3 Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects Lighting Up the NCAA

MANCHESTER, NH – MARCH 29: Michael Lackey #31 of the Harvard Crimson makes a save against the Massachusetts Minutemen during the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Northeast Regional Championship semifinal at the SNHU Arena on March 29, 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)

Nicholas Abruzzese – Harvard University

After missing the entire 2020-21 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Harvard Crimson returned to the ice on November 1st 2021 for the first time since March 2020.

Despite the long layoff, team captain and leading scorer, Nicholas Abruzzese, looks like he hasn’t missed a beat while racking up 12 points in his first 8 games.

Harvard has played fewer games than most of the other NCAA teams, but Abruzzese ranks 7th in the league for points per game.

Nicholas Abruzzese was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 4th round (124 overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft. In 2020, he was named NCAA Ivy-League Rookie of the Year, was named to the NCAA All-Ivy League First Team and lead the ECAC with 31 points.

During the 2018-19 season while playing with the Chicago Steel, Abruzzese led the USHL in points (80) and assists (51).