'It was a dream': New Jersey Devils manager home for Hockeyville

Scott Harris remembers hot summer days spentinside a cold rink in Summerside, P.E.I., watching NHL coaches and stars during summer trainingcamps or exhibition games.

He'd be abit star-struckin aweseeing some ofthe world's greatest hockey players at a local rink.

Now the 31 year old isworking as the New Jersey Devil's player information and video manager and istravelling back to his home province aspart of KraftHockeyville an annual competition held by the NHL to determine the North American community with the biggest hockey spirit.

New Jersey will play the Ottawa Senators in a pre-season game on Monday.

"It's really exciting, I've been doing what I do now for 10 seasonsbut it's cool to be able to bring it back home," Harris said.

Home for thefather of twomeans country roads and sprawling green fields of NorthTryon, P.E.I.

Working with the Columbus Blue Jackets

He'sbeenwith the Devils since August and is anxiously waiting for P.E.I. to meet his new team.

"I'm really excited to be able to come home. I'm excited for the fans," he said.

"Knowing that it's coming through the community of O'Learyand it's being hosted inSummersidefor the game, I don't expect anything less [than] it being an exciting atmosphere."

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'Whatever they needed, I did it'

Harris got a call up to the NHLwhile he was at school in Newfoundland,after repeatedly calling and emailing former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jim Clark for an internship.

Clark finally gave him a shot in the form of a four-monthinternship and Harris left university to take it, eventually finishing his degree through online courses.

"It was a dream for me," he said. "Whatever they needed, I did it, even if it was getting coffee. I just wanted to show them how badly I wanted the opportunity."

Theinternshipturned into one year and eventually wound up as a 10-year job in the Blue Jackets'scouting and coaching department.

'It's a pretty cool feeling'

After 10 years with Columbus, hemade the move to New Jersey where he nowworks as a "one-stop shop" for thecoaches and general manager.

"If we're entering a trade deadline or free agency or the draft, anything in those processes, it's my job to make sure that those who make decisions are better equipped than anyone in the NHL," he said.

Harris and the Devils arrived in P.E.I. on Sunday and will be leaving sometime after the game on Monday. Despite the short visit, he said, it'll be one to remember.

"To be given the opportunity by New Jersey to be part of something like this is really special," he said."I'd like to think it's the first of many opportunities to be involved with hockey-type activities on P.E.I. so yeah it's a pretty cool feeling."

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