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CONTENTS 24
27
30
36 The Pittsburgh Penguins published Draft Time to be distributed for free on a first-come, first-served basis to fans at the 2012 NHL Draft Reproduction in whole or part without permission of the Pittsburgh Penguins® is prohibited
Letter from David Morehouse
4
2012 NHL Draft Order
7
Top 20 North American Prospects
8
Top 5 European Prospects
14
Top 3 North American Goalies
15
Top 2 European Goalies
15
Remaining Top Prospects
16
All Eyes on Yakupov
24
Pittsburgh Becoming a Hockey Hotbed
27
Drafting Architecture: How the Penguins Were Built
30
Penguins Mobile & Social Media
34
‘97 Draft Look Back
36
Late-Round Gems
40
Week in the Life of an NHL Scout
44
If you are interested in placing an advertisement in future Pittsburgh Penguins’ publications, please contact David Peart at 412 255 1936 or dpeart@pittsburghpenguins com to discuss available opportunities All photos © Getty Images unless noted otherwise
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Dear Hockey Fans: On behalf of Mario Lemieux, Ron Burkle and the entire Pittsburgh Penguins organization, welcome to the 2012 NHL Draft at CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins are proud to host the draft for the second time in our history, and the first time since 1997, and we look forward to making it a memorable experience for fans, scouts, club officials, media and, most importantly, the draft prospects and their families. The draft comes at a time when Pittsburgh youth hockey is on the rise — more boys and girls are playing the sport than ever before, Pittsburgh players are making an impact at both the major junior and NCAA Division 1 levels, and four local products were drafted in the first three rounds by NHL teams last year. Pittsburgh is a vibrant city with tremendous cultural, dining and entertainment offerings, and we extend our warmest greetings for an outstanding, fun-filled weekend.
David Morehouse CEO/President Pittsburgh Penguins
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2012 NHL DRAFT ORDER Track the First Round Selections
1. Edmonton
16. Washington
2. Columbus
17. San Jose
3. Montreal
18. Chicago
4. N.Y. Islanders
19. Tampa Bay (from Detroit)
5. Toronto
20. Philadelphia
6. Anaheim
21. Buffalo (from Nashville)
7. Minnesota
22. Pittsburgh
8. Carolina
23. Florida
9. Winnipeg
24. Boston
10. Tampa Bay
25. St. Louis
11. Washington (from Colorado)
26. Vancouver
12. Buffalo
27. Phoenix
13. Dallas
28. N.Y. Rangers
14. Calgary
29. New Jersey
15. Ottawa
30. Los Angeles
7
TOP NORTH AMERICAN PROSPECTS NAIL YAKUPOV POS: RW HT: 5-10 WT: 189 BORN: Nizhnekamsk, RUS
DOB: 10/6/93
The smooth-skating Yakupov appears to have cemented himself as the consensus No. 1-overall prospect. Considered by many as the most offensively gifted player in the draft, Yakupov has a scoring touch and high-end passing skills.
RYAN MURRAY POS: D HT: 6-0 WT: 201 BORN: Regina, SK, CAN
DOB: 9/27/93
POS: C HT: 6-3 WT: 200 BORN: Khabarovsk, RUS
POS: C HT: 6-0 WT: 198 BORN: Milwaukee, WI, USA
POS: D HT: 6-0 WT: 190 BORN: Vancouver, BC, CAN
8
4
An ACL injury in the preseason stole all but two games of Galchenyuk’s 2011-12 season. But after a spectacular rookie campaign with Sarnia (OHL), the gifted center is still considered a top prospect in the draft.
MORGAN RIELLY
DOB: 3/9/94
3
Grigorenko dominated the World U-18 Championship, compiling 18 points (4G-14A) while helping Russia attain a bronze medal. The Quebec Remparts center was the QMJHL’s highest scoring rookie (40G-45A-85P), earning the Michel Bergeron trophy (best offensive rookie).
ALEX GALCHENYUK
DOB: 2/12/94
2
Murray played for Canada at the IIHF World Championships, making him the youngest player since Paul Kariya to make the senior team. The two-way defenseman is considered by many scouts as one of the safest picks in the draft.
MIKHAIL GRIGORENKO
DOB: 5/16/94
1
5
Rielly entered the conversation as one of the top blueliners. The two-way defenseman showed grit and determination in coming back from an ACL injury. A brilliant puck distributor, Rielly is extremely effective on the power play.
CODY CECI POS: D HT: 6-2 WT: 207 BORN: Ottawa, ON, CAN
DOB: 12/21/93
Ceci has been rising on many draft boards. The offensiveminded D-man is a towering presence and many scouts believe Ceci possesses one of the better shots from the point, evidenced by his eight power-play tallies in 2011-12.
RADEK FAKSA POS: C HT: 6-3 WT: 202 BORN: Vitkov, CZE
DOB: 1/9/94
POS: D HT: 6-2 WT: 202 BORN: Jyväskylä, FIN
8
Maatta burst onto the hockey scene at the 2011 World Junior Championships, becoming the youngest player to represent Team Finland at 16. The Finnish import led all OHL rookie blueliners in scoring (5G-27A-32P) with London.
JACOB TROUBA POS: D HT: 6-2 WT: 193 BORN: Rochester, MI, USA
DOB: 2/26/94
7
Faksa put on display the size and skills with Kitchener (OHL) that has scouts drooling over his potential. Faksa led all rookies in goals (29), assists (37), points (66), game-wining goals (6) and plus-minus (+19) last season.
OLLI MAATTA
DOB: 8/22/94
6
9
Trouba helped Team USA capture gold after scoring the opening tally of the Gold Medal Game in the 2011 World U-18 Championship. The defensive-minded Trouba was a key contributor to the USA’s gold medal run in 2012.
GRIFFIN REINHART
10
POS: D HT: 6-4 WT: 207 BORN: North Vancouver, BC, CAN
DOB: 1/24/94
Reinhart plays an offensive-minded style and distributes the puck well. This past season, the towering defenseman led Edmonton (WHL) blueliners with 12 goals while also guiding them to a first-place finish.
9
TOP NORTH AMERICAN PROSPECTS MATT DUMBA POS: D HT: 6-0 WT: 183 BORN: Regina, SK, CAN
DOB: 7/25/94
Many scouts consider Dumba the most gifted defenseman in this year’s class, with stunning one-timers and slick puck-handling. The hard-hitting blueliner was given the “C” for Canada at the 2012 World U-18 Championship.
DERRICK POULIOT POS: D HT: 5-11 WT: 186 BORN: Estevan, SK, CAN
DOB: 1/16/94
12
Considered by many scouts as one of the purest skaters in the draft, Pouliot excelled longside the savvy defensemen on Portland’s (WHL) roster. The offensive-minded defenseman also helped Canada capture gold at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka tournament.
BRENDAN GAUNCE POS: C HT: 6-2 WT: 215 BORN: Sudbury, ON, CAN
DOB: 3/25/94
11
13
The top offensive threat for the Belleville Bulls (OHL), Gaunce possesses a big body that has scouts raving over his physically dominating potential in the NHL. Gaunce finished the 2011-12 season as Belleville’s leading scorer (28G-40A-68P).
COLTON SISSIONS
14
POS: C HT: 6-1 WT: 189 BORN: North Vancouver, BC, CAN
DOB: 11/5/93
Sissions brings a physical nastiness to his game that have many scouts excited about his NHL potential. The Kelowna (WHL) captain led the team in goals (26) and finished second in points (41) despite missing time with a concussion.
THOMAS WILSON POS: RW HT: 6-4 WT: 203 BORN: Toronto, ON, CAN
DOB: 3/29/94
10
15
Wilson’s size and offensive potential have him shooting up many draft boards. Known for his rugged play, Wilson established an offensive scoring touch to go along with his physical style of play with Plymouth (OHL).
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TOP NORTH AMERICAN PROSPECTS MATTHEW FINN POS: D HT: 6-0 WT: 195 BORN: Toronto, ON, CAN
DOB: 2/24/94
Finn exploded in his sophomore season for Guelph (OHL), leading all Storm defensemen in goals (10), assists (38) and points (48). A key cog for the Storm’s power play, Finn totaled 28 points (5G-23A) with the man-advantage.
17
STEFAN MATTEAU POS: C HT: 6-2 WT: 210 BORN: Chicago, IL, USA
DOB: 2/23/94
Matteau, son of former Stanley Cup winner Stephane Matteau, is on many draft boards as the highest-rated forward from the United States development program. The big-bodied forward tallied 32 points (15G-17A) in 46 games with the Under-18 squad.
18
ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS POS: C HT: 6-2 WT: 198 BORN: Riga, LVA
DOB: 1/5/94
Girgensons is looking to become the first Latvian-born player selected in the first round of an NHL Draft. The “Latvian Locomotive” was named captain of Dubuque (USHL) and led the team in goals (24) and points (55).
BRADY SKJEI POS: D HT: 6-3 WT: 200 BORN: Lakeville, MN, USA
DOB: 3/26/94
19
Skjei is a name to remember come draft day. The Minnesota native, and Golden Gopher commit, was a key contributor for Team USA’s fourth consecutive title at the 2012 World U-18 Championship with a team-high plus-10.
MARTIN FRK POS: RW HT: 6-0 WT: 204 BORN: Pelhrimov, CZE
DOB: 10/5/93
16
20
Frk’s campaign with Halifax (QMJHL) began with a concussion that kept him out for half of the season. He returned to represent the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championships and had a strong finish for Halifax.
13
TOP EUROPEAN PROSPECTS FILIP FORSBERG POS: C HT: 6-2 WT: 181 BORN: Ostervala, SWE
DOB: 8/13/94
After totaling 17 points in 43 games for Leksand (Swiss-II), Forsberg comes into the draft as the top-rated European skater. Scouts rave about Forsberg’s mature game and believe he is one of the safer forwards to pick.
TEUVO TERAVAINEN POS: LW HT: 5-11 WT: 165 BORN: Helsinki, FIN
DOB: 9/11/94
POS: RW HT: 5-11 WT: 176 BORN: Mariestad, SWE
POS: D HT: 6-2 WT: 196 BORN: Helsingborg, SWE
POS: C HT: 6-2 WT: 198 BORN: Prague, CZE
14
4
A projected two-way D-man and intriguing prospect, Lindholm began to make waves prior to the draft. Lindholm put himself on the radar after posting five points in 10 playoff games for Rogle BK.
TOMAS HERTL
DOB: 11/12/93
3
This Swede can light the lamp. In 2011-12, Collberg prospered with the Frolunda Jr. team, posting 44 points (21G-23A). Collberg excelled in international play, helping the Swedes win gold in the World Junior Championship and Five Nations Tournament.
HAMPUS LINDHOLM
DOB: 1/20/94
2
Although slender in size, Teravainen has been one of the biggest risers on many draft boards. The Finnish winger has scouts clamoring over his ability to score in Finland’s Elite League.
SEBASTIAN COLLBERG
DOB: 2/23/94
1
5
Hertl had a breakout year in 2011-12, posting 53 points (21G-32A) in 64 games for HC Slavia Praha. He was a force in international play, leading Czech Republic with five points in the 2012 World Junior Championships.
TOP GOALIE PROSPECTS NORTH AMERICAN GOALIES
MALCOLM SUBBAN CATCHES: L HT: 6-1 WT: 188 BORN: Toronto, ON, CAN
DOB: 12/21/93
1
Subban heads into the draft as one of the top goaltending prospects. Subban won 25 games during an injury-plagued 2011-12 campaign for Belleville. The agile netminder also represented Team Canada at the 2011 World U-18 Championship.
BRANDON WHITNEY
2
CATCHES: L HT: 6-5 WT: 193 BORN: Centreville, NS, CAN
DOB: 5/11/94
Whitney normally towers over most of his competition in the QMJHL. The 6-foot-5 netminder posted a 22-4-4 record, a 2.74 goals-against average and an .896 save percentage with Victoriaville during his 2011-12 rookie season.
MICHAEL HOUSER
3
CATCHES: L HT: 6-1 WT: 190 BORN: Youngstown, OH, USA
DOB: 9/13/92
Houser sports an impressive resume. Houser was named CHL Goaltender of the Year, OHL’s Most Outstanding Player and Goaltender of the Year after finishing the 2011-12 season with 46 wins, 2.47 GAA and .925 save percentage for London.
EUROPEAN GOALIES
ANDREI VASILEVSKI CATCHES: R HT: 6-3 WT: 204 BORN: Russia
DOB: 7/25/94
Vasilevski’s play helped Russia capture the silver medal at the 2012 World Junior Championship after finishing the tournament with four wins, two shutouts, a 2.01 goalsagainst average and .953 save-percentage (second-best mark in tournament).
OSCAR DANSK CATCHES: L HT: 6-2 WT: 186 BORN: Stockholm, SWE
DOB: 2/28/94
1
2
Dansk impressed throughout the 2012 World U-18 Championship, finishing second in the tournament with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .937 save-percentage on the way to a silver medal for Team Sweden.
15
REMAINING TOP PROSPECTS REMAINING TOP NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS RANK NAME
LEAGUE
DOB
BORN IN
HT
WT
WHL
1/9/94
Olds, AB, CAN
6-0
170*
C
DI GIUSEPPE, PHILLIP
CCHA
10/9/93
Toronto, ON, CAN
6-0
176*
LW
L
KOEKKOEK, SLATER
OHL
2/18/94
Winchester, ON, CAN
6-2
184*
D
L
21
WINTHER, MIKE
22 23
POS SHOT L
24
KOSMACHUK, SCOTT
OHL
1/24/94
Richmond Hill, ON, CAN
6-0
183*
RW
R
25
PEARSON, TANNER
OHL
8/10/92
Kitchener, ON, CAN
6-0
195*
LW
L
26
THROWER, DALTON
WHL
12/20/93 Squamish, BC, CAN
5-11 189*
D
R
27
NIEVES, CRISTOVAL
HIGH-CT
1/23/94
Syracuse, NY, USA
6-3” 184*
C
L
28
LAUGHTON, SCOTT
OHL
5/30/94
Oakville, ON, CAN
6-0
180*
C
L
29
KERDILES, NICOLAS
USHL
1/11/94
Lewisville, TX, USA
6-2
201*
LW
L
30
MATHESON, MICHAEL
USHL
2/27/94
Pointe-Claire, QC, CAN
6-1
178*
D
L
31
SIELOFF, PATRICK
USHL
5/15/94
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
6-0
198*
D
L
32
ZHARKOV, DANIIL
OHL
2/6/94
Russia
6-3
202*
LW
33
STEPHENSON, C.
WHL
4/22/94
Saskatoon, SK, CAN
5-10 192* C/LW
L
34
SCHMALTZ, JORDAN
USHL
10/8/93
Madison, WI, USA
6-2
185*
R
35
MAIDENS, JARROD
OHL
3/4/94
Niagara Falls, ON, CAN
6-0
178* C/LW
L
36
KURKER, SAMUEL
HIGH-MA
4/8/94
Boston, MA, USA
6-2
198*
RW
R
37
SMITH, GEMEL
OHL
4/16/94
Toronto, ON, CAN
5-10 161*
C
L
38
VAIL, BRADY
OHL
3/11/94
Hendersonville, NC, USA
6-0
195*
C
L
39
SUTTER, LUKAS
WHL
10/4/93
St. Louis, MO, USA
6-0
214*
C
L
40
ATHANASIOU, ANDREAS
OHL
8/6/94
London, ON, CAN
6-0
180* C/LW
L
41
RICHARD, TANNER
OHL
4/6/93
Markham, ON, CAN
6-0
182*
C
L
42
BOZON, TIM
43
JANKOWSKI, MARK
44
CARRICK, TREVOR
45
HYKA, TOMAS
46
FOX, DANE
47
MCCABE, JAKE
48
SEVERSON, DAMON
WHL
8/7/94
49
MCGINN, BROCK
OHL
2/2/94
50
BAILLARGEON, ROBERT
USHL
11/26/93 Springfield, MA, USA
6-0
51
DEBLOUW, MATTHEW
USHL
9/17/93
Chesterfield, MI, USA
6-0
52
JOHNSON, BEN
OHL
6/7/94
Hancock, MI, USA
6-0
186* C/LW
L
53
STEPAN, ZACHARY
HIGH-MN
1/6/94
Hastings, MN, USA
6-0
166*
C
L
54
HART, BRIAN
HIGH-NH 11/25/93 Cumberland, ME, USA
6-2
216*
RW
R
55
KULAK, BRETT
6-0
180*
D
L
16
D
L
WHL
3/24/94
St. Louis, MO, USA
6-0
175*
LW
L
HIGH-QC
9/13/94
Hamilton, ON, CAN
6-2
170*
C
L
OHL
7/4/94
Stouffville, ON, CAN
6-2
172*
D
L
QMJHL
3/23/93
Mlada Boleslav, CZE
5-11 164*
RW
R
OHL
10/13/93 Chatham, ON, CAN
6-0
185*
C
L
WCHA
10/12/93 Eau Claire, WI, USA
6-0
195
D
L
Brandon, MB, CAN
6-2
193*
Fergus, ON, CAN
5-11 174*
WHL
1/6/94
Edmonton, AB, CAN
D
R
LW
L
170*
C
R
185*
C
L
* Player weighed and measured by Central Scouting
17
REMAINING TOP PROSPECTS RANK NAME 56
BEAUVILLIER, FRANCIS
LEAGUE QMJHL
BORN IN
HT
WT
10/22/93 Sorel-Tracy, QC, CAN
DOB
6-1
176* C/LW
POS SHOT L R
57
ANDERSON, JOSH
OHL
5/7/94
Burlington, ON, CAN
6-1
183*
RW
58
SHORE, DEVIN
OJHL
7/19/94
Ajax, ON, CAN
6-0
184*
C
59
MARCANTUONI, MATIA
OHL
2/22/94
Woodbridge, ON, CAN
6-0
194* C/RW
R
60
GAVRUS, ARTUR
OHL
1/3/94
Ratichi, BLR
5-10 168* C/LW
L
61
GORDON, CODA
WHL
8/4/94
Calgary, AB, CAN
6-0
171*
LW
L
62
LALANCETTE, C.
QMJHL
5/6/94
Roberval, QC, CAN
6-0
168*
RW
R
63
MELINDY, JAMES
QMJHL
12/11/93 Goulds, NL, CAN
6-2
191*
D
R
64
HELGESEN, KENTON
3/19/94
Grand Prarie, AB, CAN
6-3
186*
D
L
65
TROOCK, BRANDEN
3/20/94
Edmonton, AB, CAN
R
66
CULKIN, RYAN
67
WALTERS, NICHOLAS
68
WHL WHL
L
6-2
190*
RW
12/15/93 Montreal, QC, CAN
6-1
174*
D
L
WHL
4/11/94
Edmonton, AB, CAN
6-2
187*
D
L
COOPER, BRIAN
USHL
11/1/93
Anchorage, AK, USA
5-10 184*
D
L
HIGH-MA
5/5/94
Boston, MA, USA
6-2
188*
RW
R
OHL
3/28/94
Baltimore, MD, USA
6-1
198*
D
R
QMJHL
69
CALNAN, CHRIS
70
IAFRATE, MAX
71
BLUJUS, DYLAN
OHL
1/22/94
Buffalo, NY, USA
6-3
193*
D
R
72
MOROZ, MITCHELL
WHL
5/3/94
Edmonton, AB, CAN
6-2
209*
LW
L
73
NELSON, LOGAN
WHL
9/9/93
Coon Rapids, MN, USA
6-1
180*
C
R
74
KHAIRA, JUJHAR
BCHL
8/13/94
Surrey, BC, CAN
6-2
182*
LW
75
SAMUELSSON, HENRIK
WHL
2/7/94
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
6-2
211* C/RW
R
76
O’REGAN, DANIEL
HIGH-MA
1/30/94
Berlin, DEU
5-9
162*
C
R
77
VESEY, JIMMY
EJHL
5/26/93
Boston, MA, USA
6-1
200*
LW
L
78
ROY, KEVIN
USHL
5/20/93
Greenfield Park, QC, CAN 5-9
160*
C
L
79
TRINGALE, DEVIN
HIGH-MA
9/21/93
Medford, MA, USA
6-0
186*
LW
L
80
SHORE, QUENTIN
USHL
5/25/94
Denver, CO, USA
6-2
189*
C
R
81
DI PAULI, THOMAS
USHL
4/29/94
L
82
JOHNSON, ADAM
83
BLACK, GRAHAM
WHL
84
MERMIS, DAKOTA
85 86 87
MICHAELSON, AJ
USHL
2/8/94
88
VATRANO, FRANK
USHL
3/14/94
89
BROWN, TRAVIS
WHL
3/15/94
90
WILLCOX, REECE
BCHL
3/20/94
91
FEJES, SAMUEL
92
SAUTNER, ASHTON
18
L
Woodbridge, IL, USA
5-11 188*
C
Hibbing, MN, USA
5-10 150*
LW
L
1/13/93
Regina, SK, CAN
5-11 173*
C
L
USHL
1/5/94
Alton, IL, USA
5-11 188*
D
L
HODGES, STEVEN
WHL
5/5/94
Yellowknife, NT, CAN
5-11 178*
BARBER, RILEY
USHL
2/7/94
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
6-0
194*
Burnsville, MN, USA
6-1
192*
C
L
Springfield, MA, USA
5-10 218*
C
L
Winnipeg, MB, CAN
6-2
179*
D
L
Surrey, BC, CAN
6-3
184*
D
R
HIGH-MN 6/22/94
HIGH-MN 5/31/94 WHL
5/27/94
C
L
RW
R
Anchorage, AK, USA
6-1
190*
LW
L
Flin Flon, MB, CAN
6-0
184*
D
L
RANK NAME 93
KEA, JUSTIN
94
WUTHRICH, AUSTIN
95
HUDON, CHARLES
96
EBERT, NICK
97
BERAN, MATEJ
98
DEJERSEY, PAUL
99
SOMERBY, DOYLE
100
TOT, PHILIP
101
GILMOUR, ADAM
102
HANSON, JOSHUA
103
GONYE, ALEXANDER
104
SEAMAN, TYREL
105
LEAGUE
DOB
OHL
2/7/94
BORN IN
HT
WT
Port Perry, ON, CAN
6-4
212*
POS SHOT C
L R
CCHA
8/11/93
Bakersfield, CA, USA
6-1
190
RW
QMJHL
6/23/94
Alma, QC, CAN
5-10 170*
LW
L
OHL
5/11/94
Red Bank, NJ, USA
5-11 200*
D
R
6-4
211*
C
L
QMJHL
11/11/93 Plzen, CZE
BCHL
7/25/92
Vancouver, CAN
6-3
197*
RW
R
HIGH-NH
7/4/94
Marblehead, MA, USA
6-5
232*
D
L
WHL
9/16/93
Calgary, AB, CAN
6-2
197*
RW
L
HIGH-MA
1/29/94
Albany, NY, USA
6-2
193*
RW
R R
WHL
1/14/94
Anchorage, AK, USA
6-2
199*
D
HIGH-MA
2/10/94
New York, NY, USA
6-0
166*
LW
L
WHL
1/6/94
Choiceland, SK, CAN
6-2
196*
C
L
MONTGOMERY, JACOB
HIGH-MN
6/8/94
Oakdale, MN, USA
6-1
191*
LW
L
106
DRAEGER, JOHN
HIGH-MN 12/2/93
Edina, MN, USA
6-2
186*
D
R
107
AUGER, JUSTIN
Kitchener, ON, CAN
6-6
216*
RW
R
108
BEATTIE, MATTHEW
6-3
173*
LW
R
109
RYAN, ANDREW
St. John’s, NL, CAN
6-2
207*
LW
L
RW
R
OHL
5/14/94
HIGH-NH 12/14/92 Morristown, NJ, USA QMJHL
1/15/94
110
BROWN, CONNOR
OHL
1/14/94
Toronto, ON, CAN
5-10 160*
111
KONTOS, KRISTOFF
OHL
12/6/93
Markham, ON, CAN
6-1
199*
C
L
112
FARLEY, AUSTIN
USHL
11/10/93 Park Ridge, IL, USA
5-8
168*
LW
L
113
WIGLE, JOEL
OHL
2/14/94
Cambridge, ON, CAN
6-2
196*
RW
R
114
LEIPSIC, BRENDAN
WHL
5/19/94
Winnipeg, MB, CAN
5-8
165*
LW
L
115
HINOSTROZA, VINCENT
USHL
4/3/94
Chicago, IL, USA
5-9
158*
C
R
116
BLUEGER, THEODOR
117
CORBETT, CODY
118
TIERNEY, CHRIS
OHL
7/1/94
119
CLARKE, MICHAEL
OHL
4/29/94
120
PELECH, ADAM
OHL
8/16/94
Toronto, ON, CAN
6-2
121
MARCHESE, CHRIS
OHL
2/23/94
Vaughan, ON, CAN
6-0
122
DONNAY, TROY
OHL
2/18/94
Flint, MI, USA
6-7
180*
123
BOURKE, TROY
WHL
3/30/94
Edmonton, AB, CAN
5-10 156*
LW
L
124
CARRICK, CONNOR
USHL
4/13/94
Orland Park, IL, USA
5-11 185*
D
R
125
GRAHAM, JESSE
OHL
5/13/94
Oshawa, ON, CAN
5-11 170*
D
R
126
ZULINICK, MORGAN
BCHL
6/29/94
Kamloops, BC, CAN
5-10 183*
C
L
127
BLIGH, NICHOLAS
EJHL
1/16/93
Boston, MA, USA
5-11 175*
C
R
128
MARTINOOK, JORDAN
WHL
7/25/92
Brandon, MB, CAN
6-0
202*
LW
L
129
BUSSIERES, RAPHAEL
QMJHL
11/5/93
Longueuil, QC, CAN
6-1
195*
LW
L
HIGH-MN 8/15/94 WHL
Riga, LVA
6-0
171*
C
L
12/14/93 Stillwater, MN, USA
6-0
205*
D
L
Keswick, ON, CAN
6-0
181*
C
L
London, ON, CAN
5-11 184*
C
L
194*
D
L
208*
LW
L
D
R
* Player weighed and measured by Central Scouting
19
HOME ADVANTAGE
TOP NORTH AMERICAN PROSPECTS
FedEx Ground. Proud to call Pittsburgh home.
20
REMAINING TOP PROSPECTS RANK NAME
LEAGUE
130
MERCHANT, WILL
HIGH-MN 1/12/94
DOB
BORN IN
HT
WT
Eagan, MN, USA
6-0
172*
LW
L
131
LEIER, TAYLOR
132
STEVENS, JOHN
133
IAFALLO, ALEXANDER
USHL
134
DARCY, CAMERON
USHL
3/2/94
South Boston, MA, USA
6-0
189* C/RW
R
135
RISSLING, JAYNEN
WHL
9/21/93
Edmonton, AB, CAN
6-4
223*
D
L
136
FOURNIER, DILLON
QMJHL
6/15/94
Montreal, QC, CAN
6-2
173*
D
L
137
ZLOBIN, ANTON
QMJHL
2/22/93
Moscow, RUS
5-11 195*
RW
R
138
MACEACHERN, M.
HIGH-MI
3/10/94
Troy, MI, USA
6-3
LW
L
139
DOTCHIN, JAKE
OHL
3/24/94
Glen Morris, ON, CAN
6-2
207*
D
R
140
HAMONIC, JUSTIN
WHL
2/14/94
Winnipeg, MB, CAN
6-3
200*
D
R
141
KAMAEV, DENIS
QMJHL
3/6/94
Izhevsk, RUS
5-11
142
MURPHY, WADE
BCHL
143
COLLIER, BRENDAN
144
WADE, JUSTIN
145 146 147
BISCHOFF, JAKE
148
GOSTISBEHERE, SHAYNE
WHL
2/15/94
Saskatoon, SK, CAN
5-10 174*
HIGH-CT
4/17/94
Springfield, USA
6-1
12/21/93 Buffalo, NY, USA
POS SHOT
LW
L
175*
C
L
5-11 165*
C
180*
L
172
RW
L
10/22/93 Victoria, BC, CAN
5-10 173*
RW
R
HIGH-MA
10/8/93
Charlestown, MA, USA
5-9
168*
LW
L
USHL
4/13/94
Bryn Mawr, PA, USA
6-2
208*
D
R
DUANE, KEVIN
HIGH-CT
1/16/94
Norwalk, CT, USA
6-4
219*
RW
R
PAYNE, CODY
OHL
1/14/94
London, GBR
6-2
201*
RW
R
149
TONINATO, DOMINIC
150
LANE, MATTHEW
HIGH-MN 7/25/94
Cambridge, MN, USA
6-0
178*
D
L
4/20/93
Margate, FL, USA
5-11
160
D
L
HIGH-MN
3/9/94
Duluth, MN, USA
6-0 165 *
C
L
USHL
3/15/94
Rochester, NY, USA
5-10 172 *
C
L
ECAC
REMAINING TOP EUROPEAN SKATERS RANK NAME
LEAGUE
DOB
HT
WT
6
ABERG, PONTUS
SWEDEN
9/23/93
Stockholm, SWE
5’11
194
LW
R
7
POKKA, VILLE
FINLAND
6/3/94
Tornio, FIN
6’0
196
D
R
8
BYSTROM, LUDWIG
SWE-JR.
7/20/94
Orskoldsvik, SWE
6’1
208*
D
L
9
PROKHORKIN, NIKOLAY RUSSIA-JR. 9/17/93
Chelyabinsk, RUS
6’2
191
LW
L
10
SLEPYSHEV, ANTON
Penza, RUS
6’2
187
LW
L
11
VAINONEN, MIKKO
FINLAND-JR. 4/11/94
Helsinki, FIN
6’3
205
D
L
12
LINDELL, ESA
FINLAND-JR. 5/23/94
Vantaa, FIN
6’3
194
D
L
13
OSNOVIN, V.
RUSSIA-JR. 3/5/94
Russia
6’0
188*
C
L
14
KARLSSON, ERIK
Lerum, SWE
6’0
162* C/LW
L
15
ANDERSSON, CALLE
16
VASILIEV, VALERI
17
TIKKINEN, NIKLAS
18
DJOOS, CHRISTIAN
RUSSIA
5/13/94
SWE-JR.
7/28/94
SWE-JR.
5/16/94
RUSSIA-JR. 5/31/94 FINLAND-JR. 6/1/94 SWE-JR.
8/6/94
* Player weighed and measured by Central Scouting
BORN IN
POS SHOT
Malmö, SWE
6’2
208
D
R
Russia
6’1
203*
D
L
Espoo, FIN
5’11
172
D
L
Gothenburg, SWE
5’11
158
D
L
21
REMAINING TOP PROSPECTS RANK NAME
LEAGUE
DOB
HT
WT
19
THORELL, ERIK
SWEDEN
3/3/92
Karlstad, SWE
5’10
185
C
L
20
GUSEV, NIKITA
RUSSIA-JR. 7/8/92
Moscow, RUS
5’9
163
LW
R
21
KRUTIKOV, EVGENI
RUSSIA-JR. 8/25/94
Russia
6’1
174
LW
L
22
IKONEN, HENRI
Savonlinna, FIN
6’0
198
LW
L
23
WIKSTRAND, MIKAEL
Karlstad, SWE
6’1
183
D
L
24
BOYCE ROTEVALL, J.
25
WALKER, NATHAN
26
NEMEC, ERIK
27
KULMALA, RASMUS
FINLAND-JR. 4/17/94 SWEDEN-2 11/5/93
BORN IN
POS SHOT
SWEDEN
8/28/93
Stockholm, SWE
6’0
176
LW
L
CZREP
2/7/94
Cardiff, GBR
5’9
185
LW
L
6’0
161*
C
L
5’8
160
C
L
CZREP-JR. 12/21/93 Czech Republic FINLAND-JR. 6/21/94 SWE-JR.
28
TORNKVIST, TOBIAS
6’4
190*
RW
R
29
RANTAKARI, OTSO
FINLAND-JR.11/19/93 Helsinki, FIN
5’11
165
D
R
30
LEHTONEN, MIKKO
FINLAND-JR. 1/16/94
Turku, FIN
5’11
183
D
L
31
PETTERSSON, JESPER
Stockholm, SWE
5’8
180*
D
R
32
FERNHOLM, SIMON
SWE-JR.
3/6/94
Stockholm, SWE
6’4
187
D
L
33
AALTONEN, MIRO
FINLAND
6/7/93
Joensuu, FIN
5’10
168
C
L
34
VERMIN, JOEL
SWISS
2/5/92
Bern, CHE
5’11
192
RW
L
35
BERTSCHY, CHRISTOPH
SWISS
4/5/94
Friburg, CHE
5’10
170
C
R
SWE-JR.
4/14/94
Alastaro, FIN
7/16/94
Helsingborg, SWE
REMAINING TOP NORTH AMERICAN GOALIES RANK NAME
LEAGUE
DOB
BORN IN
HT
WT CATCHES
OHL
5/3/94
Mississauga, ON, CAN
6’2
183*
L
STOLARZ, ANTHONY
NAHL
1/20/94
Edison, NJ, USA
6’5
200
L
TREMBLAY, FRANCOIS
QMJHL
8/29/94
Baie-Comeau, QC, CAN
6’2
186*
L
GILLIES, JON
USHL
1/22/94
Concord, NH, USA
6’5
217*
L
8
MAKAROV, ANDREY
WHL
4/20/93
Kazan, RUS
6’0
180*
L
9
BARTOSAK, PATRIK
WHL
3/29/93
Novy Jicin, CZE
6’0
181*
L
10
PALAZZESE, FRANK
OHL
5/28/93
North York, ON, CAN
6’0
160*
L
4
PATERSON, JAKE
5 6 7
REMAINING TOP EUROPEAN GOALIES RANK NAME
BORN IN
HT
WT CATCHES
3
KORPISALO, JOONAS
FINLAND-JR. 4/28/94
Pori, FIN
6’2
163
L
4
AUREN, JEAN
FINLAND-JR. 3/20/94
Krunupyy, FIN
6’2
187
L
5
LANGHAMER, MAREK
Pisek, CZE
6’2
181*
L
22
LEAGUE
DOB
CZREP-JR. 7/22/94
* Player weighed and measured by Central Scouting
M ajo r G ol f R eturn s to th e
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f re d coup le s 2 011 c ham p i on
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mar k o ’ m eara
ALL EYES ON YAKUPOV By: Sam Kasan
Nail Yakupov still had sweat falling down his forehead as a contingent of media surrounded him. Yakupov had just finished an exhaustive workout testing at the NHL Combine in Toronto and the media wanted to speak with the consensus top pick in the 2012 NHL Draft in Pittsburgh. Take us through your day today. What did you like and dislike about the testing? “It’s a big day for me. It’s the first testing of my life,” Yakupov said in a deep Russian accent. “We’re having fun here. It’s good exercises. You had to show how you work and how you push [yourself]. I think it’s good for us and I feel great after.” Are you enjoying this process or are you anxious for it to be over and be drafted and move on? “This is the best moment of my life,” Yakupov said. “It started from now at the combine and the draft. I’m excited, so are my parents and my friends. We’ll see what happens.” All eyes were on Yakupov at the combine, as every draft prognosticator salivates over his talent and potential. Even his name seems to have him destined for great things — Nail is Arabic in origin and means “reaching, achieving or gaining success.” “He really gets up to top speed very quickly and his hands are outstanding,” Chris Edwards of NHL Central Scouting told NHL.com. “Like Pavel Bure, Yakupov is dangerous every shift. He may not have been dominant on every shift like Bure was, but he created something every shift … you have to be aware where he is on the ice all the time.” It’s no coincidence that Yakupov plays a similar style to Bure. Yakupov idolized Bure while growing up in Nizhnekamsk, a city in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, located 500 miles from Moscow. “I love the way he played,” Yakupov said. “[He was] very explosive, a great skater, very creative and [he] loved to score goals.” Yakupov, an ethnic Tartar, has dazzled over the past two seasons while playing for Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League. In his rookie campaign in 2010-11, he scored 49 goals and 101 points — breaking the team record for a rookie, set by current NHL stud Steven Stamkos (42 goals, 92 points). Yakupov was named OHL and Canadian Hockey League Rookie of the Year. Yakupov followed up this past year with 69 points (31G-38A) despite being limited to only 42 games due to injury. He represented Russia at the 2012 World Junior Championships and his nine assists (tied for tournament lead) helped his native country win a silver medal. Yakupov could become the first Russian player selected first overall in the NHL Draft since Alex Ovechkin was taken by Washington in 2004. The Edmonton Oilers, winners of the draft lottery, have the No. 1 pick in the draft. But Yakupov doesn’t really care which team calls his name, whether it’s
24
Edmonton at No. 1, Columbus at No. 2 or Calgary at No. 14. He just wants to play in the NHL. “I won’t stop playing hockey if I go No. 2 or 3,” Yakupov said. “I’ll just keep working hard. For me, I want to be drafted by the NHL first, and try to play hard and help my team win. So for me, I just want to make the NHL. “We’ll see what happens and who drafts me. I’ll be excited to wear the jersey and I want to work hard for this team and give everything to stay in the NHL.” For Yakupov, playing in the NHL would fulfill a dream that started when he began skating at the age of 3. “Ever since my mom and dad put Dynamo hockey skates on me all I have known was hockey,” he said. “A rink was a 10-minute walk from our house, so I spent all my time there.” Yakupov left his hometown of Nizhnekamsk, an important center of the petrochemical industry with a population of 230,000, at the age of 16 to join Sarnia. Yakupov battled through the culture and language barriers that await all European prospects. “It’s tough. You’re young and can’t speak English,” he said. “The first year was tough. Some questions were hard for me [to answer]. Now it’s OK. “Hockey is my life. You can’t be pressured before the game. Just have fun, play well and play hard.” Yakupov, who is Muslim, seems to handle everything with ease, whether it’s learning a new language, learning a new culture, learning a new style of play, dealing with the media or the pressure of being the top-rated draft prospect. His comfort may have something to do with his playful personality. “You have to smile everyday because you only live once,” he said. “You have to push everything you can everyday. Be nice with the guys, with the fans. Treat your family well.” The next step for Yakupov, who is training this summer in Russia, is the draft. But getting selected is really just another step toward his ultimate goal — playing in the National Hockey League. “It’s the best league in the world,” he said. “You’ve got to work harder and be nice. Work and do everything I can for the NHL, because it’s my dream.”
NAIL YAKUPOV
25
PITTSBURGH BECOMING A HOCKEY HOTBED By: Jason Seidling
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania might not have a fancy nickname like “Hockeytown,” nor is it located in “The State of Hockey” — which is one of Minnesota’s unofficial nicknames for those of you scoring at home — but over the last decade, the “Steel City” has cemented its status as one of the rising hotbeds of the hockey universe. Seven years ago, that statement would have been nearly impossible to believe. As the sweltering summer heat swept through the region in 2005, the NHL was in the final stages of wrapping up a lockout that cost the league the entire 2004-05 campaign. Locally, the Penguins were coming off a NHL-worst 58-point season in the year preceding the lockout, and local amateur hockey numbers were in sharp decline. Those fortunes changed with the fortuitous bounce of a ping-pong ball on July 22, 2005 — a stoke of luck that delivered wunderkind Sidney Crosby to the black and gold. In the blink of an eye, Evgeni Malkin joined the fold and the duo quickly transformed an up-and-coming team into Stanley Cup champions by 2009. The on-ice and box office success achieved by the Penguins over the last seven years has increased hockey’s profile in Pittsburgh tenfold. Before Crosby’s debut in October 2005, Pittsburgh didn’t have much of a presence within the hockey world outside of legendary Hall of Fame owner Mario Lemieux, who was winding down his illustrious career. Sure, Upper St. Clair native Ryan Malone was coming off an impressive 22-goal rookie campaign with his hometown team, and Plum’s R.J. Umberger was set to make an NHL roster for the first time with the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers. But at the time, despite the talents each displayed, both seemed more like exceptions rather than trendsetters. While Malone, who helped the Penguins reach the Cup Final in ’08 before departing RYAN MALONE to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Umberger continue to produce annually on hockey’s grandest stage, the next generation of Pittsburgh-born players continue to make their mark on the hockey world. The dramatic improvement of the Pittsburgh amateur hockey program was showcased one year ago at the 2011 NHL Draft in St. Paul, Minnesota, when four of the first 64 selections — J.T. Miller (NY Rangers, 1st round, 15th overall); John Gibson (Anaheim; 2nd round; 39th overall); Brandon Saad (Chicago, 2nd round, 43rd overall); and Vince Trocheck (Florida; 3rd round; 64th overall) — each grew up playing their youth hockey within the local amateur hockey ranks. With his selection at No. 15 overall, Miller became the highest-drafted player continued on page 28
27
continued from page 27
from the Pittsburgh region, edging out Umberger, who was taken 16th overall by Vancouver in 2001 Gibson was the second goaltender taken in the ’11 draft Saad, who slipped a bit on draft day after being considered a top-five talent earlier that year, became the first of the quartet to reach the NHL when he made the Blackhawks’ openingnight roster He appeared in two regular-season and two playoff contests with the Hawks, while in between starring for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) As good as Saad and Gibson were this year, BRANDON SAAD named First and Third-Team All-OHL honors, respectively, neither was the best Pittsburgh-born player in the OHL That honor went to London Knights goaltender — and Wexford native — Michael Houser, who, like the four players drafted in ’11, is an alum of the Pittsburgh Hornets ‘AAA’ program Houser put together one of the finest junior seasons ever while leading the Knights to an OHL playoff championship and a runner-up finish at the Memorial Cup The No 53-ranked overall prospect available at this weekend’s draft according to TSN, Houser was named Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year, won the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year award and he became just the third American to win the OHL Most Outstanding Player award after posting a 46-15-0-1 record, 2 47 goalsagainst average and a 925 save percentage His 46 wins tied the OHL record Although Team USA had a disappointing showing at the 2012 World Junior Championship in late December, it is impressive to note that of the 23 players who comprised the Americans’ roster, four (17 percent) hailed from Western Pennsylvania — Saad, Miller, Gibson and defenseman Stephen Johns, a defenseman at the University of Notre Dame who was selected by Chicago in the second round (60th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft Next April, the 2013 Frozen Four — hockey’s version of March Madness — will come to CONSOL Energy Center If MICHAEL HOUSER
28
recent Frozen Fours are any indication, there is a good chance somebody from the 412 or 724 area codes will factor heavily into determining a champion That’s because each of the last three winners — Boston College in 2012 and ’10, and Minnesota-Duluth in ’11 — have been buoyed by local contributors Leading the charge for Boston College this past April was a pair of Mt Lebanon Blue Devils alums — starting netminder Parker Milner and defenseman Patrick Wey On their way to leading the Eagles to the title, both players were named to the Northeast Regional All-Tournament Team Wey, who was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft, and Milner also played smaller roles on Boston College’s ’10 championship squad In between BC’s victories, Plum native Kenny Reiter helped backstop the University of Minnesota-Duluth to a Frozen Four championship over Michigan in ’11 — meaning the winning netminder from the past two national champions has come from Pittsburgh Young players across the area from mites to high school players to stars at the college and junior level strive each day to become permanent NHL fixtures like Malone and Umberger Dylan Reese, Mike Weber and Matt Bartkowski are three young defensemen with a sprinkle of NHL experience who appear poised to make that leap in the coming years The elder statesman of the group is Reese, like Malone, hails from Upper St Clair Reese, 26, has played a combined 74 NHL games with the New York Islanders over the past three seasons His best stint was this past year, especially down the stretch when he regularly topped the 20-minute mark while establishing himself as a solid two-way blueliner heading into next season Cranberry native Weber, 24, has the most experience of the three, suiting up for 132 games with the Buffalo Sabres A punishing defender, Weber is probably most notorious to fans in these parts for not being afraid to mix it up physically with Crosby and Malkin in recent matchups against them Bartkowski, who just turned 24, made the opening-night roster for the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins this past season The previous spring, he participated in Boston’s march to the Cup as a member of the team’s taxi squad Ironically, each of Bartkowski’s first three NHL games during the ’10-11 season came against the Penguins, with one being played at CONSOL Energy Center As you can see, hockey is alive and well in Pittsburgh at all levels — and that’s without mentioning the vastly-improved Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL) and the numerous players slated to join the college and junior ranks this coming season Thanks to the on-ice success of the Penguins translating throughout the local community to children of all ages, hockey is only going to continue growing in these parts well into the future
29
DRAFTING ARCHITECTURE:
HOW THE PENGUINS WERE BUILT By: Michelle Crechiolo
The Pittsburgh Penguins have arguably the NHL’s strongest nucleus of players, ensuring they’ll be a perennial Stanley Cup contender for years to come — a trophy they won just three years ago. Just how did the Penguins construct such a powerful core? The NHL Draft. When the Penguins won the Cup in 2009, they had five first-round draft picks on their roster: captain Sidney Crosby (1st overall, 2005); Marc-Andre Fleury (1st overall, 2003); Evgeni Malkin (2nd overall, 2004); Jordan Staal (2nd overall, 2006); and Brooks Orpik (18th overall, 2000). The draft has become absolutely Sidney Crosby, (1st overall, 2005) essential in building a championship team since the NHL instituted a salary cap following the 2004-05 season-long lockout. Before, clubs could overcompensate for poor drafts with cash on free agents and the amount of money teams could spend to sign players varied wildly. For example, when Nashville — a team from a nontraditional hockey market — made the playoffs for the first time in 2004, their payroll was $23 million. Detroit, their first-round opponent and an Original Six team, had a payroll close to $80 million. Now, there is parity in the league. The playing field is level. Owners and general managers can no longer spend an infinite amount of money to craft the best rosters — teams must now find success on a budget. And the best way to do that is to build through the draft. High draft picks do come at a price. The Penguins struggled in the years surrounding the lockout, missing the playoffs in 2002, ‘03, ‘04 and ‘06 (with 2005 being lost due to the lockout). Since the order is determined by the standings at the end of the regular season, finishing low meant the Penguins got more entries in each NHL Draft Lottery than teams that made deep runs and, consequently, a much better chance of landing top picks, which they did. But that being said, landing top picks doesn’t automatically guarantee success. Look back at any draft, and you’ll see teams who selected prospects that seemed destined for greatness — and they turned out to be busts. These are 17- and 18-year-old kids who have a lot of developing to do both physically and
30
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continued from page 30
mentally — it’s not always easy to ascertain the type of players they’ll become and whether they’ll be able to handle the pressures of being a professional athlete But that’s the job of each organization’s front-office staff — to do their due diligence in researching these prospects both on and off the ice, watching them play and talking to the players and their coaches, families, billets, teachers, principals and friends — in order to make the most informed choice It’s easy to point out the failures, but we don’t always highlight the successes and the process behind Evgeni Malkin, (2nd overall, 2004) them Teams get golden opportunities, and it’s up to them to make the most of them The Penguins did just that And while players like Crosby and Malkin are incredibly special, Pittsburgh had especially tough calls to make in 2003 and 2006 The Penguins entered the 2003 draft with the third-overall pick, but traded up to take goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury at No 1 Now, the 2003 draft is widely considered to be one of the strongest in league history There are key players sprinkled on almost every roster from that draft — eight of them are or have been NHL captains (Eric Staal, Carolina; Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim; Zach Parise, New Jersey; Dustin Brown, Los Angeles; David Backes, St Louis; Shea Weber, Nashville; Dion Phaneuf, Toronto; and Mike Richards, formerly Philadelphia) But the Penguins identified Fleury as the player they wanted Not only did scouts believe that the quick, athletic Fleury had perhaps the best talent and poise of any goaltender they’d seen, but they also saw he had the character and mental makeup to thrive in the NHL At the time, then-Penguins general manager Craig Patrick told Dejan Kovacevic of the Post-Gazette, “If you’re building a team from scratch, the way you want to do it is from the goal out We feel we’ve gotten off to a tremendous start with Marc-Andre ” Fleury has since become Pittsburgh’s franchise goaltender, backstopping the Penguins to their
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Marc-Andre Fleury, (1st overall, 2003)
’09 Cup and playing his way into team annals with 226 career wins (second in team history) And at 27 years old, he’s just now in his prime Three years later, after drafting superstars Fleury, Malkin and Crosby, the Penguins and current general manager Ray Shero entered the 2006 Draft with the No 2 overall pick — and another difficult decision Once St Louis took defenseman Erik Johnson at No 1, the rest of the highend prospects were mainly forwards — and most played primarily down the middle, including two-way center Jonathan Toews, playmaking center Nicklas Backstrom and speedy scoring winger Phil Kessel However, the Penguins opted to take center Jordan Staal He broke into the league as an 18-year-old that fall and finished second in Calder Trophy (best rookie) voting to teammate Malkin after scoring 29 goals Now, Staal has grown into a big, strong two-way center that excels Jordan Staal, (2nd overall, 2006) in a defensive shutdown role — one he played to perfection during the Penguins’ ’09 title run — and he keeps getting better each year Yes, Toews, Backstrom and Kessel are all NHL stars as well But it’s likely none of them would fit as perfectly as Staal does into the Penguins’ coveted three-center model with Crosby and Malkin The Penguins have supplemented their first-round talent with picks from later rounds They took top defenseman Kris Letang in the third round (62nd overall) in 2005 and winger Tyler Kennedy in the fourth round (99th overall) in 2004 Players like Craig Adams (Hartford’s ninth-round choice, 223rd overall), Max Talbot (Pittsburgh’s eighth-round choice, 234th overall) and Rob Scuderi (Pittsburgh’s fifth-round choice, 134th overall) all played key defensive roles during the Penguins’ championship run — and all of them have their names on the Stanley Cup Brooks Orpik, (18th overall, 2000)
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‘97 DRAFT LOOK BACK Fifteen years have passed since the last time Pittsburgh hosted the NHL Draft on June 21, 1997. That day, 26 teams combined to select 246 players during the nine-round process. Now that most of those players are either on the back nine of their careers, 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Civic Arena — June 21, 1997 or finished at the NHL level altogether, it’s a great time to look back and evaluate the Class of ‘97. As a collective whole, ’97 Draft didn’t generate the same star power that, say, the ’90 and ’91 classes produced, but overall it compares favorably to the other classes from the 90s.
FIRST-ROUND RECAP Entering the weekend, the Boston Bruins (with the Nos. 1 and 8 overall selections) and New York Islanders (Nos. 4 and 5) had every right to feel as though each would walk away winners, as the two combined to own four of the top-eight picks. In hindsight, both teams did a great job choosing players who were near the cream of the crop. Boston tabbed Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Ontario Hockey League) center Joe Thornton with the top selection and followed that with Sergei Samsonov of the Detroit Vipers of the now-defunct International Hockey League (IHL) at No. 8. Samsonov went on to capture the ’98 Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, while Thornton is the lone player from the Class of ’97 that has joined the prestigious 1,000-point club (1,078 points in 1,077 games). New York took Val d’Or Foreurs (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) netminder Roberto Luongo and hulking Prince George Cougars (Western Hockey League) defender Eric Brewer with back-to-back selections at Nos. 4 and 5. Luongo has since won an Olympic gold medal (2010) and sits just 61 wins shy of becoming just the 11th goaltender in league history to crack the 400-win mark. Brewer has 840 regular-season games on his resume — including a stint as St. Louis Blues’ captain earlier this decade. Unfortunately for New York, the duo combined to appear in just 113 games (Brewer, 89; Luongo, 24) before both were traded away for minimal returns before each turned 21.
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Pittsburgh Penguins Archive Photo
By: Jason Seidling
WINNERS BOSTON BRUINS In addition to the star-power Thornton and Samsonov provided, the Bruins were also one of just eight teams to have 50 percent or more of their selections reach the NHL — although Ben Clymer (2nd round) and Antti Laaksonen (8th round) played all or the majority of their careers with other teams. Further enhancing Boston’s value from its ’97 class was that when they chose to trade Thornton and Samsonov in the 2005-06 season, they were able to receive assets in return that netted defenseman Andrew Ference and a second-round draft pick that became forward Milan Lucic — two critical pieces from their 2011 Stanley Cup championship team. BUFFALO SABRES The Sabres’ success was a virtue of identifying NHL-caliber talent after Round 1. Their picks in Rounds 2 and 3 — defenseman Henrik Tallinder and forward Maxim Afinogenov, respectively — played in 1,037 games during a combined 17 seasons in Buffalo. Add in the shrewd plucking of smooth-skating blueliner Brian Campbell in the sixth round and the Sabres successfully added three key pieces that helped the team advance to the NHL’s final four in 2006 and ’07. OTTAWA SENATORS That summer the Senators were coming off their first playoff berth since the team’s inception in 1993. They added several pieces that contributed to 10 more consecutive berths in Hossa, checking-line forward Magnus Arvedson (5th round) and defenseman Karel Rachunek continued on page 38
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Pittsburgh Penguins Archive Photo
In total, 23 of the 26 players taken in Round 1 went on to play two or more games in the NHL (88.5%). Of those 23, 11 appeared in 700-plus games. Both of those numbers compare favorably to other draft classes in the ‘90s. Which first-round pick gave his team the best value in the first round? That would be Ottawa 1997 First Round Draft picks Patrick Marleau, #3 SJ; Senators forward Marian Joe Thornton, #1 BOS; Olli Jokinen,#2 LA Hossa, who was chosen 12th overall, but whose 904 regular-season points rank second in the Class of ’97 behind only Thornton. Patrick Marleau, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars captain Brendan Morrow, the next-to-last pick of the opening round, are the lone players from ’97 who have spent their entire careers with their draft team.
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(9th round) Arvedson reached double-digits in goals for six-straight seasons, while Rachunek posted a plus-64 rating in 246 regular-season contests SAN JOSE SHARKS Like Boston and the Islanders, the Sharks also owned two choices in the first round They maximized their value with both, as Marleau has skated in 1,117 games — the most of any player drafted in ’97 — and has posted 387 goals, which trails only Hossa (417) Their second pick in the opening round was shutdown defenseman Scott Hannan at No 23 The 6-foot-1, 225-pound defenseman rewarded the Sharks with a plus-45 rating in 508 regular-season games during eight seasons
LATER-ROUND STEALS The ’97 Draft was definitely top-heavy — of the 36 players to appear in 300 or more games thus far, 16 came in the first two rounds, versus 20 over the final seven That said, teams were able to unearth several gems in the later rounds who are still making their mark on the league today JASON CHIMERA, Edmonton (5th round, 121st overall) A product of the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), Chimera is the classic bottom-line energy forward all winning teams need The seven-time double-digit goal scorer is coming off a career-high 20-goal season this year with the Washington Capitals MATT COOKE, Vancouver (6th round, 144th overall) Another valuable role player coming off a career-high 19 goals with the Penguins in 2011-12, Cooke leads all players drafted after Round 1 with 887 regular-season games played The 10-time double-digit goal scorer won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in ’09 and is considered one of the top penalty killing forwards in the NHL SHAWN THORNTON, Toronto (7th round, 190th overall) After bouncing around between the NHL and AHL until as recently as ’06-07, Thornton has carved out a niche as a tough-as-nails physical presence on Boston’s fourth line Thornton had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup when the Boston Bruins won the championship in ’11 ANDREW FERENCE, Pittsburgh (8th round, 208th overall) The hometown crowd had thinned considerably by the time the Penguins made him their next-to-last pick Ference played parts of four seasons with Pittsburgh — including ’01 when he tallied 10 points in 18 playoff games He evolved into more of a shutdown blueliner after leaving Pittsburgh Ference was a member of Boston’s ‘11 Stanley Cup championship squad
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LATE-ROUND GEMS By: Michelle Crechiolo
Entering the 2005 NHL Draft, Joe Vitale was so convinced that he wouldn’t be chosen that instead of attending or watching on TV, he went to church. There, he received a call that the Penguins had selected him 195th overall in the seventh round. From there, it took Vitale six years and a lot of hard work, passion and determination, but this past season, he earned the respect and admiration of Pittsburgh’s coaching staff — and a regular spot in JOE VITALE the Penguins lineup. Vitale’s battle truly began as an infant, when he experienced kidney problems after he was born — resulting in two surgeries and a lot of stress and anxiety for his parents, Sam and Mary Anne Vitale. But their son overcame those health issues to become a star athlete at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, where he led the hockey team to three state championships. After that, he played four years of college hockey at Northeastern University. Upon graduating, he expected to start his post-hockey career. But instead, Vitale was given an opportunity to prove what he could do in the American Hockey League in 2009. After two-plus seasons in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and a brief nine-game stint in the NHL during the 2010-11 season, Vitale entered training camp last September hoping to gain a permanent spot in the NHL. And not only did Vitale earn a spot on the roster — he became a regular in the lineup. The defensively reliable forward, who plays with speed and physicality and excels in the faceoff circle, has a blue-collar approach to the game. Vitale was rewarded with a two-year, one-way contract extension in February that will run through the 2013-14 campaign and has an average annual value of $550,000. But he won’t let himself get comfortable with his new deal. Vitale will continue to be the same type of player he’s been his entire career. “There’s a lot of talent in this room, a lot of talent in this league,” Vitale said. “God didn’t give me the most talent as far as that goes, so I feel like I have to work a little harder to keep up. It’s a good mentality. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, so I have to keep going.” Drafting is by no means an exact science, especially in the National Hockey League, where prospects are scattered all across North America and Europe. That’s especially true after the higher-end prospects are selected and the draft progresses to the later rounds, as less information is available on these teenaged players. But teams must do their due diligence in trying to have reports on as many prospects as possible, because drafting well through all seven rounds is absolutely crucial in the salary-cap era in order to build winning teams. Just look at the Penguins’ 2009 Stanley Cup championship team. Defenseman
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Rob Scuderi, drafted by Pittsburgh in the fifth round (134th overall) in 1998, played a key shutdown role for the Penguins during their title run, being matched up against other teams’ top forwards Two other late-round draft picks that played essential defensive roles in the Cup run were towering defenseman Hal Gill (Boston’s eighth-round choice, 207th overall, 1993) and responsible forward Craig Adams (Hartford’s ninth-round choice, 223rd overall, 1996) And who could forget Max Talbot, Pittsburgh’s eighth-round choice (234th overall) in 2002? He was the Game 7 hero for the Penguins, scoring both goals in Pittsburgh’s 2-1 victory Here’s a look at some other late-round gems that are thriving in the NHL and playing key roles on their respective teams
PAVEL DATSYUK DRAFTED: Detroit, 1998
ROUND: 6th (171st overall)
Datsyuk had never been considered an elite prospect because of his size (he was 5-foot-8, 145 pounds his draft year) Because of that, Datsyuk got passed over in the 1996 and ‘97 drafts, finally chosen in 1998 by the Red Wings — who didn’t know if he’d ever become strong enough to play in the NHL Now, Datsyuk is renowned throughout the league for his uncanny ability to slow the game down He’s a stickhandling magician and produces highlight-reel plays with ease He’s also one of the game’s best two-way forwards Datsyuk has won two Stanley Cups (2002, ’08), the Lady Byng Trophy (2006, ’07, ’08, ’09), the Selke Trophy (2008, ’09, ’10) and is a four-time All-Star
HENRIK ZETTERBERG DRAFTED: Detroit, 1999
ROUND: 7th (210th overall)
Like current teammate Datsyuk, Zetterberg was also considered a long shot entering the 1999 draft Though he possessed the necessary tools, Red Wings management had concerns about his size and pegged him to be a fourth-line winger Instead, he’s now one of Detroit’s franchise cornerstones, being named the playoff MVP of their 2008 Stanley Cup championship run
DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN DRAFTED: Chicago, 2003
ROUND: 8th (245th overall)
Byfuglien is one of the NHL’s most intriguing players He’s built like a linebacker at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, but skates very well for his size Byfuglien won a Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010, scoring 11 goals and 16 points in 22 games as a forward After being traded to Atlanta (now Winnipeg) that summer, he switched back to the blue line and has since been logging big minutes alongside D-partner Tobias Enstrom
JOE PAVELSKI DRAFTED: San Jose, 2003
ROUND: 7th (205th overall)
Pavelski has developed into one of the Sharks’ most productive players He’s scored at least 25 goals in three of the continued on page 42
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last four seasons (hitting 20 goals in the fourth). But where Pavelski has especially thrived for San Jose is in the playoffs, where he’s proven to be clutch. He exploded for nine goals and 17 points through 15 games in San Jose’s run to the Western Conference finals in 2009-10. Pavelski then produced 10 points (5G-5A) as the Sharks returned to the Western Conference finals the following season. The Plover, Wisc. native competed for the United States in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and won a silver medal.
PEKKA RINNE DRAFTED: Nashville, 2004
ROUND: 8th (258th overall)
Imagine drafting a goalie that you have never seen play a game. Because that’s exactly what Nashville did with Pekka Rinne in 2004. “Our scouts [said] if you want to get an eye on this goalie, you have to come to warm up, because he hardly ever plays,” Predators general manager David Poile told USA Today. The Predators ended up liking what they saw in the pregame skate and decided to go ahead and take Rinne in the eighth round (258th overall). He’s now the Predators’ franchise netminder and one of the best in the league.
JAMIE BENN DRAFTED: Dallas, 2007
ROUND: 5th (129th overall)
Benn made a name for himself in 2011-12 with his excellent season. After back-to-back 22-goal campaigns his first two seasons in the league, the big, versatile forward hit career highs across the board last year with 26 goals, 37 assists, 63 points and a plus-15 rating — which earned him a nomination to the 2012 All-Star Game.
OTHER NOTABLES: TIM THOMAS
RYAN MILLER
BROOKS LAICH
DRAFTED: MON, 1994 ROUND: 9th (217th overall)
DRAFTED: BUF, 1999 ROUND: 5th (138th overall)
DRAFTED: OTT, 2001 ROUND: 6th (193th overall)
EVGENI NABOKOV
HENRIK LUNDQVIST
PA PARENTEAU
DRAFTED: SJ, 1994 ROUND: 9th (219th overall)
DRAFTED: NYR, 2000 ROUND: 7th (205th overall)
DRAFTED: ANA, 2001 ROUND: 9th (264th overall)
MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF
MIKE SMITH
TOBIAS ENSTROM
DRAFTED: SJ, 1995 ROUND: 5th (116th overall)
DRAFTED: DAL, 2001 ROUND: 5th (161St overall)
DRAFTED: ATL, 2003 ROUND: 8th (239th overall)
BRIAN CAMPBELL
RYANE CLOWE
MARK STREIT
DRAFTED: BUF, 1997 ROUND: 6th (156th overall)
DRAFTED: SJ, 2001 ROUND: 6th (175th overall)
DRAFTED: MON, 2004 ROUND: 9th (262nd overall)
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WEEK IN THE LIFE OF AN NHL SCOUT By: Sam Kasan
The life of an NHL amateur scout is a demanding yet rewarding profession. Scouts spend the majority of their life on the road — living out of hotel rooms, working long hours, eating at local restaurants and spending endless days at the hockey rink evaluating talent. The Penguins have several scouts that are assigned different regions and leagues to cover. Amateur scout Ron Pyette, 39, tracks players from Manitoba to British Columbia to the northern United States (Washington RON PYETTE and Oregon). “It’s a huge area. If you look at other regional areas, like the Ontario guys, the joke is you could cover that league on a bicycle,” Pyette joked. “They never have hotel nights. Myself, doing this region, I’ll have 130 hotel nights.” As soon as the schedules for the amateur hockey leagues are posted, Pyette spends hours poring over them to map out his travel course. “During the season I will look at that schedule and rework it for at least two hours every day,” he said. “Some days I will spend five hours on that thing. It is the most time consuming thing of all. The schedule is huge. It’s about plotting out your plan logistically.” Of course, there are issues that result in tweaks and changes to Pyette’s travel plans. “You have to keep in mind people get injured and there are weather issues that keep you from getting to places,” he said. “Then you’re scrambling and changing your schedule.” Pyette walked through the average hectic week of an amateur scout during the season.
WEDNESDAY Pyette begins his weeklong scouting trip from his home in Calgary, Alberta Wednesday morning. His travel itinerary reads: WEDNESDAY: Western Hockey League — Vancouver vs. Kamloops THURSDAY: British Columbia Hockey League — Langley vs. Victoria FRIDAY: Western Hockey League — Seattle vs. Portland SATURDAY: Western Hockey League — Portland vs. Seattle SUNDAY: Western Hockey League — Vancouver vs. Prince George MONDAY: Off day TUESDAY: Western Hockey League — Red Deer vs. Lethbridge Pyette drives to the airport and catches a one-hour flight to Vancouver. Once arriving, he rents a car and drives to his hotel. After checking in, he gets right to work.
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“I start making phone calls,” he said “I call the coaches of the teams that I might see on this trip ” After touching base with the coaches Pyette grabs lunch (possibly his favorite lunch meal, sushi in downtown Vancouver), and then starts preparing for that evening’s game Pyette arrives at Pacific National Exhibition, home of the Vancouver Giants, two hours before puck drop He greets other scouts, gets that night’s lineup and makes the necessary lineup adjustments on his scout card “You prepare the lineup on your card,” Pyette said, “make notes that are important to you, read through the stats of who’s doing well, identify the players you have to do reports on You have a pretty good indication of who you’re going to watch that day ” Pyette watches warmups and gets ready for the game During the game, he makes notes on his scout card and lets the players do their thing After the game, Pyette meets with a few players for a brief chat Having gathered all the needed information, Pyette returns to his hotel room to start his evaluation “I pop open my computer and put my thoughts down and write game reports,” Pyette said “We have a software program that we use all the time Every single day I open it up and look at it You open it and add comments and rate players in various categories The game report takes about an hour I get most of my thoughts out and then I sleep on it ”
THURSDAY Pyette wakes up in the morning and his first order of business is to re-evaluate his work from the previous evening “I open the computer and read my report, tweaking it and thinking it through,” he said “Once you lock in the report, it’s locked in You only get so many games to see players so you want to be accurate Your bosses all see these reports, so you want to be very thorough and clear on what you’re telling them about these players I like to be very detailed when I write reports ” After filing his report, Pyette starts his daily research routine — reading game summaries from throughout the league, reading developing news stories, seeing which players are hot and working on other projects During his down time, Pyette tries to stay in shape by working out regularly and eating healthy His usual choice meal is either sushi or visiting a unique local restaurant “When I started a veteran scout told me, ‘We don’t move around a whole bunch on this job, so eat right and workout everyday, or you will have to buy bigger pants in a hurry!’” There are no Western Hockey League games played on Thursday night Scouts don’t like having many days off on the road, but when one comes around they try to do something to keep themselves busy and get out of the hotel room “I was able to see Robin Williams live and check out a Rise Against concert,” Pyette said “You can always get a matinee movie and have the theatre to yourself Or sometimes I will stay in my hotel all afternoon and watch Criminal Minds reruns!” Luckily, on this trip Pyette uses the evening as an opportunity to check out another league — the British Columbia Hockey League Penguins’ 2010 first-round continued on page 46
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pick Beau Bennett is a product of the league Pyette makes the lonely drive to Langley, leaving early to beat the Vancouver traffic, eating dinner in the area He heads to Langley Events Center to watch the Chiefs play visiting Victoria “I do reports on kids with college commitments, reports on draft eligibles, and anybody that jumps out at me that may have some type of asset and could be a pro,” he said “There may not be anyone in the game that we’ll be interested in drafting, but at least I’ve seen the teams ” After the game, Pyette drives back to Vancouver, “and it’s probably raining like crazy ” He gets back to his hotel room and begins the process of filing his normal game reports
“I do reports on kids with college commitments, reports on draft eligibles, and anybody that jumps out at me that may have some type of asset and could be a pro” ~ Ron Pyette
FRIDAY Pyette works the phones in the morning, collecting as much information as he can from the previous days “I’ll touch base with the coaches on a player from Vancouver or maybe someone who stood out to me from Langley,” he said “I’ll see if any schools are after the players, if the coaches think they have pro potential, do your homework on the guys ” Pyette completes his Langley-Victoria game report in the morning He jumps into his typical morning research, scanning the web for stories and points of interest throughout the amateur leagues He hits the road once more, this time heading to the United States Pyette drives two-and-a-half hours from Vancouver to Seattle, crossing the Canadian-American border which “sometimes can be an issue ” Pyette checks into his Seattle hotel And then back to the “office,” Showare Center “I go to the rink again, it’s like Groundhog Day,” he said “I see all the scouts from the previous nights because you’re all probably on the same schedule “I’m a little bummed because Seattle doesn’t serve a scouts meal at the game,” he joked “Scouts always talk about that stuff ” Pyette gets the lineup and makes the appropriate marks on his scout card He then watches Seattle play Portland, which “is a great game to watch because they’re two huge rivals It’s always a great game” (Pittsburgh’s 2011 first-round pick TO READ Joe Morrow plays for Portland) ABOUT Game over Back to hotel Back to THE REST computer Back to writing a game report OF RON’S WEEK SCAN THIS CODE.
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