This is a guest post from AJ Lee of. To learn more about writing for The Coach K Show,. Between NCAA Divisions I, II and III, there are nearly 150 men’s college hockey teams. That makes for a lot of college hockey players hoping to make the jump to the professional game. Yet, increasingly, college hockey recruiting is a viable route to the pros. Research by showed that 311 NHL players — or 32 percent of everybody who saw ice time in 2017-18 — played college hockey first.
Feb 15, 2018 - One in every five players in an NHL locker room was never drafted. The regional scouts compile scouting reports throughout the season with.
The question is: How do you get noticed in college hockey? How do you stand out so that scouts notice you? There are ways to maximize the good position a college hockey player already inhabits. Let’s take a look at the best things you can do to stand out when evaluated through the lens of college hockey scouting. How to Get in Front of Eyes The easiest solution is to play where the scouts look — and that means at the University of Minnesota, Boston College, North Dakota, Michigan, Boston University or any of the other usual suspects for the Frozen Four.
But, if you’re good enough, you’ll be seen — 49 colleges supplied NHL teams with players this season. Another suggestion?
Stay in school. 70% of the NHL players who played college hockey spent at least three years in school, and nearly half of those were four-year players. It also doesn’t hurt to develop an online presence, which can be done as simply as creating a YouTube channel and uploading some highlight videos. As long as you’re not paying for the privilege, fill out forms for online scouting services. Follow and retweet scouts, media members and front office types — respectfully, of course — to increase your name recognition in those circles.
Summer leagues, camps and combines are other options. If you’re at the end of your college eligibility, some pro leagues or teams also have open tryouts. Speaking of Combines It’s widely accepted for college football players to essentially coast through classes after their senior seasons are done while they train for the NFL combine each spring. Hockey players might not have that luxury, but throwing some combine-specific training into your usual regimen is a good idea if you’re given the chance to show off for the clipboard and stopwatch set. If a college hockey player makes it to the NHL combine — or a camp based on combine-type workouts — that prospects should be prepared to go through: Wingate An all-out sprint against resistance on a stationary bike for 30 seconds, it measures anaerobic power and anaerobic capacity.
Sports requiring short bursts of all-out activity rely on the anaerobic energy pathways. 2017 combine leaders: 12.8 mean power output (watts/kg); 19.5 peak power output (watts/kg) Bench press Proper form — behind on the bench, feet on the floor — along with a pace of 25 reps per minute. Bar starts at chest and is pushed to full extension for each rep. Weight is 70 to 80 percent of body weight.
![Sheets Sheets](http://www.sport-tests.ch/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/hgkmhganhhgnjpmh.jpg)
2017 combine leader: 17 reps VO 2 max The VO2 max test measures the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can utilize during intense activity. The test involves maintaining a set amount of RPMs on a stationary bike under increasing resistance. Measuring cardiorespiratory fitness, the test can last several minutes.
2017 combine leader: 16 minutes, 45 seconds Force plate jump Six max-effort vertical jumps, with 10 seconds of rest between, are made off a force plate. The top three jumps are averaged.
2017 combine leader: 26.19 inches Long jump Standing long jump. Arm swing allowed.
2017 combine leader: 118 inches Grip strength Measured on a dynamometer, which is squeezed by the hand with the arm at full extension. 2017 combine leaders: 175 pounds (right hand); 170 pounds (left hand) Pull-ups Proper pull-up form is a must, from full extension to the absence of leg kicks. 2017 combine leader: 13 Shuttle run The shuttle run is also referred to as the Pro Agility test.
A 5/10/5-yard or 15/30/15-foot shuttle run performed twice — once starting to the right and once to the left. 2017 combine leaders: 4.19 seconds (right); 4.19 seconds (left) But, Really, Here’s What College Hockey Scouting Is About Let’s assume, at some point in your career, you’re going to find yourself in front of a pro hockey scout. At that point, it’s too late to change the facets of the game you already should have been polished in anticipation of this moment. Here’s: Great skaters Speed, power, balance, and agility all matter. This includes puck abilities and separation speed (getting to top speed quickly).
Character This includes off-the-ice interactions with teammates, coaches, officials and fans; body language after a bad break or a good play; work ethic; passion for play; curiosity about skill development; coachability; etc. Anticipation Call it hockey sense or ice awareness, but it’s basically seeing the game unfold before it unfolds. It’s having the vision to know where to go, what space to cut off, where the puck is headed. The best players have it, and scouts look for it. Getting Noticed In College Hockey Scouting- The Bottom Line Ultimately, scouts rate players for skating, size, game sense, character, and skill.
But, if any of those attributes catch a scout’s eye, you still have to make sure he likes what he sees over an extended look. A few things to i nclude blocking shots, passing unselfishly, talking on the ice and from the bench, finishing checks, driving to the net, and keeping your body in the shooting lanes.
Forwards should support the puck and cover for pressured defensemen; defenders should stay between forwards and the net, and pass instead of dumping the puck away from pressure; and goalies should minimize rebounds, talk to the defense and play the puck on dump-ins. Measurables are one thing, but your mindset is a tiebreaker you have total control over.
Author bio: AJ Lee is Marketing Coordinator for Pro Stock Hockey, an online resource for pro stock. He was born and raised in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and has been a huge Blackhawks fan his entire life. AJ picked up his first hockey stick at age 3, and hasn’t put it down yet.