Northern Edge Elite Hockey School

Scouting the New NHL: Skills That Scouts Are Looking For

Greetings to all in the Northern Edge Nation! My year as a scout has been interesting and eventful: long gone are the cushy days of charter airplanes and staying at the Ritz (hello Coach Class and Holiday Inn Express!). Actually, this has been a great year for me, learning a new aspect of the game. Time away from home is even longer and I will have to get used to the fact that immediate rewards aren’t common: most drafted amateurs don’t even play pro hockey for 5-6 years.

Many emails from Northern Edger’s ask me the same question: what are scouts looking for in a player? Well the first part of the answer is that there are two types of scouts: professional and amateur. Pro scouts travel the NHL and AHL looking at players currently playing professional hockey and then decide if they have any value as a free agent or for a potential trade. Amateur scouts, like me, travel a certain territory looking at players eligible for the NHL Entry Draft that takes place every June: my territory is the Mid-West and encompasses the WCHA, CCHA (both are college divisions), the USHL, the NAHL and also any US high school prospects. At the same time, I get sent to major junior and international games in a cross-over format where I look at other Capitals’ scouts areas: it is a lot of travel, but I love it.

But I digress. To answer the question about what scouts are looking for, we have to consider the age of the player: a man playing at the NHL level will have less of a development curve than a 17 year old freshman playing Division I hockey. Essentially, we are trying to project how a player will be as a pro prospect: interestingly, we try not to draft any players for the “minors” figuring that those not skilled enough for the NHL will filter themselves there. So, in my usual long winded attempt to answer a question, here are the main things that you as a Northern Edge player can try to work on to bring your game to the next level:

Skating: If you can’t skate, you can’t play. With the new rules that encourage skating, NHL players and players at any high level need to be elite skaters. Foot speed is important, but so is agility: the first three steps need to be quick and explosive. You need to be able to maintain speed with the puck and be strong on the puck at the same time. If you are thinking of drills to help you, try to remember the Northern Edge drills that use the broken sticks that develop the quickness needed in today’s game.
Skills: Let’s face it: if you can’t handle the puck or make a play, your hockey career will be short. Can you make a pass under pressure? Can you spin off a body check and still make the shot? Is your shot heavy and accurate? These are questions you need to address if you want to move up the hockey ladder: try to work on these skills with the Northern Edge Rebound Boards that will simulate real game like situations.
Competitiveness: My favorite intangible to look at. Sure the world is full of skilled players who can skate. But what about the fire that burns inside? Do you have the passion it requires to be the best that YOU can be? Are you willing to skip the party on a Friday night so you can go to practice? Will you block a shot even though your team is winning 6-0? These are things that I believe separate the wheat from the chaff. Take pride in your game and train at the highest level you can: if you can live up to the instructors’ expectations at Northern Edge, and give a “212” effort every shift, you will be fine.

Hopefully, this will give every Northern Edge player some insight in how to improve your game. Work hard, work smart and have fun learning to be your best.

See you in the summer, and I hope especially to see some of you at the Inaugural Northern Edge Belarus trip!

Todd Woodcroft