on road with nhl central scouting - white board

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David Gregory and Matt Ryan from NHL central Scout don't have extra time to come to their hotel lobby.
Gregory, who had just driven 225 miles from Brandon in Manitoba, approached the receptionist, provided identification, got the room key and asked, "When is the kitchen closed," she replied, "fifteen minutes.
Nine minutes later Gregory turned to Ryan: "go back for a bite in 10 minutes" and they met and were the only customer that Sunday night.
They sat side by side on the bar stool, talking about shopping and discussing the travel agenda for the next day.
They ordered meals and local refreshments and shared some laughter and war stories with the bartender before the evening about reconnaissance trips. It was 11:45 p. m.
The plan is to meet in the lobby five hours later on a flight from Regina via Vancouver to Seattle.
The snow is falling. it's negative. 4 degrees (Fahrenheit)
When Gregory sent Ryan a text message at 4: 45 A. M. m.
Their flight to Vancouver was canceled due to strong winds.
Less than 30 minutes later, an updated itinerary of two people was arranged
One hour flight from Regina to Vancouver followed by 142-mile, three-
One hour drive from Seattle.
Gregory arranged the flight;
Ryan arranged a car rental.
All of this is good: an extra three hours of sleep and a chance to go home.
This is just a glimpse into the life of NHL scouts.
It is not an easy task, and it is not tolerant most of the time.
"No matter where the players are, you have to go," Gregory said . ".
Gregory and Ryan check out the players who built the NHL Central scout before 1975.
76 season for the league team. The Toronto-
The headquarters consists of director Dan Marr with a total of 8 people
Time scouts and 16
Time scouts across North America.
The NHL also hired Goran Stubb and five of his-
European Scout service staff in Finland assess overseas prospects.
The NHL central Scout's combined scouts will watch about 3,000 games this season.
Gregory and Ryan arranged the longest away trip of the season to assess many of the top players from the Western Hockey League within 13 days starting in February.
Ends in Portland, Oregon on March 12.
"I don't want to say it's a hard job because we love what we do and we're happy and honored to be working in this industry," Gregory said . ".
But it's harder than people think.
You have to work hard, you have to work hard so that you can have an opinion. "The two-
It takes a 28-hour drive for a week, with a mileage of about 1,466 miles.
It gave them 12 teams and 13 blue teams.
On the mid-term List of NHL central Scouts eligible for the 2017 NHL draft, the chip outlook ranked top 62.
"It's hard on the road, and it's not like spending too much time outside of the industry as a regular married couple," Ryan said . ".
"Does my wife think there might not be so much time.
But to spend so much time, we need a good support system.
The NHL is allowed by Marr.
Travel five days with Gregory and Ryan (March 3-7)
Their WHL road trip.
The journey includes two views of the Brandon center Nolan Patrick
One on the mid-term list
The experience is attractive.
Open and educational.
People who walked in the hotel restaurant in Gregory and Ryan in March 5 may think that the two men were university partners to catch up with the old days, but there was a 23-
Age difference of one year
You will never know.
Friendship, friendship and respect-
You can perceive it by how they speak and listen.
Gregory, 56, has been a frequent visitor to NHL central scouts for the past 14 years.
He got married and was the father of three sons: geresen, 26. Lyle, 24; and Kade, 22.
Lyall works for the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant to the hockey business.
David Gregory grew up in hockey.
He is the son of the Hockey Hall of Fame and a former director of NHL central scout Jim Gregory while being hiredJ.
McGuire joined the bureau.
McGuire was director for six seasons before he died of cancer in April 7, 2011.
"I did some professional scouts before I was in the central position, but professional scouts are completely different from amateur scouts," Gregory said . ".
"You look at players from 20 to 27 years old to 16 years old --to-18-year-
Old and not easy. E. J.
He is very good at forecasting. He told me to believe what I saw.
"He suggested that I compare players with their peers and players who have already drafted but are still playing junior hockey.
This is a formula that works for me.
Ryan, 33, played 12 games against the Los Angeles King in 2005. 06. The right-
The Hanz Center also played the leading role in the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph team and played for four seasons in the United States Hockey League's Manchester team.
He played seven seasons in Europe, including his last two seasons at Nottingham and Dundee Elite Hockey League, and then decided to return to Canada when his wife was pregnant with a second child.
Ryan, who lives in Bradford, Ontario, has two boys: Kingsley, 3, and Livingston, 22 months old.
Prior to familiarizing himself with scouts and player evaluations through Guelph General Manager Mike Kelly, who started coaching at several clinics, Kelly will later introduce Ryan to marl.
Ryan was hired by central Scouts in 2015.
"When you get into the industry, I think everyone wants to believe that you have the ability to find that player or find a player who can help the NHL team achieve the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup, Ryan said.
For any scout, creating a trip outside of the normal area is always a challenging proposal.
Ryan has been evaluating players from OHL for most of the season, while Gregory has taken the time to track players in the northeastern United States.
They also take advantage of any opportunity to arrange cross-viewing to help their colleagues by providing additional viewing of specific players and teams in another region, just like traveling in the West.
"Different people have different preferences," Gregory said . ".
"Some people may want to stay in one place and drive a little more without changing hotels.
Some people drive, go to the scene, change hotels.
"In the five days they were on the road with the NHL.
Scouts booked a room at five hotels to watch three games.
They prefer to stay in one place on the road and drive to different venues from that centralized place instead of booking a few tickets.
The first stop on the WHL tour, the central point is Regina.
"I don't mind traveling at all, but it can be a challenge in bad weather," Gregory said . ".
"When traffic is usually a little better, most of the driving happens after the race. Back home (
In Massachusetts)
I had to drive a lot because there was nothing really close, so I was used to it.
You just have to finish it.
"During the drive from Vancouver to Seattle in March 6, Ryan's visibility was not very good;
Before they arrived in the United States, there was a constant mix of snowfall and hail. S.
Customs and Border Protection.
Just have some coffee and have a reliable car and he can go, says Ryan.
It was also helpful to be with him.
"Sometimes, if I'm alone and take a break between games, ryan says:" It's a good time to call and catch up with some people in the industry and see what's going on . ".
"This gives me a chance to follow up on any leads.
Sometimes I may have to call the general manager to see if there are players in the lineup.
I may also contact one of my scouts before watching a player to see him or get some information about him.
You always have to make good use of your time.
To Regina (drive to hotel);
Brandon of Swift Current (
By car from Regina)
Jose, Calgary (
By car from Regina)
Regina Kutney rest day in sand cartoon (
By car from Regina)
Calgary in Regina (
Drive to Brandon Hotel after the evening match)
Regina of Brandon (
Drive to Regina hotel after the game)
Rest days in Regina (
Fly to Vancouver, drive to Seattle)
Spokane in Seattle, Prince George in Portland
By car from Seattle)Drive to Tri-
Prince George Hotel, Washington, city
City Everett in tricolor
Everett, Portland (
From three by carCities)
On March 5, when Gregory and Ryan arrived at the scout room two hours before they landed in Brandon's Westman square in Parker, each of them sat at a long table and took a notepad out of his box, start writing down the lineup for the game.
They were written on a whiteboard hanging on one end of the room.
Each Scout also gets a media kit with a roster and game notes.
There are many top players to watch, including Patrick, who is not expected to watch.
One option in the 2017 draft, Brandon right-wing Stelio Kronos, No.
23 in the NHL Central Scout North American skaters mid ranking.
Even less than 24 hours after the game, Brandon Center Reid Duke, who became the first to sign up with the expansion "Vegas Golden Knight", was considered overfulfilled (20-year-old)possibility.
They are also looking forward to assessing Nick Henry on the right wing of Regina.
Among the skaters in North America
"A lot of my homework will be done before I get to the rink," Ryan said . ".
"I just want to get to know the player's data and get familiar with their stats and trends.
When I get to the ice rink and start queuing up, I'll look for the games you might see and some of the challenges these top players may face.
Ryan says he likes to see a potential draft.
The qualified players in his area will be in 20-
Prior to the NHL Central Scout's last meeting of the season, 40 meetings were held at Toronto headquarters in April, when
Time scouts determine the final ranking of top players and goalkeepers in North America.
He will not be able to get so many reviews during cross-viewing.
"We write down the line combination because the game is fast, so you have to be able to quickly refer to who you're looking at," Gregory said . ".
"Personally, I listed who was the player in the game who was overplayed or called up.
I drew the draft.
Qualified players and anyone we rank on the list, as well as underage players.
I use highlighter in different colors so I can quickly refer to the line chart and know who it is.
"Unfortunately, the scout did not see Regina center Jack leschshyn, who played the season with a lower scorebody injury.
Ranked No. 1 Central Scout
Among the skaters in North America
"Sometimes, when we chase players around and the players get hurt, a game that looks important is not that important anymore," Gregory said . ".
"It might be time for you to go somewhere else, but you can't plan these things in advance.
You stick to it and make the most of it.
When I first started, Gregory looked at Scouts and said, "it's like when you go to a new grocery store to make sure you get what you need, you walk up and down the aisle six times. ".
"But after you have done it for a while, you will go up and down the next time in each aisle, and then you will leave.
The same is true of scouts.
You gradually learn how to travel, how to manage your time, and how to watch players.
"In some areas of reconnaissance, the enhanced statistics are far behind the old ones --school, eye-in-the-sky approach.
Scouts are evaluating hockey feelings, skating and competition, and Gregory and Ryan agree that these three areas are critical to predicting success.
"A good understanding of the player's three areas can help you determine if someone will translate well to the next level," Gregory said . ".
If they were the real first
They must be able to show a lot of strength in these areas and become the elite of the draft class in order to reach the top of the list.
"Gregory and Ryan waited until the opening before deciding where to sit in the game;
They usually find a place in the back row of the seating area near the center ice.
Gregory and Ryan take out their notebooks and occasionally go through the roster and write down a few important words that summarize a player.
When they need to write a full report of NHL central scouts, they refer to keywords and phrases ---
Such as "agile", "finding open space", "working hard" and "good competition "---
They used to describe the player and help recall what they saw in that prospect.
Listen to Ryan and Gregory sharing their insights into Patrick and it's clear why they're so good
Seen in the industry.
"You have to be strong on puck, but you have to learn how to play without puck," Ryan said . ".
"You can get away with it in teenagers because the defenders don't have a gap in the game.
A lot of defensive players at the junior level are not good enough to slip, afraid to be defeated.
So guess what, they play skateboarding and give you space.
This will not happen at NHL level. Straight-
Because everyone can slide so well, line hockey is out of date.
Everyone has gaps in the game, so how do you create space, you have to manipulate the gaps by creating a speed difference.
Elite prospects like Nolan Patrick can do that.
"If you have a straight line player close to the level of elite players, you suddenly start to produce this chemical reaction and things start to happen," Gregory said . ".
"You need to think straight lines when evaluating talent.
What makes Patrick so good is that sometimes the puck is on his stick and disappears even before someone blinks because he knows it's the right game.
His ability to do so deprives his opponent of any chance or time to do something.
Gregory and Ryan both believe in the struggle between Patrick and Regina striker Austin Wagner (
King Los Angeles)
The latter part of the second period was a fierce confrontation.
This is Patrick's second game of the season.
"I think he feels that the team may not have the level of intensity he thinks they should play with him," Ryan said of Patrick . ".
"The fact that he will stand up for himself and let his teammates know that it is interesting that if they want to succeed, he will not hesitate to help improve their level of competition.
"You don't want him to do this a lot as a coach, but you definitely don't want him to be shy about getting himself involved.
"One of the more interesting discussions in the four games --
The one-hour drive from Brandon to Regina on March 5 was about analysis.
Gregory is driving and Ryan is in the back seat.
After three rounds of coffee at Tim Hortons, Ryan and Gregory dissect the body for NHL.
Com strengthens the world of statistics.
"It's clear that anything you can do is good in order to get more information and let you make a better decision," Ryan said . ".
"I think there is always a need to see the life of the player as it is a different element of what you get.
I think watching a player, knowing their work history, and the basic statistics and psychological parts of it, in terms of the player's interview and understanding of their background and motivation, things that enable people to make the best decisions.
"The difference in analysis is how teams measure them and incorporate them into their own decisions --Do equation
But I don't think there will be any progress in the analysis, and it might be more impactful if there is.
"Ryan believes that Corsi or puck's possession is the most influential consideration when looking for an advantage among players. "Shot-
"It turns out that metrics based on indicators are the best measure of player possession," Ryan said . ".
Gregory admits that analysis has become an important part of the game and cannot be ignored.
"It's just getting the right combination," Gregory said . ".
"Everyone has a different view of the importance or importance of decision-making analysis.
But I think your head is in the sand if you don't expect it to help you make a decision.
When you have information to help you make a decision, you will make a better decision.
Analysis has been around for a long time, but, like anything else, the technology has become better and the results have been proven in some areas.
"You need to know how much icing sugar is on your cake, not just plain cakes.
But don't put too much icing on sugar because the taste is not so good.
"Throughout the journey, Gregory and Ryan always praised the support and encouragement provided by their families. "[Dolores]
Gregory said of his wife.
"Even before hockey, we moved to a place where there wasn't a lot of families, so in a sense she was alone, taking care of the kids, and take them wherever they need them at any time of the day.
Yes, you are working hard, but your wife is working harder at home.
"Gregory believes that every scout in the industry may have missed some special family occasions or holidays because scouts don't have a break.
"In our industry, games are on holidays, so you don't have these days most of the time," he said . ".
Ryan knows how difficult his wife Natalie and two little boys are at home.
"She has been doing heavy work all season," Ryan said . ".
"She understood it was my passion and I wanted to stay in the game for a few years so I was lucky she understood and forgiven me.
"Some people think that the draft 2017 is not as strong as the previous draft.
The past two drafts were heavy on the highly touted outlook: in 2015 and 2016.
"This year may not be so clear --
But I believe there is good value, "said Ryan.
"I believe some people may need a little extra time.
In the past few years, there may be more people
Ready to step into the lineup.
Players may need some time this year.
But that doesn't mean that their productivity will drop when they finally reach the NHL.
"Gregory says he doesn't feel more or less stressful because there may be some uncertainty at the top of this year's draft class.
More importantly, make sure he has a good grasp of the players he has watched throughout the season.
"I think one thing I learned over time is that you can only say what you know," Gregory said . ".
"People ask about our players and you tell them.
You can't try to show what you haven't seen yet, or if you don't have enough chance to see them.
"Multiple Views will give you a picture of a player.
I know I 've only seen this guy once, but that's what I see.
I just told people that I have the most confidence in what a player thinks.
"Quite a few NHL scouts took part in Spokane-
Seattle in March 7 because Seattle is considered by many to be a legitimate contender to win the WHL title this season, Spokane has a right-wing outlook
There are 17 on the NHL Central Scout mid-term list
As a Seattle scout, the chance to sit next to Ryan and watch the game is special.
A journalist refuted his observations, and he either confirmed the assessments or respectfully provided the reasons why he did not think so.
When the reporter mentioned Yamamoto (5-foot-7, 153 pounds)
Looking a lot harder than expected, Ryan said: "You won't think of his game when you mention his figure and figure, but he chose a big [hit]
First, it didn't stop him from playing in high school.
Traffic Area or fight at any point in the game.
He has a high level of competition, which is what the NHL team would like to see.
"This is also an element of the Mountain Book game that cannot be obtained through statistics, which shows why NHL scouts are still very important and in high demand.
"It's very interesting," Gregory said . ".
"Even after doing it for so long, I'm still wondering if I'll get into the game if I can find those players.
If you give it time to look for what you 've been doing over the years, you'll eventually find the player.
"It's all about giving us a forecast, a forecast in advance.
We have to be prepared to say things because people want to know what you are looking at and what you are thinking, and if your history is good and you have good opinions, it is a very interesting job.