For those of us whose NHL, teams did not poop the bed, the focus is still on the remainder of the playoffs. For those of us for whom that is not the case, the countdown to the NHL Draft is on, taking place June 27 & 28 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
College Hockey, Inc. is holding a scouting combine in Toronto from May 26-31 to showcase 29 of the very best draft-eligible college hockey players and recruits. Three Boston College Eagles- rising sophomore Thatcher Demko, and incoming freshmen Sonny Milano and Alex Tuch - will appear at the combine.
Demko is the highest rated goaltender on the board this year. Tuch and Milano are both likely first round picks, ranking 14th and 16th respectively in the most recent ISS top prospect rankings. Both forwards are expected to be major contributors at BC right away.
Per the College Hockey Inc. press release, North Dakota (4) and BC (3) lead the way in representation at the combine, while Hockey East rivals BU and UNH will each have two players there, and Providence and UConn (?!!) send one prospect each.
For those who are curious, BU's wunderkind Jack Eichel is not draft-eligible this year, so he won't be at the combine. He's expected to be among the highest draft picks at the 2015 NHL Draft, along with BC's incoming defensemen Noah Hanifin. The Battles of Comm. Ave next year should get some significant media attention nationally and north of the border as they will be part of the battle for the #1 draft pick in '15. Brandon Hickey and Jonathan MacLeod are this year's BU reps at the combine.
Congratulations and best of luck to the three BC representatives at the draft. May you all perform well, and avoid being drafted by the Maple Leafs. Oh, and may you all end up in an organization that encourages you to stay and develop in college. (New Jersey comes to mind.)