WHL Prospects Draft Preview: Scout’s Edition (Part 5)
The 2024 WHL Prospects Draft Preview Presented by Windsor Plywood Prince Albert continues with Part 5. Today, hear from Alberta scout, John Kulynych.
“I’ve been with the Raiders for nine years, and I’ve kind of been all over,” Kulynych said. “I’ve been a Saskatchewan scout and a little bit of BC, and now I’m in Alberta. The number of games I watch can go from 80-100, depending on how many tournaments there are.”
Kulynych’s route to becoming a scout may not be the most traditional one, as he didn’t play pro hockey in any fashion. He says he only played as a kid, but the passion he has for the game never went away, and that rang especially true once his kids grew up to play the sport.
“I became a scout because I love the game. I grew up in Regina and played a little bit of hockey, but never played high end. I played a little bit of hockey back in grade school. They had a team that played all the other schools. That was kind of it, the highest level I played would have been midget. All my kids played hockey, so I was a coach for a little bit there. That’s how I got into it.”
Looking ahead to the future of Raider hockey, it looks bright, with the likes of Daxon Rudolph and Riley Boychuk ready to pounce on their first WHL seasons next year among others. For Kulynych, scouting in Alberta really gave him a chance to look at those two players, but he has high hopes for the latter.
“Riley Boychuk was that guy last year that I always had my eye on. He hasn’t played in the WHL yet, but he’s going to be a really good player.”
But what is a ‘really good player’ in the eyes of Kulynych?
“I watch for skill, hockey sense, compete level, and overall what kind of a person they are,” he explained. “You ask the coach and talk to different parents around and they say ‘yeah he’s a good kid’. That’s personally what I look for.”
Once the season winds down, and summer takes over, Kulynych described what a typical summer looks like for him.
“I relax, but I have grandkids who play lacrosse so I watch that. There’s spring and summer hockey tournaments that I’ll watch the odd time. But for the most part, it’s a time to relax.”
The 2024 WHL Prospects Draft is right around the corner, as the Raiders will select their newest batch of young talent on Thursday, May 9. The club has the second and ninth overall picks in the first round, and won the draft lottery (via Seattle) to move up to the second slot.
The WHL U.S. Priority Draft will be held the day prior, on Wednesday, May 8. Prince Albert has the ninth overall pick.