Thoughts on the Ivan Hlinka Selection Camp
This past weekend, Hockey Canada invited the top 40 95 born hockey players headed to Toronto to tryout for Canada’s entry into the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
For someone like me, this was a prime opportunity to see the best of 95 born crop from the WHL, OHL and QMJHL. The MasterCard Centre was filled to the brim with spectators and OHL/NHL scouts, speaking to the importance of this tryout. This was the second opportunity for me to see this age group live.
Back last December, I was given the opportunity to head down to Windsor for the World Under 17 Challenge, where I was able to see a wide assortment of 95 born players. This camp allowed me to once again see these players live, and make an assessment of their progressions.
Initial OHL Rankings for 2013 Released
It’s the dog days of August, and with no live hockey on the horizon for a while, I figured this would be as good a time as any to dust out my notes and take a peek at the top 20 players for the 2013 NHL draft, based on last year. This list is an Ontario Hockey League only list, so players like Curtis Luzar and Seth Jones are not included. Also keep in mind, this is more for fun then anything else. There is no doubt that players will rise, players will fall, but its a fun way to take an early look at the 2013 NHL Draft.
An Early look to 2013
Every Summer NHL Central Scouting releases a list of the top prospects for the upcoming NHL Draft, graded by letter grade. Its always one of the more interesting lists to look at because most of the time, your basing a player off of his first year in the League. There are the late birth year exceptions, however most of the time your making assessments on players who are adjusting to the highest level of hockey they have played to date.
