There was some really good discussion on the message board thread this morning that I thought might make a nice blog.

Having been to a couple of Prospect Camps myself, written on (and researched) hockey prospects of numerous teams for the last five years (for this and another online outlet), and either played or followed hockey for the last 42 years or so, let me say this:

Don't Believe The Hype.

The next time I see another Blogger Come Lately spazzing out on Twitter about this prospect or that, I'm going to vomit in my mouth.

In fact, the world would probably be a slightly better place if some of these guys just used Twitter less and didn't make some of their hair trigger proclamations (in 140 characters or less).

Funny how those who relentlessly and publicly criticize Eklund for his batting average, strike out themselves (and their bosses, too) with "rumors" and "assessments" that are so unrealistic, they could only be coming from the nether regions of their own anatomies.

Conversely, having had a few late night calls from Ek with actual big rumors that came true, I assure you, he does have a lot of real access and good info.

Hey, in this game, we are all (myself included) wrong on occasion.

Do I wish I had maybe done a bit more digging before announcing Mike Haviland as the next head coach of the Jets? You bet. But I had a good source; I didn't "just make it up." It made a lot of sense, and I've since been told by fellow HB blogger Pete Tessier that he heard the same thing directly from a very good (and different from mine) source in Winnipeg. Who knows what happened? Lesson learned, however.

And back to camp.

Prospect Camps are really like snapshots in terms of evaluating a player—when it's necessary to see the whole movie, or at least a photo album. I've seen kids look like revelations at Prospect Camps and then they fizzle out over the grind of major junior seasons or they fail to add some necessary NHL component to their games.

Anyone else remember Alexander Kojevnikov? Or Ryan Garlock? Prospect Camp phenoms who never did squat.

Just my opinion. I think you look for at least one projectable NHL skill: speed or 360 degree skating ability, shot, hands, positional instincts (especially with defensemen and centers).

Then you look at the kid's frame (if you see them in street clothes) and ask yourself, how big can this kid get through training and diet and maturation? And it helps there to have some understanding of physiology. I hear people all the time talking about a 165-pound kid putting on "ten pounds of muscle"" over a two-month summer. Well, I can confidently say, except in rare cases, that is only done through the use of illegal pharmaceuticals. Building strength and endurance takes time.

Evaluating prospects takes time. Competitiveness, desire and tenacity can really only be assessed over the long haul. I know they sound like cliche's. But 8 times out of 10, that's what gets a drafted prospect to the NHL and keeps them there.

You have to follow these kids— regularly check out the web pages of the QMJHL, OHL, WHL, WCHA, CCHA, Hockey East and the SEL. Talk to people who go to games regularly in those markets. I make a point of cultivating relationships with people all over the world (via the internet honestly) who regularly follow hockey where they live.

Go to AHL, CHL, NCAA and USHL games yourself. Look not just at the kids, but also the quality of their coaching and linemates. Context, perspective, development tracks.

Because that's as good an indication as any of how well they will develop over time—which is the whole Magilla.

And keep an open mind. Before declaring a kid a bust, or a superstar, wait and see. And yes, I've had my doubts about certain kids— but I also remain very open to the possibility that they will grow as hockey players— if they also mature emotionally.

It's all a big Love Fest on Draft Day 2011. But the real test is the grind of the hockey seasons of the next 4-5 years.

Talent and athleticism will only take a kid so far. Some kids have so much of either or both, it gets them to the NHL. A rare few become "stars" on those qualities alone.

But, for most kids, those attributes will only get them invited to the prospect dance—and without developing the requisite strength, endurance, and toughness (both physical and mental) they never actually get to twirl around the NHL floor.

I once knew a guy who was a schoolboy hockey phenom in Michigan. Came from a wealthy family, kind of a gym rat, very athletic. He went to a camp with the Red Wings at one point and then pretty much quit hockey— because he said the amount of physicality at the pro level was too much. It was brutal.

Former NHLer Jim Cummins once said players in the NCAA skate around "like they're ten feet tall" because they wore full cages and no one could touch them. But it was vastly different in the AHL and NHL.

The aforementioned Kojevnikov had all the earmarks of an NHL star, until a bad concussion and cultural adjustments essentially started his junior career on a downward slide.

What is exciting about the Hawks camp this year is the quality of their scouting and the number of projectable prospects they've added— but they won't all make it, and even less of them with the Hawks.

But as I have in the past, I'll paraphrase Mike "Doc" Emrick's great quote: "Hockey can be very hard on those whose hands are in it, but whose hearts aren't."

Enjoy the Prospect Camps (of the Hawks or any team you follow). But also see it for what it is, and isn't.

By the way, for those of you interested in Hawk Prospects at this year's camp, there are some great eyewitness scouting reports on this message board thread and that of my last blog.

Thanks to regular readers MVP and others for it!


JJ

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