30 OHL Players Attend NHL Draft Combine

The 2012 NHL Entry Draft may still be three weeks away, but this week in Toronto provides many of the top draft eligible prospects one last chance to leave an impression with NHL scouts and management.
 
The annual draft combine is underway with 30 OHL players among the 105 prospects invited to the event. The first part of the week allowed all 30 teams the opportunity to schedule interviews with as many of the prospects as they like, including top ranked skater Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting who had interviews with 18 different teams.
 
“What the players have to keep in mind is that this will be their initial contact with many NHL teams, so they have the chance to make that initial impression,” NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr told NHL.com. “But teams aren’t testing your personality. They’re just trying to get to know you in this environment, so it’s just an opportunity to make a good initial impression.”
 
The fitness portion of the combine takes place on Friday and Saturday and includes 13 individual tests.

The 30 OHL Players attending are spread out across 10 of the 13 groups and will participate as follows:
 
Friday June 1 – 8:30 am to 10:30 am:
 Josh Anderson (LDN), Slater Koekkoek (PBO), Matia Marcantuoni (KIT).
 
Friday June 1 – 9:30 am to 11:30 am:
 Cody Ceci (OTT), Alex Galchenyuk (SAR), Scott Kosmachuk (GUE).
 
Friday June 1 – 11:30 am to 1:30 pm:
 Brendan Gaunce (BELV), Thomas Wilson (PLY).
 
Friday June 1 – 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm:
 Max Iafrate (KIT), Ben Johnson (WSR), Malcolm Subban (BELV), Nail Yakupov (SAR).
 
Friday June 1 – 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm:
 Radek Faksa (KIT), Matthew Finn (GUE), Olli Maatta (LDN).
 
Friday June 1 – 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm:
 Andreas Athanasiou (LDN), Jarrod Maidens (OS), Tanner Pearson (BAR).
 
Friday June 1 – 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm:
 Dylan Blujus (BRAM), Trevor Carrick (MISS), Scott Laughton (OSH), Jake Paterson (SAG).
 
Saturday June 2 – 8:30 am to 10:30 am:
 Frank Palazzese (KIT), Gemel Smith (OS), Daniil Zharkov (BELV).
 
Saturday June 2 – 9:30 am to 11:30 am:
 Dane Fox (ER), Artur Gavrus (OS).
 
Saturday June 2 – 10:30 am to 12:30 pm:
 Tanner Richard (GUE), Brady Vail (WSR).

Brock McGinn of the Guelph Storm was also invited to the Combine but did not participate in the fitness testing.
 
The 2012 NHL Entry Draft takes place June 22-23 in Pittsburgh, PA.

For more information about the NHL Draft Combine including full results from the fitness testing check out nhl.com.