John Farinacci, the 22-year-old centerman, has recently signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins. The deal comes with an annual cap hit of $910,000. Farinacci is no stranger to the Bruins organization as his uncle and cousin, Ted and Ryan Donato have both previously played for the team.
Farinacci revealed that his family members were unaware of his signing until about an hour before it was announced. He looks forward to discussing their experiences playing for the Bruins in order to gain insights into what he can expect from donning the Spoked-B jersey.
The New Jersey native has had a successful career at Harvard University under Coach Donato’s guidance. Despite missing some games due to a herniated disc during his senior season in 2022-23, he managed to register 20 points (5 goals, 15 assists) in just 19 games.
Farinacci was originally drafted by Arizona Coyotes in the third round (76th overall) of the NHL Entry Draft back in 2019 but never signed with them. After four years of amateur hockey – one season with Muskegon and three seasons at Harvard – he became a college free agent on Tuesday.
Despite discussions with Coyotes after this year’s season ended, Farinacci stated that things didn’t work out for unspecified reasons but expressed gratitude towards their organization nonetheless.
After becoming a free agent on Tuesday, negotiations with Boston Bruins progressed quickly due largely to Farinacci’s familiarity with Boston and its team culture from his time at Dexter Southfield School and Harvard University – which also happens to be where Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney studied.
Farinacci expressed excitement about joining such an esteemed organization like Boston Bruins which he believes will significantly contribute towards his development as a player. He described himself as a “200-foot centerman” who prides himself on being able to play any role necessary on ice while also possessing strong hockey sense – qualities reminiscent of Patrice Bergeron whom he admires greatly.