The world juniors bring together a host of figures from the hockey world – but this 1985 feature profiled the hockey people who got somewhat of a break: professional scouts.
The IIHF World Junior Championship brings together a slew of hockey observers, professional and otherwise. But in this feature story from THN’s Dec. 13, 1985 edition (Vol. 39, Issue 12), then-writer and eventual THN editor in chief Bob McKenzie profiled the hockey people who got somewhat of a break at the world juniors – professional scouts.
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It’s rather simple why scouts didn’t need to do much work at the world juniors – most of the players participating are already drafted by NHL teams, Washington Capitals director of player personnel Jack Button told McKenzie, giving him an example:
“There isn’t much on West Germany or Switzerland that we’d be interested in,” Button said. “The Soviets, Czechoslovaks, Swedes and Finns will likely use their oldest, most experienced players, most of whom have already been drafted or well scouted…Okay, Canada will be mostly the same as the other countries…(but) there are not likely to be many guys in the lineup who haven’t been drafted or who we haven’t seen a lot of.”
That said, the world juniors remain a perfect platform for scouts to see how players who’ve already been drafted respond to high-pressure, high-profile situations on the ice.
“Everyone will be looking at the players they’ve drafted,” said Edmonton Oiler director of player personnel Barry Fraser. “For example, the Rangers will be looking at (Sweden’s) Ulf Dahlen (No. 7 overall in the ‘85 entry draft) and we’ll be looking at (Czechoslovak) Tomas Kapusta (104th overall in the ‘85 entry draft).”
“(W)hen (players) play in this tournament, they’re playing against the best young players in the world,” added Button. “If they show something here, you know they’ve got it.”
The late Dale Hawerchuk played in the 1981 World Junior Championship, posting five goals and nine points in five games. But a player he played against – American forward Bobby Carpenter – had the exact same goals, assists and points totals as Hawerchuk, proving Carpenter (who was drafted third overall in the 1981 draft) belonged to be labelled as an elite force.
“You figured Carpenter was good before the world juniors,” Button said, “but after seeing him shine against world-class talent and play so well against Hawerchuk, whom everyone was so high on, there was no doubt about it.”
WORLD TOURNEY GIVES SCOUTS XMAS BREAK
Vol. 39, No. 12, Dec. 13, 1985
By Bob McKenzie
National Hockey League scouts are either trying to boost the mileage on their frequent flier programs or they’re telling the truth.
That is, they’re saying there won’t be many entry draft prospects worth scouting at the World Junior Championships in Hamilton and other southern Ontario cities, Dec. 26-Jan. 4.
Wait a minute. Isn’t this the premier world-class event involving the best teenaged hockey talent on the globe? And isn’t this the first time Canada has played host to the tournament since 1978?
The answer is yes on both counts.
But the fact remains that NHL scouts will make just as many trips to Europe this winter — in search of highly-skilled players — as they normally do.
Oh, they’ll all be in Hamilton. Of that you can be sure. But they say that any effort at serious work will be limited.
“It’s really simple to explain,” says Washington Capital director of player personnel Jack Button. “Most of the players who will be playing in the world junior championships have already been drafted by NHL teams. Look at it. There are eight teams in the tournament.
“There isn’t much on West Germany or Switzerland that we’d be interested in. The Soviets, Czechoslovaks, Swedes and Finns will likely use their oldest, most experienced players, most of whom have already been drafted or well scouted. What does that leave?”
Canada and the United States.
“Okay, Canada will be mostly the same as the other countries,” adds Button. “There are not likely to be many guys in the lineup who haven’t been drafted or who we haven’t seen a lot of. But the U.S. is a different story. That’s the team that’ll draw most of our attention.”
It just so happens that this edition of USA juniors will be staffed by several 17- and 18-year-olds who are already considered potential first-rounders for the 1986 NHL entry draft.
And since some of those players — center Craig Janney, right winger Scott Young and defensemen Brian Leetch and Todd Copeland — are either college freshmen or still attending high school, the tournament will provide an excellent gauge by which to measure their skills.
“You look at a kid like Joe Murphy (a Canadian who is a freshman at Michigan State University) and you don’t need to measure him against any one,” says Button. “He’s the No. 1 pick, no question in anyone’s mind.
“But we’ll be looking to get a better reading on the American kids, especially the ones in high school. It’s tough sometimes (scouting the high schoolers). But when they play in this tournament, they’re playing against the best young players in the world. If they show something here, you know they’ve got it.”
That was the case in 1981 when a center named Bob Carpenter from St. John’s Prep School in Massachusetts donned the USA uniform at the world championships in West Germany. In a game against Team Canada, Carpenter played head-to-head with Dale Hawerchuk, the consensus choice as the No. 1 entry draft prospect that year.
Six months later, Hawerchuk went No. 1 overall to the Winnipeg Jets and Carpenter was chosen third overall by the Washington Caps.
“You figured Carpenter was good before the world juniors,” Button says, “but after seeing him shine against world-class talent and play so well against Hawerchuk, whom everyone was so high on, there was no doubt about it.”
So with the exception of the draftable Americans and a few others scattered throughout the rosters of the other six teams, most NHL scouts will use the tournament to appraise earlier investments.
“Everyone will be looking at the players they’ve drafted,” says Edmonton Oiler director of player personnel Barry Fraser. “For example, the Rangers will be looking at (Sweden’s) Ulf Dahlen (No. 7 overall in the ‘85 entry draft) and we’ll be looking at (Czechoslovak) Tomas Kapusta (104th overall in the ‘85 entry draft).
“Otherwise, I’d pretty much agree (with Button’s statements). We’ll all be making as many trips to Europe as we usually do.”
In fact, scouts will make a European sojourn in mid-December to see the best Finns and Swedes born in 1968 (those eligible for the 1986 entry draft) play each other. Then, in February in the Soviet Ukraine, a four-nation tourney showcasing the best 1968-born players will draw a lot of attention. Finally, in April in West Germany, scouts will see the under-18 European championships.
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