Soon after Harvard was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament in March, Adam Fox, their Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist and stud defenseman who had racked up 116 points in 97 games in three seasons with the Crimson, announced that he would return to Harvard for his senior year and was promptly named team captain.

But a month later, the 21-year-old Jericho, NY native received a phone call that changed everything.

The Carolina Hurricanes had traded his rights to the New York Rangers for two draft picks. The same New York Rangers that he grew up idolizing as a little boy were now offering him an NHL contract.

[Read more: Going for Hobey — Makar, Fox Part of a Growing Trend in NCAA Hockey]

“It was a tough decision… very bittersweet,” Fox explained. “I wanted to help Harvard win a