Jack Rathbone (Photo: Jennifer Bowman)
Jack Rathbone missed four weeks of the season with a concussion and the frustration was mounting. He was eager to get back on the ice.
In his return, the Dexter Southfield School (Brookline, Mass.) junior defenseman let everyone know he was back. Rathbone scored a power play goal at 1:27 of overtime for a 3-2 win against New Hampton.
“I was a little frustrated from being out for four weeks, but coming back and scoring a goal like that definitely lifted my spirits a little bit,” he said. “It’s always nice to contribute. When you can score a big goal in overtime, it was fun to know you’re back and playing and excited about the second half of the season.”
Despite missing time, Rathbone was selected among the Midseason American Family Insurance ALL-USA Player of the Year candidates.
As the regular season nears its end, Dexter is 19-2-3 and ranked among the top teams in New England prep school hockey. Rathbone has 14 goals and 16 assists in 18 games.
But his more complete play in the defensive zone is what has impressed talent evaluators.
“It’s something I’ve been focusing on, becoming a more complete 200 foot player,” he said. “All of my coaches, my dad, anyone who has been helping me playing prep school as an underclassmen and going to practice and going to battle with older guys every day forces me to be become stronger and more detail-oriented in my own zone. That helped me. I owe it a lot to my coaches at Dexter for helping me become as complete a player as possible. My decision making and overall paying attention to the little details in the defensive zone are two of the things I’ve worked on.”
Rathbone committed to Harvard in November 2015 as a sophomore. Among the other options was Boston College, where his father played for four years. Jason Rathbone coaches his son’s midget team, the Cape Cod Whalers.
“He didn’t really give me a nudge,” Jack said. “He loved his four years there and encouraged it because it’s hard not to when you’re talking about one of the best hockey programs and great education wise. I don’t think I could have made a bad decision when it came down to it. I don’t think he was pushing me either way.
Rathbone said he “felt right at home when I stepped on campus in Cambridge.”
“It’s hard to say no when you’re talking about one of the best schools in the country,” he said. “I was really excited to get that opportunity to get that education and play hockey while I’m there.”
After finishing up at Dexter, Rathbone is expected to play a few games for the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL. He did not play in the USHL before the prep school season, instead playing for the split-season Whalers.
He also played last September in the All-American Prospects Game in Philadelphia on a team coached by former Philadelphia Flyer John LeClair.
“It’s a year-round job — just trying to stay in shape and better yourself every day,” he said. “Even in the summer, you’re in the gym; in the winter, you’re at the rink most of the time.
“It’s a heavy workload, but when you’re doing something you love, you don’t see it as work. You see it as going to the rink every day and having fun with your teammates.”
On the horizon is the NHL Draft, where he was projected as a mid-round pick in the early rankings by the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting bureau.
“It’s on your mind. It’s a dream for every player,” he said of getting drafted. “You try not to block it out, but focus on where you are and play your game for the rest of the season. If you do that, that will all take care of itself.”