NHL Draft Recap
What an exciting NHL Draft! I thought the NHL Network (I think TSN in Canada) coverage of the draft was very good, although I know a lot of people who either don't get the Channel or know it was on. No ESPN coverage like most other professional drafts, but hey, it's hockey in the US.
Some interesting stats. In the first round, there were 14 Canadians picked, 11 from the US, 3 Russians, 1 Swiss and 1 Fin. No Swedes, no Czechs, no Slovaks. The 11 Americans is a new record, topping the 10 that were taken in the 2006 and 2007 drafts. Only 5 Americans were taken in the first round in 2008 and 2009. The 14 Canadians were the fewest Canadians since the 2006 draft when only 11 were taken in the first round. Nino Niederreiter, who played for the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL and went 5th overall in the draft, was Switzerland's first every first round draft pick.
High School/Prep players accounted for 22 of the kids drafted this season. This is a recent high. Twelve of the draftees played Minnesota HS Hockey, while 3 played for Shattuck-St Marys, 1 played for Delbarton (NJ) and 6 played for New England prep school teams last season. While this number is on the rise, it doesn't compare to the high numbers of US High School/Prep kids being drafted in the 80's and into the 90's. But like all things in the draft, these things are cyclical. After the USA won the Gold Medal with the Miracle on Ice in 1980, the number of US High School kids drafted shot up, but when many failed to pan out, their numbers eventually dropped.
I cannot remember who the player was, but one of the smart 18 years old budding stars that was interviewed said something to the effect that what matters isn't what he has done to this point or where he was drafted, but his work ethic going forward. Hard work and luck play a huge role in molding draft picks into NHL regulars. Stats from 2000-2004 drafts show that an average of 2 first rounders never play in the NHL and 7-8 first rounders will not be regulars in the NHL (fewer than 100 games). If you move down to draft spots 101-130 (typically the 4th round), you'll find that only 2 players are NHL regulars (more than 100 games) and only 8-9 have even seen a single game in the NHL. What does this mean? It means the kid was right, it's not what you do prior to the draft that matters, but what you do afterwards. Every year dozens of undrafted young players make their NHL debuts while highly drafted players languish in the minors. Injuries and mis-assessed talent account for some of it, but character and the willingness to work hard play a huge role in who makes it and who does not. Time will tell which side of the statistics each of the kids in the 2010 draft fall on. Best of luck to all.
Some interesting stats. In the first round, there were 14 Canadians picked, 11 from the US, 3 Russians, 1 Swiss and 1 Fin. No Swedes, no Czechs, no Slovaks. The 11 Americans is a new record, topping the 10 that were taken in the 2006 and 2007 drafts. Only 5 Americans were taken in the first round in 2008 and 2009. The 14 Canadians were the fewest Canadians since the 2006 draft when only 11 were taken in the first round. Nino Niederreiter, who played for the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL and went 5th overall in the draft, was Switzerland's first every first round draft pick.
High School/Prep players accounted for 22 of the kids drafted this season. This is a recent high. Twelve of the draftees played Minnesota HS Hockey, while 3 played for Shattuck-St Marys, 1 played for Delbarton (NJ) and 6 played for New England prep school teams last season. While this number is on the rise, it doesn't compare to the high numbers of US High School/Prep kids being drafted in the 80's and into the 90's. But like all things in the draft, these things are cyclical. After the USA won the Gold Medal with the Miracle on Ice in 1980, the number of US High School kids drafted shot up, but when many failed to pan out, their numbers eventually dropped.
I cannot remember who the player was, but one of the smart 18 years old budding stars that was interviewed said something to the effect that what matters isn't what he has done to this point or where he was drafted, but his work ethic going forward. Hard work and luck play a huge role in molding draft picks into NHL regulars. Stats from 2000-2004 drafts show that an average of 2 first rounders never play in the NHL and 7-8 first rounders will not be regulars in the NHL (fewer than 100 games). If you move down to draft spots 101-130 (typically the 4th round), you'll find that only 2 players are NHL regulars (more than 100 games) and only 8-9 have even seen a single game in the NHL. What does this mean? It means the kid was right, it's not what you do prior to the draft that matters, but what you do afterwards. Every year dozens of undrafted young players make their NHL debuts while highly drafted players languish in the minors. Injuries and mis-assessed talent account for some of it, but character and the willingness to work hard play a huge role in who makes it and who does not. Time will tell which side of the statistics each of the kids in the 2010 draft fall on. Best of luck to all.
