NHL Combine 2014: Full Results, Measurements, Highlights and Top Prospects
While many NHL fans have their eyes tuned to the Stanley Cup playoffs, the next batch of stars is preparing for the upcoming NHL draft.
The scouting combine features about 100 of the top prospects in the sport going through various fitness tests as teams look to see which players are in shape. While it is still important to prove yourself in games, this event can certainly cause prospects to rise or fall on draft boards.
On the other hand, the pressure is also on the scouts to deliver for their teams, as noted by SportsNet:
TOP NEWS
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
Who Will Panthers Take at No. 9 ? 🤔
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
Could Isles Trade for Kucherov? 🤯
.png?w=256)
Draft Lottery Winners and Losers
This makes it an important event from both sides. Still, the prospects are the ones with their faces in the spotlight. Here is a look at the latest results from those in attendance with a breakdown of the top players involved in the process:
| SEBASTIAN | AHO | D | 5'9.25" | 165 |
| MICHAEL | AMADIO | C | 6'1.0" | 190 |
| NICOLAS | AUBE-KUBEL | RW | 5'11.0" | 187 |
| DANIEL | AUDETTE | C | 5'8.0" | 175 |
| IVAN | BARBASHEV | C/LW | 6'0.0" | 180 |
| GAVIN | BAYREUTHER | D | 6'0.5" | 195 |
| SAMUEL | BENNETT | C | 6'0.25" | 178 |
| TYLER | BIRD | RW | 6'1.5" | 200 |
| CLARK | BISHOP | C | 5'11.5" | 182 |
| CONNER | BLEACKLEY | C | 6'0.25" | 192 |
| MICHAEL | BUNTING | LW | 5'11.0" | 174 |
| CONNOR | CHATHAM | RW | 6'2.0" | 222 |
| BLAKE | CLARKE | LW | 6'1.0" | 196 |
| RYAN | COLLINS | D | 6'5.0" | 202 |
| ERIC | CORNEL | C | 6'1.5" | 186 |
| MICHAEL | DAL COLLE | LW | 6'1.5" | 182 |
| CHASE | DE LEO | C | 5'9.0" | 178 |
| ANTHONY | DEANGELO | D | 5'10.5" | 175 |
| THATCHER | DEMKO | G | 6'3.75" | 192 |
| RYAN | DONATO | C | 6'0.25" | 174 |
| JACK | DOUGHERTY | D | 6'1.0" | 186 |
| LEON | DRAISAITL | C | 6'1.5" | 204 |
| REID | DUKE | C | 5'11.5" | 189 |
| CHRISTIAN | DVORAK | LW | 6'0.25" | 178 |
| NIKOLAJ | EHLERS | LW | 5'11.0" | 162 |
| SHANE | EISERMAN | C/LW | 6'1.5" | 200 |
| AARON | EKBLAD | D | 6'3.5" | 216 |
| ROBERT | FABBRI | C | 5'10.25" | 170 |
| KEVIN | FIALA | LW | 5'10.0" | 180 |
| HAYDN | FLEURY | D | 6'2.5" | 203 |
| WARREN | FOEGELE | LW | 6'0.75" | 178 |
| RYAN | FOSS | C/LW | 6'3.0" | 183 |
| REID | GARDINER | C/RW | 5'10.5" | 183 |
| MILES | GENDRON | D | 6'1.5" | 181 |
| SHANE | GERSICH | C/LW | 5'11.0" | 175 |
| JACK | GLOVER | D | 6'3.25" | 190 |
| NIKOLAY | GOLDOBIN | RW | 5'11.75" | 178 |
| BRANDON | HALVERSON | G | 6'3.5" | 176 |
| JAYCE | HAWRYLUK | C | 5'10.25" | 190 |
| AARON | HAYDON | D | 6'2.5" | 197 |
| BRANDON | HICKEY | D | 6'1.5" | 177 |
| JOSHUA | HO-SANG | C/RW | 5'11.0" | 175 |
| JULIUS | HONKA | D | 5'10.75" | 180 |
| VILLE | HUSSO | G | 6'3.0" | 205 |
| MATHESON | IACOPELLI | RW | 6'1.5" | 192 |
| AARON | IRVING | D | 6'0.5" | 185 |
| KEEGAN | IVERSON | C/RW | 6'0.75" | 219 |
| JOSHUA | JACOBS | D | 6'1.75" | 193 |
| JONAS | JOHANSSON | G | 6'3.75" | 198 |
| EMIL | JOHANSSON | D | 5'11.75" | 194 |
| KAAPO | KAHKONEN | G | 6'1.5" | 209 |
| VLADISLAV | KAMENEV | LW | 6'2.0" | 203 |
| KASPERI | KAPANEN | RW | 6'0.0" | 181 |
| VACLAV | KARABACEK | RW | 5'11.75" | 196 |
| ANTON | KARLSSON | RW | 6'1.25" | 187 |
| ONDREJ | KASE | RW | 6'0.0" | 165 |
| ADRIAN | KEMPE | LW | 6'1.5" | 187 |
| JUHO | LAMMIKKO | RW | 6'2.5" | 189 |
| DYLAN | LARKIN | C | 6'0.75" | 190 |
| OLIVIER | LEBLANC | D | 5'11.5" | 157 |
| BRENDAN | LEMIEUX | LW | 6'0.25" | 206 |
| BRETT | LERNOUT | D | 6'4.0" | 206 |
| JADEN | LINDO | RW | 6'1.0" | 201 |
| DARBY | LLEWELLYN | LW | 6'0.5" | 176 |
| RYAN | MACINNIS | C | 6'3.25" | 183 |
| JOHNATHAN | MACLEOD | D | 6'1.5" | 200 |
| NICHOLAS | MAGYAR | RW | 6'1.75" | 194 |
| RYAN | MANTHA | D | 6'4.5" | 225 |
| BRYCEN | MARTIN | D | 6'1.75" | 195 |
| DOMINIK | MASIN | D | 6'2.0" | 189 |
| JARED | MCCANN | C | 6'0.25" | 179 |
| MASON | MCDONALD | G | 6'4.0" | 178 |
| ROLAND | MCKEOWN | D | 6'0.75" | 195 |
| JACOB | MIDDLETON | D | 6'2.75" | 200 |
| SONNY | MILANO | LW | 5'11.5" | 183 |
| EDWIN | MINNEY | G | 6'4.25" | 191 |
| MATTHEW | MISTELE | LW | 6'1.5" | 190 |
| BRENT | MORAN | G | 6'3.5" | 186 |
| JULIEN | NANTEL | C/LW | 6'0.0" | 193 |
| ALEX | NEDELJKOVIC | G | 5'11.75" | 190 |
| NELSON | NOGIER | D | 6'2.25" | 191 |
| WILLIAM | NYLANDER | C/RW | 5'11.0" | 169 |
| ADAM | OLLAS MATTSSON | D | 6'4.0" | 209 |
| DAVID | PASTRNAK | RW | 6'0.0" | 167 |
| JULIEN | PELLETIER | LW | 5'11.0" | 177 |
| ALEXIS | PEPIN | LW | 6'2.5" | 218 |
| BRENDAN | PERLINI | LW | 6'2.75" | 205 |
| FRANCIS | PERRON | LW | 5'11.5" | 166 |
| THOMAS (CHASE) | PERRY | G | 6'2.5" | 189 |
| ALEXANDER | PETERS | D | 6'3.25" | 207 |
| MARCUS | PETTERSSON | D | 6'4.0" | 167 |
| AUSTIN | POGANSKI | RW | 6'1.25" | 198 |
| BRAYDEN | POINT | C | 5'9.75" | 160 |
| BRETT | POLLOCK | LW | 6'2.0" | 182 |
| JOHN | QUENNEVILLE | C | 6'0.5" | 182 |
| SAM | REINHART | C | 6'0.75" | 185 |
| NICHOLAS | RITCHIE | LW | 6'2.25" | 226 |
| DYLAN | SADOWY | LW | 5'11.75" | 183 |
| TRAVIS | SANHEIM | D | 6'3.0" | 181 |
| NIKITA | SCHERBAK | RW | 6'1.0" | 175 |
| NICK | SCHMALTZ | C | 5'11.5" | 172 |
| ALEX | SCHOENBORN | RW | 6'0.5" | 196 |
| BLAKE | SIEBENALER | D | 6'0.5" | 192 |
| MITCHEL | SLATTERY | LW | 5'11.5" | 185 |
| HUNTER | SMITH | RW | 6'6.5" | 208 |
| LUC | SNUGGERUD | D | 6'0.25" | 180 |
| STEVEN | SPINNER | RW | 5'11.5" | 196 |
| BEAU | STARRETT | C/LW | 6'4.75" | 197 |
| BEN | THOMAS | D | 6'1.0" | 190 |
| VLADIMIR | TKACHEV | LW | 5'9.0" | 141 |
| ALEX | TUCH | RW | 6'3.5" | 213 |
| DOMINIC | TURGEON | C | 6'1.75" | 198 |
| ALEXIS | VANIER | D | 6'4.5" | 215 |
| JAKE | VIRTANEN | RW | 6'0.75" | 208 |
| JAKUB | VRANA | LW/RW | 5'11.0" | 185 |
| JAKE | WALMAN | D | 6'0.5" | 170 |
| SPENCER | WATSON | RW | 5'9.75" | 170 |
| JOSH | WESLEY | D | 6'2.5" | 194 |
| BLAKE | WEYRICK | G | 6'3.0" | 203 |
| Pos. | Name | Watts/KG |
| 1 | WILLIAM NYLANDER | 11.6 |
| 2 | KASPERI KAPANEN | 11.3 |
| 3 | JAYCE HAWRYLUK | 11.3 |
| 4 | NICK SCHMALTZ | 11.1 |
| 5 | ONDREJ KASE | 11.1 |
| 6 | BLAKE SIEBENALER | 11.0 |
| 7 | DYLAN SADOWY | 11.0 |
| 8 | SHANE GERSICH | 11.0 |
| 9 | MILES GENDRON | 10.9 |
| 10 | RYAN MACINNIS | 10.9 |
| Pos. | Name | Total |
| 1 | CHRISTIAN DVORAK | 37.3 |
| 2 | ALEX NEDELJKOVIC | 39.6 |
| 3 | MATHESON IACOPELLI | 40.8 |
| 4 | VILLE HUSSO | 40.9 |
| 5 | JULIEN NANTEL | 40.9 |
| 6 | SONNY MILANO | 42.9 |
| 7 | ROLAND MCKEOWN | 43.4 |
| 8 | MATTHEW MISTELE | 43.6 |
| 9 | DYLAN SADOWY | 44.0 |
| 10 | JACK GLOVER | 44.4 |
| Pos. | Name | ML/KG/Min |
| 1 | MICHAEL BUNTING | 67.4 |
| 2 | DARBY LLEWELLYN | 65.8 |
| 3 | DYLAN SADOWY | 64.0 |
| 4 | ALEX SCHOENBORN | 63.2 |
| 5 | JOSH WESLEY | 62.5 |
| 6 | BRAYDEN POINT | 62.4 |
| 7 | MARCUS PETTERSSON | 62.2 |
| 8 | DYLAN LARKIN | 61.9 |
| 9 | BRANDON HICKEY | 61.9 |
| 10 | BRYCEN MARTIN | 61.6 |
| Pos. | Name | Total |
| 1 | SHANE GERSICH | 12.3 |
| 2 | NELSON NOGIER | 14.2 |
| 3 | NICOLAS AUBE-KUBEL | 14.4 |
| 4 | WILLIAM NYLANDER | 14.7 |
| 5 | REID DUKE | 14.9 |
| 6 | BRANDON HICKEY | 14.9 |
| 7 | FRANCIS PERRON | 14.9 |
| 8 | DOMINIK MASIN | 15.1 |
| 9 | JONAS JOHANSSON | 15.3 |
| 10 | STEVEN SPINNER | 15.5 |
| Pos. | Name | Inches |
| 1 | SHANE GERSICH | 118.0 |
| 2 | BRANDON HICKEY | 115.0 |
| 3 | MATHESON IACOPELLI | 114.5 |
| 4 | BRETT LERNOUT | 113.0 |
| 5 | WARREN FOEGELE | 113.0 |
| 6 | JONAS JOHANSSON | 113.0 |
| 7 | CONNER BLEACKLEY | 112.0 |
| 8 | ADRIAN KEMPE | 111.5 |
| 9 | JAYCE HAWRYLUK | 111.0 |
| 10 | BRANDON HALVERSON | 110.0 |
| Pos. | Name | Inches |
| 1 | SHANE GERSICH | 35.5 |
| 2 | LUC SNUGGERUD | 33.0 |
| 3 | CONNOR CHATHAM | 32.5 |
| 4 | BRETT LERNOUT | 31.5 |
| 5 | MILES GENDRON | 31.5 |
| 6 | STEVEN SPINNER | 31.0 |
| 7 | ALEXANDER PETERS | 30.5 |
| 8 | BRENDAN PERLINI | 30.0 |
| 9 | WARREN FOEGELE | 29.5 |
| 10 | JARED MCCANN | 29.5 |
| Pos. | Name | Watts |
| 1 | BRETT LERNOUT | 2037 |
| 2 | CONNOR CHATHAM | 1974 |
| 3 | NICHOLAS RITCHIE | 1764 |
| 4 | ALEXANDER PETERS | 1754 |
| 5 | BRENDAN PERLINI | 1730 |
| 6 | AARON EKBLAD | 1723 |
| 7 | ALEX TUCH | 1695 |
| 8 | RYAN MANTHA | 1692 |
| 9 | JACOB MIDDLETON | 1690 |
| 10 | BLAKE SIEBENALER | 1680 |
| Pos. | Name | Watts |
| 1 | CONNOR CHATHAM | 7508 |
| 2 | BRETT LERNOUT | 6936 |
| 3 | SHANE GERSICH | 6884 |
| 4 | ALEXANDER PETERS | 6824 |
| 5 | LUC SNUGGERUD | 6740 |
| 6 | BRENDAN PERLINI | 6724 |
| 7 | STEVEN SPINNER | 6579 |
| 8 | BLAKE SIEBENALER | 6515 |
| 9 | NICHOLAS RITCHIE | 6470 |
| 10 | MILES GENDRON | 6470 |
| Pos. | Name | Seconds |
| 1 | JOHN QUENNEVILLE | 0.23 |
| 2 | BRENDAN LEMIEUX | 0.25 |
| 3 | MILES GENDRON | 0.26 |
| 4 | CHASE DE LEO | 0.27 |
| 5 | MICHAEL DAL COLLE | 0.27 |
| 6 | JONAS JOHANSSON | 0.28 |
| 7 | MATHESON IACOPELLI | 0.31 |
| 8 | JAYCE HAWRYLUK | 0.31 |
| 9 | JOSHUA JACOBS | 0.31 |
| 10 | ALEXANDER PETERS | 0.32 |
| Pos. | Name | 150 LBS Reps |
| 1 | JULIEN PELLETIER | 19 |
| 2 | SHANE EISERMAN | 18 |
| 3 | CONNOR CHATHAM | 18 |
| 4 | JADEN LINDO | 17 |
| 5 | BRETT LERNOUT | 17 |
| 6 | ALEX TUCH | 17 |
| 7 | JACOB MIDDLETON | 15 |
| 8 | ADAM OLLAS MATTSSON | 15 |
| 9 | BRENDAN LEMIEUX | 14 |
| 10 | JAYCE HAWRYLUK | 14 |
| Pos. | Name | Total |
| 1 | JOSHUA HO-SANG | 13 |
| 2 | BRETT LERNOUT | 12 |
| 3 | JAYCE HAWRYLUK | 12 |
| 4 | ALEXANDER PETERS | 12 |
| 5 | DAVID PASTRNAK | 12 |
| 6 | ANTHONY DEANGELO | 11 |
| 7 | CHASE DE LEO | 11 |
| 8 | MATHESON IACOPELLI | 11 |
| 9 | SONNY MILANO | 11 |
| 10 | FRANCIS PERRON | 11 |
| Pos. | Name | Seconds |
| 1 | RYAN DONATO | 3.00 |
| 2 | RYAN COLLINS | 3.01 |
| 3 | DYLAN SADOWY | 3.04 |
| 4 | TRAVIS SANHEIM | 3.04 |
| 5 | JACK GLOVER | 3.23 |
| 6 | CHASE DE LEO | 3.25 |
| 7 | ERIC CORNEL | 3.32 |
| 8 | SONNY MILANO | 3.36 |
| 9 | AUSTIN POGANSKI | 3.36 |
| 10 | NICK SCHMALTZ | 3.37 |
| Pos. | Name | Seconds |
| 1 | HAYDN FLEURY | 3.00 |
| 2 | REID DUKE | 3.21 |
| 3 | KASPERI KAPANEN | 3.23 |
| 4 | SAM REINHART | 3.23 |
| 5 | BRYCEN MARTIN | 3.31 |
| 6 | OLIVIER LEBLANC | 3.35 |
| 7 | CHASE DE LEO | 3.36 |
| 8 | DANIEL AUDETTE | 3.36 |
| 9 | BRENDAN LEMIEUX | 3.38 |
| 10 | ANTHONY DEANGELO | 3.39 |
Top Prospects
Aaron Ekblad, Defenseman
When looking at players who can contribute immediately, you have to believe Aaron Ekblad is a top option.
The defenseman has good size at over 6'3" with the instincts to always be in good position around the puck. He is also a quality scorer from the back line. These are things that could make him the top overall pick of the 2014 draft.
Ekblad already has the support from a number of scouts, according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun:
Additionally, the young player is looking forward to playing as soon as possible, as he explained to TSN 1050 Toronto:
With loads of talent and the confidence to go with it, Ekblad could end up being a valuable pick this summer.
Samuel Bennett, Center
Those who watched Samuel Bennett compete have to come away impressed. He has tremendous offensive skill that allows him to be a consistent scorer and distributor, helping out any team he plays for.
With his speed and quickness, he has the upside of being one of the top point scorers in the NHL. He already showed he can dominate the Ontario Hockey League with 91 points in 57 games.
Unfortunately, the combine did not go quite according to plan. While he does have decent endurance, the lack of upper-body strength was quite noticeable when he failed to complete a single pullup.
Bennett does not think this will be a big issue, telling Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com, "My upper body isn't really my strong suit. I was disappointed in myself; I always want to do the best I can in every test but I guess ultimately games aren't won or lost if you can do a pull-up in the gym. So I'm not too worried about it."
There are obviously more important things to judge a hockey player on than his ability in a gym, but there might end up being concerns about his ability to hold up physically at the highest level of the sport.
At the very least, you can expect him to need some time to add weight before being able to contribute in the NHL.
Sam Reinhart, Center
Few players in this draft project to be as much of an offensive force as Sam Reinhart. As soon as he steps onto the ice for an NHL team, he will contribute as an assist machine.
The WHL star has great vision with impressive passing ability that will allow him to create plenty of opportunities for teammates.
He has also already proved himself at a high level, competing in training camp with the Canadian national team. Dave Tippett, coach of the Phoenix Coyotes and Team Canada, explained that Reinhart impressed in this situation, via Stephen Whyno of The Canadian Press (h/t The Vancouver Sun):
"He didn’t look out of place. He carried himself like a pro player. He picked up the things we were trying to do in the drills very well. The biggest thing you could tell — and it’s probably a little bit because of his upbringing — he wasn’t intimidated by the situation at all and just jumped in there and played.
"
Reinhart also looked comfortable in the dreaded bike test at the combine:
The center might not be among the strongest players in the draft, but he is solid enough to hold his own and should be able to succeed at the next level.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
