Now that you've read the inspirational story of Kirk Luedeke, I figured it's time to share some of his hockey insight with you.
So here's a Q&A with the man himself:
Kirk in action in a "beer league".
JC: So how did your role with the NEHJ come about?
KIRK: I was writing for Hockey's Future back in 1999, and Eric Seamans, the founder and publisher came across my work and offered me a job getting the hockeyjournal.com webpage off the ground. Everything just grew and flourished from there. Hard to believe that I've been there 10 years already.
JC: Was it your first hockey gig?
KIRK: Hockey's Future- I did all of the original profiles of immortal Bruins prospects of the time like Cameron Mann, Johnathan Aitken, Randy Robitaille, Lee Goren and Shane Belter among others.
JC: What does your role entail with NEHJ?
KIRK: I do the NHL New England beat for the magazine, and am the publication's New England and Bruins prospects guy. Plus, I do Bruins and NCAA stories on occasion when needed.
JC: Living in DC, I assume you see a lot of the Caps. How often do you make the trip to Boston?
KIRK: Lots of Caps games. Plan to get to Boston for training camp, December timeframe to catch some Bruins and some of the key prep tourneys and EJHL games, and then again in March to catch the prep tourney.
JC: What other arenas have you been to in the past few years?
I've covered the Bruins in St. Louis, Atlanta, Washington, and Philadelphia.
JC: Which road venue impressed you the most?
KIRK: I've been so impressed with Washington this year- the fans have been behind the team since the very first day of training camp and they made the Verizon Center a tough place to play all season. It's such a nice building and highly accessible, and I'm not just saying that because it's my base of operations. That Game 7 against the Rangers was an unbelievable atmosphere. Even Tom Poti and Brian Pothier- two guys who played in Canadian venues- said it was the loudest crowd they had ever experienced in their careers. You had to be there to understand it.
JC: What's it like having a god-like status on HFboards?
KIRK: Gosh, I hope not.
I've been there from the beginning, so I've seen a lot of folks come and go. I just try to provide the kind of insight and information that folks won't get from traditional media sources.
JC: If you could, talk a little bit about the horde of B's fans on HF, and the role forums play in the lives of hockey fans and journalists.
KIRK: In the old days, fans didn't have an outlet to conduct information exchanges with the writers who cover the sport. The forums and message boards have allowed the fans to become more informed than ever before. I remember thirsting for knowledge about the NHL drafts and prospects as a kid, but aside from a few blurbs here and there and then The Hockey News' annual draft preview, there wasn't much information to be had. Now, you can follow prospects not only in North America but across the globe year round. And, when fans want specific information on players or teams, they can reach out and get it, not only from the writers, but other fans as well who have an insight into the game as well.
JC: How does someone like yourself attain such a high level of expertise when it comes to assessing prospects?
KIRK: It's all about the sources. I've cultivated strong relationships with scouts both inside and outside the NHL and have learned a lot about the process. Scouting is not an exact science, so my knowledge only really scratches the surface, but the key is to engage these sources as much as possible and learn to ask the kinds of probing questions that will elicit the detailed responses that give you a window into the player you're interested in.
For example, you don't ask a scout to tell you about player x. Instead, you do some basic homework on player x and show the scout you've got some superficial knowledge. He'll then fill in a lot of the blanks. It's even better if you've seen that player and can provide your own observations.
JC: Have you ever consider seeking out a scouting position with a team?
KIRK: I've thought about it, but I'm a writer, not a scout. I don't really have the credentials for it. I'd need to do some real scouting work outside of the NHL first and establish my competency.
JC: How often do you attend NCAA or junior level games (QMJHL, OHL, WHL) ?
KIRK: Not often. We don't have a Division 1 school here in Washington, but I was at the 2009 Frozen Four. I also took in a BC-Northeastern game when I was in Boston last March. Major junior- never because I don't have the ability to travel extensively with my primary job with the army. So, that's where my sources are essential- they see the players play and give me their views on them. I do my best to get multiple opinions on a player so I'm not simply repeating the observations of one scout.
JC: Are you attending this year's NHL draft in Montreal?
KIRK: Yes.
JC: How many drafts have you been to? What is that experience like?
KIRK: 2001- Sunrise, FL (Panthers); My first draft. I was wide-eyed and had a blast.
2002- Toronto
2003- Nashville; The best time I've had at any draft. Broadway is right down near the arena and all the hockey folks were out in force at all the bars and establishments at night. I remember walking into a place and seeing Mark Stuart, Pat O'Sullivan, Ryan Suter and Ryan Kesler all hanging out. You could see how tight they were then, not realizing that six months later, that core of Team USA they'd form would bring home the gold medal at the WJC in Finland.
JC: Tavares/Hedman......worthy of the hype?
KIRK: I think so. Tavares has been scoring for so long, we sometimes forget that the longer you play, the more time scouts have to nitpick and find flaws in your game. At the same time, I don't think he's a lock to go No. 1 overall, and I'm not sure he's the kind of player you build a team around. Time will tell. Hedman looks to have all the goods, and he's playing at a very high level, so I don't think you go wrong with either guy, the only question being, what truly is their ceiling?
JC: What position do you think the Bruins will be shooting to stock up on at the draft?
KIRK: On the face, we're looking at a puck-moving defenseman or a size/skill package on the wing as primary needs.
That said, the Bruins' philosophy is to draft BPA- best player available. Even if they're deep at a particular position, they might still draft a player at that position if the value is such that they can't pass. You saw that last year, when they kept picking centers. I chuckled because fans were getting upset in the latter rounds, but you have to remember that teams who may need a winger at one draft, may not need help at wing so much by the time he's ready to come in and compete seriously for a job. Another thing the Bruins look for is versatility: selecting a forward who can play both center or wing like Joe Colborne and Jamie Arniel.
JC: Who do you see being available when the B's make their pick that they should consider?
KIRK: This year is harder, because it's hard to project who might fall, but I think they could be in the mix for Oshawa D Calvin de Haan, Rimouski RW Jordan Caron, Camrose D Dylan Olsen, Frolunda (Sweden) LW Karl Klingberg and possibly Guelph forward Peter Holland or Swedish D Tim Erixon if they fall.
JC: Which current player(s) in Providence do you see making the jump to the NHL in the near future?
KIRK: Tuukka Rask will backup Tim Thomas next year. I also think Adam McQuaid could get a look in Boston as could Brad Marchand next season. Mikko Lehtonen impressed and got his one-game look, but regressed in the AHL playoffs, so he might need another year there.
JC: Is Zach Hamill going to be a bust?
KIRK: I think it's too early to hang that label on him, to be honest. He suffered a major thumb injury that he made worse by trying to play through rather than get looked at, ultimately costing him a couple of months and setting him back considerably. He's primarily a passer, so when you're dealing with a debilitating injury like that, it's hard to grade a player too severely. This is going to be an important year for him: assuming he's healthy, we'll be able to draw a lot more out about his NHL potential based on how he does.
JC: Can the Bruins make that "next step" and win it all next year?
KIRK: I think that on paper they can, because it was their core players who were the biggest contributors to the success they had. Of course, you watch a team like Detroit and you factor in their skill, depth and experience, and it's no wonder they're gunning for their fifth championship since 1997.
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I know I've said it a dozen times, but thanks again Kirk for taking the time out to do this. If you guys would like to check out more from Kirk, as I'm sure he'll have plenty of draft-related stories up in the coming weeks, just head over to www.HockeyJournal.com.
Up next, I'll be chatting with someone I was extremely lucky to have sat next to for majority of the season while up in the press box: Darryl Houston Smith of RotoWire. Darryl is as well versed as they come when it comes to all of the prospects and potential draftees throughout the Canadian junior leagues, so expect some great info on some of the players he foresees hearing their names called on June 26th at the NHL draft.
JC
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