Where the scouts find players
Scouts travel all throughout North America and Europe to
discover elite hockey talent. In a typical draft year the team scouting
staff will discover new Canadian talent in the WHL, OHL and QMJHL as well
as some lower leagues. Scouts find the majority of American players
playing for the US National Developmental team program and also the
US High Schools. In Europe scouts find players in the the National League
in Switzerland, the Deutsche Eihockey Liga in Germany, the
Czech Extraliga in the Czech Republic, the Elitserien in Sweden, the
SM-liiga in Finland, the KHL in Russia and finally the Slovak League
in Slovakia.
What the scouts look for
Poise, Strength,
Speed, Endurance, Durability, Balance, Agility, Acceleration, Stick Checking,
Shot Blocking, Fighting Skill, Face-offs, Discipline, Defensive Awareness, Body
Checking, Aggressiveness, Wrist Shot Power, Wrist Shot Accuracy, Slap Shot
Power, Slap Shot Accuracy, Puck Control, Passing, Offensive Awareness, Hand Eye
Coordination and Deking.
Scouting the Canadian Hockey League (top junior league in Canada & United States)
The three best leagues in Canada and the United States that
NHL teams scout are the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League
(OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).A total of sixty
teams make up the entire CHL, Fifty-two are based in Canada, the
other eight are in the U.S.
The WHL teams are the Vancouver Giants, Victoria Royals, Kamloops
Blazers, Kelowna Rockets and Prince George Cougars in the B.C. Division.
The Seattle Thunderbirds, Portland Winterhawks, Everett Silvertips,
Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans are in the U.S. Division. The
Calgary Hitmen, Edmonton Oil Kings, Kootenay Ice, Lethbridge Hurricanes,
Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels are in the Central Division. The
Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Swift Current Broncos, Prince Albert
Raiders, Moose Jaw Warriors and Brandon Wheat Kings are in the East
Division. Those are the twenty-two teams in the Western Hockey League
(WHL) where junior hockey players play and are scouted by NHL scouts.
The OHL teams are the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Saginaw
Spirit, Plymouth Whalers, Windsor Spitfires, Sarnia Sting are in the West
Division. The London Knights, Owen Sound Attack, Kitchener Rangers, Guelph
Storm and Erie Otters play in the Midwest Division. The Sudbury Wolves,
Barrie Colts, Brampton Battalion, Mississauga Steelheads and
Niagra IceDogs play in the Central Division. The Oshawa Generals,
Peterborough Petes, Belleville Bulls, Kingston Frontenacs and Ottawa 67’s play
in the East Division.
The QMJHL teams are the the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Val-d’Or
Foreurs, Gatineau Olympiques, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada,
Drummondville Voltigeurs and Sherbrooke Phoenix play in the West
Division. Shawinigan Cataractes, Victoriaville Tigres, Quebec Remparts,
Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Rimouski Oceanic and Baie-Comeau Drakkar play in
the East Division. The Saint John Sea Dogs, Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Moncton
Wildcats, P.E.I. Rocket, Halifax Mooseheads and Cape Breton Screaming
Eagles play in the Maritimes Division.
Scouting the Kontinental Hockey League (top league in Russia)
HC Lev Praha (Prague, Czech Republic), HC Slovan Bratislava
(Bratislava, Slovakia), Dinamo Riga (Riga, Latvia), HC SKA
(Saint Petersburgh, Russia), HC Donbass (Donetsk, Ukraine), HC Vityaz (Chekhov, Russia)
and HC Dynamo Moscow (Moscow, Russia) play in the Bobrov Division in
the Western Conference. HC Dinamo Minsk (Minsk, Belarus), HC Severstal
(Cherepovets, Russia), HC Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl, Russia), HC Torpedo Nikhny
Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia), CSKA (Moscow, Russia), HC Spartak
Moscow (Moscow, Russia) and HC Atlant Moscow Oblast (Mytishchi, Russia)
play in the Tarasov Division in the Western Conference.
Scouting the Elitserien (top league in Sweden)
AIK (Stockholm), Brynas IF (Gavle), Frolunda HC (Gothenburg),
Farjestad BK (Karlstad), HV71 (Jonkoping), Linkopings HC (Linkoping),
Lulea HF (Lulea), Modo Hockey (Ornskoldsvik), Rogle BK (Angelholm), Skelleftea
AIK (Skelleftea), Timra IK (Timra), Vaxjo Lakers (Vaxjo).
Scouting the Liiga (top league in Finland)
Assat (Pori), Blues (Espoo), HIFK (Helsinki), HPK (Hameenlinna),
Ilves (Tampere), Jokerit (Helsinki), JYP (Jyvaskyla), KalPa (Kuopio), Karpat
(Oulu), Lukko (Rauma), Pelicans (Lahti), SaiPa (Lappeenranta), Tappara
(Tampere), TPS (Turku).
Scouting the Czech Extraliga (top league in Czech Republic)
Kometa Brno (Brno), Mountfield Ceske Budejovice (Ceske
Budejovice), Pirati Chomutov (Chomutov), Energie Karlovy Vary (Karlovy Vary),
Rytiri Kladno (Kladno), Bili Tygri Libernec (Libernec), Verva Litvinov
(Litvinov), CSOB Pojistovna Pardubice (Pardubice), HC Skoda Plzen (Plzen),
Slavia Praha (Prague), Sparta Praha (Prague), Ocelari Trinec (Trinec),
Vitkovice Steel (Ostrava), PSG Zlin (Zlin).
Slovak Extraliga (top league in Slovakia)
HC Kosice (Kosice), HC '05 Banska Bystrica (Banska Bystrica), HK
36 Skalica (Skalica), HK Dukla Trencin (Trencin), HK Nitra (Nitra), HK Orange
20 (Bratislava), HK Poprad (Poprad), HKm Zvolen (Zvolen), MHC Mountfield
(Martin), MsHK Zilina (Zilina), SHK 37 Piest'any (Piest'any).
Scouting the National League A (top league in Switzerland)
Twelve teams compete in SwizHC Ambri-Piotta (Ambri), SC Bern
(Bern), EHC Biel (Biel/Bienne), HC Davos (Davos), HC Fribourg-Gotteron
(Fribourg), Geneve-Servette HC (Geneva), Kloten Flyers (Kloten), SCL Tigers
(Langnau i.E.), HC Lugano (Lugano), Rapperswill-Jona Lakers (Rapperswill), EV
Zug (Zug), ZSC Lions (Zurich).
Scouting the Eishockey Liga (top league in Germany)
Augsburger Panther (Augsburger), Eisbaren Berlin (Berlin),
Dusseldorf EG (Dusseldorf), Hamburg Freezers (Hamburg), Hannover Scorpions
(Hannover), ERC Ingolstadt (Ingolstadt), Iserlohn Roosters (Iserlohn), Kolner
Haie (Cologne), Krefeld Pinguine (Krefeld), Adler Mannheim (Mannheim), EHC Red
Bull Munchen (Munich), Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers (Nuremburg), Straubing Tigers
(Straubing), Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Wolfsburg).
Scouting the Mestis
The Mestis is the second-highest hockey league in Finland. The 13
teams in this league are HC Keski-Uusimaa (Kerava), Hokki (Kajaani), Jokipojat
(Joensuu), Jukurit (Mikkeli), JYP-Akatemia (Jyvaskyla), Kiekko-Vantaa (Vantaa),
KooKoo (Kouvola), LeKi (Lemppaala), Peliitat (Heinola), SaPKo (Savonlinna),
Vaasan Sport (Vaasa), TUTO (Turku).
Canada
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, Canada produces the majority approximately 53.02% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL). NHL cities include Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton in the Western Conference and Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Winnipeg in the Eastern Conference. The largest cities are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Quebec, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, St. Catherines, Halifax, Oshawa, Victoria, Windsor, Saskatoon, Regina, Sherbrooke, St. John's.
United States
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, The United States produces approximately 23.9% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL).
NHL cities include Minnesota, Colorado, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Columbus, Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose and Anaheim in the Western Conference. Boston, Buffalo, New York (NYR) and New York (NYI), New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Florida in the Eastern Conference. The largest cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington, Miami, Atlanta, Bosotn, San Francisco, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, St. Louis, Baltimore.
NHL cities include Minnesota, Colorado, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Columbus, Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose and Anaheim in the Western Conference. Boston, Buffalo, New York (NYR) and New York (NYI), New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Florida in the Eastern Conference. The largest cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington, Miami, Atlanta, Bosotn, San Francisco, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, Minneapolis, San Diego, Tampa, St. Louis, Baltimore.
Russia
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, Russia produces approximately 2.95% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The largest cities in Russia include Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nikhny Novgorod, Samara, Kazan, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Rostov-on-Don, Ufa, Volgograd, Perm, Krasnoyarsk, Voronezh, Saratov, Tolyatti, Krasnodar, Izhevsk, Yaroslavl.
Sweden
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, Sweden produces approximately 6.89% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL). largest cities are Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Uppsala, Vasteras, Orebro, Linkoping, Helsingborg, Jonkoping, Norrkoping.
Finland
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, Finland produces approximately 2.25% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The largest cities are Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa, Turku, Oulu, Jyvaskyla, Lahti, Kuopio, Kouvola, Pori, Joensuu, Lappeenranta, Hameenlinna, Rovaniemi.
Czech Republic
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, Czech Republic produces approximately 4.78% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The largest cities are Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Plzen, Libernec, Olomouc, Usti nad Labem, Hradec Kralove, Ceske Budejovice, Pardubice, Havirov, Zlin, Kladno, Most, Karvina, Opava, Frydek-Mistek, Karlovy Vary, Jihlava, Decin.
Slovakia
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, Slovakia produces approximately 1.4% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The largest cities are Bratislava, Kosice, Presov, Zilina, Banska Bystrica, Nitra, Trnava, Martin, Trencin, Poprad, Prievidza, Zvolen, Povazska Bystrica, Michalovce, Nove Zamky, Spisska Nova Ves, Humenne, Levice, Komarno, Bardejov.
Germany
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, Germany produces approximately 0.084% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The largest cities are Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Bremen, Dresden, Leipzig, Hannover, Nuremberg, Duisburg, Bochum, Wuppertal, Bonn, Bielefeld, Mannheim.
Switzerland
Based on the 2012-2013 NHL season, Switzerland produces approximately 0.0984% of players in the National Hockey League (NHL). The largest cities are Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Winterthur, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Lugano, Biel, Thun, Koniz, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Schaffhausen, Fribourg, Vernier, Chur, Neuchatel, Uster, Sion.
Norway
The largest cities are Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger/Sandnes, Trondheim, Fredrikstad/Sarpborg, Drammen, Porsgrunn.Skien, Kristiansand, Troms, Tonsberg.
Latvia
The largest cities are Riga, Daugavpils, Liepaja, Jelgava, Jurmala, Jurmala, Ventsoils, Rezekne, Valmiera, Jekabpils
Austria
The largest cities are Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Villach, Weis, Wels, Sankt Polten, Dornbirn.
Slovenia
The largest cities are Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje, Kranj, Velenje, Koper Capodistria, Novo Mesto, Ptuj, Trbovlje, Kamnik.
Denmark
The largest cities are Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg, Frederiksberg, Esbjerg, Gentofte, Gladsaxe, Randers, Kolding, Horsens, Lyngby-Taarbaek, Vejle, Hvidovre, Roskilde, Helsinger, Herning, Solkeborg, Naestved, Greve Strand.
Belarus
The largest cities are Minsk, Barysaw, Salihorsk, Maladzyechna, Zhodzina, Slutsk, Vilyeyka, Dzyarzhynsk, Maryina Horka.
Kazakhstan
The largest cities are Almaty, Shymkent, Karagandy, Taraz, Astana, Pavlodar, Oskemen, Semey, Aktobe, Oral, Kostanay, Petropavl.
Poland
The largest cities are Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, Wroclaw, Poznan, Gdansk, Szczecin, Bydgoszcz, Lubllin, Katowice, Bialystok, Gdynia, Czestochowa, Radom, Sosnowiec, Torun, Kielce, Gliwice, Zabrze, Bytom, Olsztyn.
Ukraine
The largest cities are Kiev, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Lviv,
France
The largest cities are Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulousse, Nice, Nantes, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Lille.
Italy
The largest cities are Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Bari, Catania, Venice, Verona, Messina, Padua, Trieste, Taranto, Brescia, Prato, Reggio Calabria, Modena, Parma.