Q and A with Henry Thrun: New Maple Leaf on Sharks trade, dodging Ducks, Harvard life

The 24-year-old had been patient enough to handpick his first NHL team, a luxury afforded few, and suddenly the San Jose Sharks didn’t want him anymore.

They’d rather energetic and experienced fourth-line forward Ryan Reaves at age 38.

As surprised as Thrun was to find himself scrapping for an NHL spot on a deeper Toronto Maple Leafs defence, he was also “ecstatic” to be joining an organization riding a nine-year playoff streak.

More patience has been demanded of the Southborough, Mass., native after going from a 60-game NHLer in San Jose last season to failing to make Toronto’s cut out of training camp. 

The pending RFA has put up nine points through 19 games with the AHL Marlies, and coach Craig Berube appreciates Thrun’s ability to play the right side as a lefty.

With fellow left shot Dakota Mermis falling to a knee injury that will sideline him for a month, Thrun was called up and looks to make his Maple Leafs debut on Thursday against the Sharks.

“Great kid. Coachable,” says former coach Ryan Warsofsky. “Plays a simple, steady hockey game. Knows what he is. Can move pucks. Defends with purpose. Extremely driven to get better. 

“You know, when I look back at Henry, he took care of his body, his nutrition. He was a young kid, but he picked up very quickly, if he wanted to play in this league, the things you needed to do. So, happy got called up. He deserved it.” 

In conversation with Sportsnet.ca, Thrun discusses his earliest experiences with hockey, life at Harvard, why he didn’t sign with the team that drafted him, and the challenge of cracking the Maple Leafs.

(The following interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.)

SPORTSNET.CA: You started skating at age 6. Were you a defenceman right away?

HENRY THRUN: I played D. I played goalie. I went through every position. I was a full-time defenceman by 13 or 14. I was kinda told where to go and just went with it. Our youth team was all about having fun and kind of flowing around. There wasn’t too much structure, too many rules. Eventually I got to high school and figured out what I’m going to be. I landed on defence.

SN: Were you quick to pinch and join the rush?

HT: Yeah, I’ve always enjoyed the offensive side of the game, something I take pride in to contribute on.

SN: I read you were raised by a family of New York Rangers fans. 

HT: No. People have asked me that before. I don’t know where that started from. My dad is from Buffalo, so he was always a Sabres fan. Supports every Buffalo sport. And my mom just cheers for whoever I’m playing for, basically. If anything, my dad tried leaning us toward the Sabres, but none of us really bit on it.

SN: Did you watch much hockey as a kid?

HT: A lot of hockey, a lot of sports in general. Played three sports up until I was 16, so I was always active. Hockey was on a lot. A lot of baseball. Played a lot of lacrosse in high school, so I was all over the place until age 16.

SN: At what point did you realize, OK, I’m good enough to make a career out of this thing?

HT: Right around 16, when I made the NTDP (USA Hockey National Team Development Program). Up until that point, I was playing soccer until November, hockey from November till March, then lacrosse through the spring. I always liked hockey the best and knew it was something I was pretty good at, and I was fortunate to be recruited at a young age. Once I made the NTP, I knew. OK, this is a unique situation.

SN: What’s your opinion on kids playing multiple sports? 

HT: It’s a hard dilemma right now with youth hockey. I was fortunate enough that I grew up in the time of playing a lot of sports, but there were also resources for hockey if I wanted to put a little more time into that. And I was fortunate enough that my parents would help me out with that. But it is tough. I look around. Younger kids now are more skilled than ever, and I skate with some younger guys during the summer and see the talent. Just the pure skill — they got that from all those hours put in. It’s impressive. But at the same time, you wonder if there’s a burnout rate, or even a hockey IQ rate that they don’t carry from playing other sports. So, I don’t have the answer for you. I’m all for playing multiple sports until 14, 15, 16. Until that point, free-for-all. Go play everything you can.

SN: Do you still play other sports?

HT: A lot of tennis. Play a lot of golf. Those are the main ones I stick to now.

HT: I always wanted to go to school in Boston. When I looked at schools, I fell in love with Harvard and the coaching staff. Incredible athletic program. Great school, obviously. So, it was a great fit, and I really loved it.

SN: What do people on the outside not know about Harvard? 

HT: The best way to describe it is, everyone is really good at something. You meet really unique people. Whether it’s someone who is an All-American baseball player, or someone who’s starting their own company, or someone who’s running a political campaign, or someone who’s the best vocalist in the country — everyone is unbelievable at something. Which is pretty cool to see. Everyone’s got their own hustle and niche. So, you meet a lot of interesting people. 

SN: How difficult was it to complete your degree — a double major in economics and psychology — while trying to make the NHL?

HT: It’s a commitment, going to school there — but hockey came first. I didn’t want school to come in the way of hockey; I always wanted my mind on hockey. And I tried to do everything I could, both time-wise and energy-wise. Thankfully, I was able to succeed in school on top of that. (Academics) is a big part of life there; it has the highest reputation for a reason. It’s a challenge, and you gotta be able to get through the academics. But there’s a lot of support in place. Whether it’s your teammates or teachers or counsellors, there’s a lot of ways they can help you. 

SN: Were you contemplating a backup career while studying and playing?

HT: No. No Plan B. That’s not the way to do it.

SN: You get drafted by Anaheim in 2019 but never sign with the Ducks. Why not? Why wait and turn free agent out of the NCAA?

HT: The management I was drafted by (led by Bob Murray) had all turned over, and the new group came in. I actually am a huge fan of Pat Verbeek and the new staff there. But I just felt that I wanted another year at school. I talked to Pat about it. We went back and forth, and they had a great setup there for me. An “A” setup. They had a great staff, development was there, a lot of good prospects who were intriguing. They were going through a rebuild. But I knew, going back to school, I’d have the opportunity to look at other teams. And for me, San Jose was an A-plus compared to an A. Having the chance to choose exactly where I wanted to start my career was unique. That’s not to say that I didn’t like Anaheim. I really liked it, and they know that. But I really loved San Jose as an opportunity.

SN: From the outside, we see your age and see where the Sharks are in their competitive cycle, and we imagine your prime and San Jose’s contention window will align. So, why didn’t it work out?

HT: Yeah. I don’t know. I mean, I’m happy to be here. I’m excited to be part of a winning group. Everyone plays to win. And I was able to maybe skip ahead a couple years in my career and get to a winning organization pretty early on, which is exciting. So, when I found out where I was getting traded to, I was really excited. The first thing I thought about was being part of a group that has a winning culture and a lot of tradition and a lot of success. So, I feel really fortunate. 

SN: The Leafs brought back all top six defencemen from last season. You were the most significant off-season addition to the blueline. How do you view the challenge of taking a veteran’s spot?

HT: It’s a good challenge, right? The team had a lot of success in the regular season last year and made gains in the playoffs, ultimately falling short of the final goal. But I just provide a puck-moving ability, someone that adds offence from the blueline, and the physicality aspect as well. I feel I can play up a lineup, move pucks to the top-end guys. Or, if I need to play lower and play a more physical, simple game, I can do that as well. I’m just trying to provide a lot of versatility and play the best I can, then see how things shake out.