BUFFALO, N.Y. — Prospects and team officials gathered in Buffalo for the NHL scouting combine, the weeklong precursor to the draft set for June 26-27. The event mixes on-ice evaluation with physical testing, interviews and social settings that give clubs more information than game footage alone.
Scouts and executives used the combine to probe character, decision-making and how players handle pressure. Off-ice testing included the Wingate protocol, which many prospects find unpleasant, while interviews ranged from recreational preferences to hypothetical survival scenarios designed to reveal temperament.
Some moments underscored which prospects are already drawing consensus. Penn State forward Gavin McKenna maintained his inside track as a top pick, and several attendees saw opportunities for other draftees to move up boards as teams gathered new impressions.
Interview-room anecdotes highlighted the unusual tactics teams employed. The Montreal Canadiens reportedly asked invites to toss a puck from the back of the room into a trash can, warning that a miss would end their chances with the club. Youngstown Phantoms goalie Tobias Trejbal recounted a survival hypothetical in which he said he would “smack you with the baseball bat” if forced to choose between his future and another person’s life. Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas showed video clips and asked prospects to explain their decisions, including work through a negative play to assess accountability.
Other clubs sought quick-thinking responses. The New York Islanders were told a prospect admitted he grew up a Rangers fan; the Islanders also placed a brick in front of prospects and asked them to name uses for it in 30 seconds. North Dakota’s Keaton Verhoeff said he came up with eight ideas. Prospect dinners and informal gatherings remained key character assessments reserved for a select group of invites.
