Interview with Philadelpia Flyers' Scout Pat Burke

Please give the readers a little background information on yourself. 

I am in my fifth year as an NHL scout for the Philadelphia Flyers.  Over the last four years my primary scouting area has been the NCAA, although in the last year or so I have changed to doing more AHL and NHL

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player (on ice) when scouting for the Flyers?  

Skating, intelligence, and work ethic.

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player off of the ice?
 
I think I can sum it up in one word- character.  Work ethic and leadership are probably the two biggest components of that.  At lower levels, if a player does not outwork his teammates, he has no chance to succeed at higher levels. 

Can you give us some insight into the scouting process for the pros? How does it work?  

Essentially we have amateur scouts (who cover draft eligible players) and pro scouts (who cover drafted players at the college, AHL, and NHL levels).  Beyond that, it's not overly complicated- we go out and see as many teams as we can as many times as we can.  Our scouts all cover their own areas, then cross over into other areas as needed to get more eyes on more players. 

What should college players do to help get noticed by pro teams? Will you simply find the talent or can college kids set themselves up for maximum exposure somehow?
 
I think the first thing is to out-work other players.  One of the ways scouts cull their lists is by calling or meeting with college coaches.  If players are hard workers and character kids, a coach is far more likely to bring them up to a scout because they know those players won't let them down at the next level.  While we do generally take pride in being able to "find the talent" no matter where they play, a player's work ethic on and off the ice is something within his control that can increase his exposure.

Please explain what the pros and cons are of a top prospect going to an american college vs. major juniors in terms of making the NHL one day.
 
It really depends on the player.  For top players such as Jeff Carter or Chris Pronger who stepped into the NHL at young ages and played well, there was no need for them to worry about taking classes and doing anything other than playing hockey.  For kids who need more time to develop physically and mentally, the extra time in college may be significant for their development. We can see this in the amount of NCAA players who go undrafted then become highly sought after free agents at the end of their college career.  Essentially, there are pluses and minuses to both systems, and players should take a close look at both options and do what is best for them.

What is your biggest advice for someone who loves hockey and is looking to dive in and make their living in hockey?  

Simply to dive in (and this will go to your next question as well).  Most people who ask me about what it takes to work in hockey don't like my answer- either be a former NHL player or start working at the low levels and work your way up.  AHL teams and college teams constantly need energetic, motivated people who are willing to work long hours (often for low pay) in order to build up a resume.  Too many people think that just by calling an NHL team, they can step into an NHL job.  If you're a college student, you should be playing or working for your school's team.  If you're out of school, I would suggest looking into internships with NCAA, AHL, or, if you're lucky, NHL teams.  I was lucky because of my upbringing- most people will not be able to step right into a job with an NHL team.

How would one go about getting an NHL scouting job?

What are your career goals? How are you going about attaining them?   

While I would love to run my own team someday, my goal on an everyday basis is just to do whatever I can to help the Flyers win.  I feel that by working hard and doing that, I will improve, and that by being associated with a winning team I will learn a great deal about building a winner.  In addition, I am currently in law school to increase my value to a team in terms of contract negotiations.

How does a scout improve his skills?  

Simply by going to games.  Every time you go to the rink, you learn something.  The more games you see (at any level), the more you learn about hockey.  You get to see how kids progress from year to year and level to level, and you learn from the kids you identified correctly and the kids you misidentified. 

What is your best advise for a young player who is on the border of being talented enough for the pros? 

Work.  However hard you think you're working, I promise you do not work as hard as the laziest player on the Flyers.  Some nights you feel sore, or the puck is bouncing the wrong way, or the other team is just better- but the one thing a player can control every night and every shift is how hard he works. 

Interview with Tri-City Storm Asst Coach Eric Fink

Please give the readers a little background information on yourself.

My name is Eric Fink and I am an Assistant Coach for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL).  This is my ninth year as a hockey coach and second year in Tri-City and the USHL.  Prior to Tri-City, I was an Assistant in the North American Hockey League in Owatonna, MN with the Owatonna Express.  I also spent one year at Augsburg College (NCAA Division III) and four years with the Twin Cities Northern Lights (Junior B, Minnesota Junior Hockey League).

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player (on ice) when recruiting for your junior team?

There are a lot of factors that come into play when you are evaluating a player and each team is a little different depending upon the style of there play.  In Tri-City, we put an emphasis on these three things. 

1.  Competitiveness - There are many skilled players, but many lack the competitiveness and drive to compete night after night and bring the same intensity level.  Blocking shots, finishing your checks, refusing to lose, are qualities that fit into this category.  We aren't looking for guys who are willing to do these things, we are looking for guys who are eager to do these things.  This is the most important aspect that we look for and the players that we have that are the most successful are our most competitive.

2.  Skill - A lot of times players don't understand the guys at higher levels don't always do something that they can't, they just do everything a little better.  Our guys skate a little faster, shoot a little harder and more accurately, handle the puck a little better, and compete a little harder then guys at lower levels.  It's rarely a big secret, you need to do the ordinary things better then everyone else.

3.  Character - Being and elite level athlete takes a sacrifice that not all people can commit to.  The very best players practice with a purpose every day, eat right, work out hard  when the coaching staff isn't around.  You can include school, being a good person and teammate, and making smart life decisions in this category as well. 

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player off of the ice?

1.  Academics - Given our demanding schedule, we need guys who are self-motivated academically.  Not only do they need to perform well but also be able to manage their time well enough to make up class work that they might miss in a timely fashion.

2.  Persistence -  You can tell a lot about an athlete by how persistent they are towards finding solutions.  If a person takes short cuts or quits easy, this usually translates to the ice in some form.

3.  Good People - Plain and simple.  Some guys are always looking for loop holes to team rules then arguing that there wasn't a rule for it.  Good people make decisions based off of their values.  These players are always the coaches favorites.  

Can you give us some insight into the recruiting process for your junior team? Is it simply holding tryouts or do you actively seek out players?

We have a head scout who is in charge of our scouting.  He has a staff that is spread out throughout North American.  They attend games and input all the information into a software program called Rink Net.  This information is then visible to our Head Coach/General Manger.  He checks it daily for reports on players and then we speak with people in that area that we might know to gather more information on the athlete.  The USHL holds two league drafts in May which are available online for all to view live; a Futures draft (younger players) and the Entry draft (both older and younger players).  After the draft, teams are allowed to contact players that were not drafted to attend their tryout camp.  The vetrans, drafted players, and undrafted players then gather for the camp.  The team is selected at this tryout.

What should high school/midget players do to help get noticed by junior teams?

Be a good player.  Practice hard and perform well every time you step on the ice.  If you are inconsistent, your odds of playing at a higher level decrease.  Every scout dreams of finding that hidden player that nobody else knows about so everyone is always trying to make that happen. And then, if you find that you have not received the attention that you deserve as a player, then ask your coach to help you.  With information so easy to access with the internet and email, it's very easy to contact a mass amount of people with just a few clicks. 

What is your biggest advice for someone who loves hockey and is looking to dive in and make their living in hockey?

If you work hard, are a good person, and worry less about moving yourself up and more about helping others move up.   Generally, things will go your way.  I'm sure you'll have your share of tough times, but if you learn from them, you're setting yourself up for the future.

What made you want to be a coach?

I had great coaches growing up and I got that image of myself doing that at a young age.  I started drawing plays and evaluating things when I was very young to make up for a lack of skill.  When not having skill caught up to me, I was fortunate to get an opportunity to give coaching a try and I was addicted immediately.

How does a coach improve their skills?

I guess I'm not sure how others do it but we try to learn as much as we can from other teams.  Whether we see something in the USHL that other teams are doing, the NCAA, Midget, NHL, etc.  It doesn't matter, we gather as much information as we can and we use it if possible.  If not, we store it away for when it might be a better fit.

I like to read a lot.  There are lots of great books that have great ideas to get you thinking about things in a different way.  They don't have to be just hockey either.  I've stolen drills from a soccer book before and I've heard of others using basketball set plays on the Power Play as well.  You'd be surprised. I highly recommend "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle.  If you have a book recommendation...please email me.  I am always looking. 

Lastly, we just talk to others and ask.  If we see something we like, we try to get in touch with someone that knows how to do it and we ask.  More often then not, they are very willing to share the concepts behind it.   

What are the 3 most important things to do to ensure you're running effective practices?

Be organized - Communicate clearly - Correct mistakes right away - Make it fun

Have a plan.  Know how much time you have on the ice, how many pucks you'll have, have water ready, etc.  Make sure all your assistants are aware of the plan so that no time is wasted.  Communicate with the players so that they understand exactly what is expected of them.  Everyone learns differently, so try to take that into account as you are communicating.  Correct mistakes that you see players making right away.  Its frustrating to see a youth team on the ice doing a drill then four coaches in the corner talking about something or watching.  Players need immediate feedback.  Lastly, make it fun.

Is there anything you want to promote, plug, or have our readers take a look at? (Website link, facebook, etc...)

The United States Hockey League website is www.ushl.com and it has great information on our league and what it can offer you as a student-athlete.  Our team website is www.stormhockey.com and they do a fantastic job keeping it updated with video, interviews, articles, etc.  Lastly, if anyone has any handouts, coaching articles, articles that our players would learn from, or books that I should read.  Please email me eric@stormhockey.com

Interview with UMass Amherst Coach Donald Cahoon

Coach Cahoon,

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge with players and coaches who might be reading this interview.

Please give the readers some background information

Check bio on UMass Hockey website: www.umassathletics.com (http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-hockey/mtt/cahoon_don00.html)

 
What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a recruit?

Once I have the knowledge that the recruit has the requisite skills to play at our level, I look for character, competitiveness, and work ethic.

What does a potential recruit need to do to get noticed by college scouts/coaches?

Play well against the best competition available.

 
How would you describe the "character" of your team? Do you coach that or recruit that?

Our team in 2010: Excellent. We both recruit it and coach it.

Do you coach the mental aspect of hockey? How?

For sure! We reference many great writings and notable leaders’ excerpts from speeches, as well as competitions.

 
What are some of your attributes that have helped you reach such a high level of coaching?

Passion for what I do, the perseverance to stay with it, and the joy of being in the thick of it—the game itself.

 
What is your best advice for a young coach looking to make a career in coaching?

First, they must understand what is required for them to make a career of it. Things like sacrificing weekends, long daily schedules, and heavy travel.

All of this, without making a lot of money initially.

 
What are three things you look for when hiring an asst coach?

I look for intelligence, presentation and preparation, and hockey knowledge

Thanks again Coach.

New Interview With Des Moines Buccaneers Coach Regg Simon

Coach Simon,

Thank you for taking the time give some insight to all the coaches and players reading the articles at Boston Hockey Education.

Please give the readers a little background information on yourself.

Born & raised in Elk River, Minnesota. Grew up playing there. Played high school hockey there. Played two years in the USHL for Des Moines after high school. Got a scholarship to University of Alaska Anchorage out of Des Moines. Finished playing in 2001 for UAA. Got into coaching in 2002-03 in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm. Worked ½ year there as assistant coach and ½ year as interim head coach. Came to Des Moines as assistant coach in 2003-04 and held that position until 2005. Took over as Head Coach & General Manager until 2008. Left for two years to go back to UAA as assistant coach. Came back to Des Moines this past August as Head Coach & GM again.

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player (on ice) when recruiting for your junior team?

Hockey sense, skill and competitiveness.

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player off of the ice?

Character, desire and manners.

Can you give us some insight into the recruiting process for your junior team? Is it simply holding tryouts or do you actively seek out players?

The USHL has a draft in May – so we scout players throughout the season and build a draft list from that. During the season we actively look for free agents (players not on USHL lists) and if we think they are good enough we’ll bring them on to our club.

What should high school/midget players do to help get noticed by junior teams?

Stay out of trouble off the ice. Do well in school. Play hard every night because they never know who is in the stands. Be the best at what you are: You don’t have to have 50 points as a defenseman to get to junior or pro hockey. If you are a great defensive defenseman – be the best at it. If you’re a great 3^rd line checking wing and penalty killer – be the best at it. You don’t have to get 100 points to get to higher levels of hockey. There’s just as many “role” spots on a team as there is “skill” spots when you build a team.

Do you try to coach the mental aspect of hockey? If so, what are some tips in doing so?

Yes. We try to teach the players how to properly prepare for games and to do visualization to picture themselves having success.

What did you do during your playing days to set you apart from the competition?

I competed very hard, was a good penalty killer and leader.

What is your biggest advice for someone who loves hockey and is looking to dive in and make their living in a hockey related business?

You have to be passionate about it and if you are with a woman or partner they better know what they’re getting into as well. Most people that work in hockey are under-paid and over-worked – but we all have fun doing it. That’s why you need to be passionate about it.

What made you want to be a coach?

I always understood the game and was a smart player even though I wasn’t the most talented player. I felt I’d be able to take the lessons I learned as a player and teach them to young men and help them grow and mature as a person and player.

How does a coach improve their skills?

By talking a lot of hockey with other coaches, watching games and how other teams play. There are no original ideas in hockey. We all steal from each other and make it our own.

Who was your most influential coach? Why?

Bob Ferguson who is now an assistant GM with the Anaheim Ducks. He was a hard-nosed coach but you knew he cared about you as well – which made all of his players want to go through a brick wall for him and the team.

What are 3 things you look for when hiring an asst coach?

Loyalty. Character. Personality.

What are the 3 most important things to do to ensure you're running effective practices?

Skill development built into each drill. Players are getting the proper work-to-rest ration so conditioning is built into each drill. Be prepared and have a basic plan as to what you want your team to achieve that day (defensive concepts, offensive zone play, transition game, ect.).

What are some major mistakes you see coaches making?

Not enough skill development built into practices and practicing systems too much. Players do need to learn systems – but if a kid can’t skate or handle a puck – how is he going to make a play within that system to help you win a game? Youth coaches especially try to win too much – and they get pressure from parents to do that. I’d rather see a youth coach skill his team to death and be a .500 hundred team than a 60-10 team that plays great systems with players that have no creativity. What’s more gratifying – sending 10 guys to the USHL 5 years from now because you developed their skills or winning 60 games as a peewee or bantam but none of your kids play at a higher level because they lacked skill development at a crucial point in their careers? Youth coaches – and parents – need to recognize and see the big picture with this. It’s not how good little Johnny is at 12 years old – it’s should be about how good can we get little Johnny to be when he’s 22 years old. You can’t jump across the whole creek. You need to hop from stone to stone to get the other side. Unfortunately, too many times players, parents and coaches think they can get to the other side without going through the logical process.

Is there anything you want to promote, plug, or have our readers take a look at? (Website link, facebook, etc...)

www.bucshockey.com and www.ushl.com

Thanks Coach.

New Interview With U-Maine Associate Coach Bob Corkum

Coach Corkum,

Thanks for taking the time to help educate our readers on how to reach the next level playing and coaching hockey.

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player (on ice) when recruiting for your team?

Speed and agility ( skating), stick skills and hockey sense

What are the 3 biggest things you look for in a player off of the ice?

Academics, character, discipline

Can you give us some insight into the recruiting process?

The quick response is we look all over the US/Canada and sometimes Europe trying to find players that we think can continue to move our program forward, our budget is limited as well as the number of times we can legally see a player per NCAA
rules. Once we have identified the player we talk with them, there parents and coaches present and past and just try and get as much info as we can on a particular player. After all that we try and bring him in and show him why he should choose the
University of Maine over other colleges and Universities to further his academic and athletic career. The process can last from weeks to years....

What should high school/junior players do to help get noticed by college coaches/scouts?

They can play in select high profile invitation tournaments, send us emails with Bios and academic info

Do you try to coach the mental aspect of hockey? If so, what are some tips in doing so?

We do try and coach the mental aspects of the game, we do alot of visualization exercises and are actually working with some video software for that very purpose, positive self talk, not worrying about results but the small things that lead to
wins

What did you do during your playing days to set you apart from the competition?

Focus in practice and training very hard in the off season

What made you want to be a coach?

I began as a volunteer to see if I would enjoy it at the high school level and had fun, but wanted a more dedicated athlete with interests more about hockey than the three sport athlete who may just be playing hockey for something to do in the
winter, I then moved to Junior hockey and reall enjoyed working with those players who were very excited to try and make it to the Div 1 level, from there a spot opened up at maine and I was thrilled to go back to Maine after having played there for
4 years.

How does a coach improve their skills?

We improve our skills just the same way everyone else does by trial and error and learning from past experiences, along with listening to other coaches and reading new philosophies.

Who was your most influential coach? Why?

Shawn Walsh and Jim Shoenfield, both because they were tireless workers and really displayed the love for the game in the way they handled on and off ice situations. They both could be described as players coaches and I could sit an talk with
them about anything, just not hockey.

What are 3 things you look for when hiring an asst coach?

I have never had to hire anyone , but would look for someone that could challenge me and not just yes me to death all the time, someone that was good at some of my shortcomings.

What are the 3 most important things to do to ensure you're running effective practices?

Plan ahead, review tape so I know what we need improving on and probably most importantly get insight from the players, you must make practices challenging but fun and be sensitive to the health of the team.

What are some major mistakes you see coaches making?

At the Youth level,it most surely would be using the whole ice surface for games and scrimmages, the kids simply do not touch the puck enough to get better at it, at the college level I would say poor bench management, and overworking a tired
team.

What is the best part about working in hockey to make a living? Worst?

The best thing would be able to get paid playing and now coaching the greatest game on earth and seeing your players move on in hockey and life and thinking you helped them a little along the way. the worst thing would be the late hours and
roller coaster of emotions with wins and loss, as soon as you think you know your team they will do something to send you back to the drawing board.

Thanks for your time. I look forward to following Maine's play during the season.