and generally making the game look slower than it is for everyone else on the ice. Igor Shesterkin was solid between the pipes, stopping 15 of 16 shots, but it was Fox's playmaking that set the tone. A three-assist night in any context is a statement, and for a player of Fox's caliber, it signals he's primed for another high-end season in New York.

Laferriere Scores in Kings Win

Alex Laferriere added a third Harvard storyline to the week's proceedings, potting a first-period goal as the Los Angeles Kings edged the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 in preseason play. Anton Forsberg was strong for Anaheim — 24 saves on 25 shots — but Laferriere's tally held up as part of a Kings win. The young winger continues to develop as one of LA's more promising forwards, and an early preseason goal is the kind of momentum-builder that matters heading into camp competition.

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With Kerfoot settling into Nashville alongside two fellow Crimson forwards, Fox operating at his typical All-Star level in New York, and Laferriere finding the scoresheet in Los Angeles, Harvard alumni are off to a quietly impressive start to the 2026-27 preseason. Seventeen former Crimson players are scattered across the league this season — a depth of NHL representation that few programs can match.