Top Prospects
With the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game coming to Kelowna on Tuesday and Wednesday, we decided to catch up with one of the guys who covers the Canadian Hockey League for Sportsnet.
Sam Cosentino has been covering the Top Prospects Game since 2006 and is also featured in the broadcasts for Sportsnet’s Friday Night Hockey. He writes a blog and helps rank the CHL top 10 prospects, a new feature that started on Friday at www.sportsnet.ca.
Our reporter Kevin Parnell reached Cosentino by phone on the weekend before leaving for Kelowna, the site of the 2012 Top Prospects Game and Skills Competition. Transcribed below is their conversation.
Kevin Parnell: Let’s start with the 40 NHL Draft eligible players who will be playing in the game. What’s your thoughts on this year’s NHL draft class?
Sam Cosentino: “It’s an interesting draft because the top end of the draft has a few Europeans projected to go early and because a lot of the guys are injured or have spent a significant amount of time injured this year. The other element to this draft, especially in the first round, is you’re likely to see more defencemen drafted than maybe any other NHL draft I can remember.
“It’s a real high end defencemen draft. You might not know a lot of them but as early as next year you will. But because they are defencemen they don’t quite get the notoriety. NHL teams are going to be really happy that in the first round they are going to find a lot of good top four NHL projected defenceman.”
KP: What can we expect from the game?
SC: “It’s not a no hitter. We’ve seen fights in games past. Steve Stamkos got in a fight the year he played. People play for keeps. They realize that this is maybe their one real chance to make a statement. It won’t be a no hitter and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if someone got in there and mixed things up.”
“What’s cool about this group of players is you have your high-end skill guys but you have some guys that are pretty tough and physical. I think with this group this might be more of a tougher game for the skilled guys to do their thing.There is a lot of toughness in this game.”
KP: Having covered the game since 2006, what is the Top Prospects Game like?
SC: “This game you are drawing NHL general managers, most of the scouting directors will be there. There are NHL teams that centre their metings around this game. It’s a huge thing. For Players it’s an unbelievable honour, first of all, just to get picked to this game. I think if you go by year’s past, if you play in this game there is a pretty good chance you’re going to show up in the NHL in short order.”
KP: Who are some of the players that we should be watching for?
SC: “(Everett defenceman) Ryan Murray is one those guys. Most people are familiar with him because of his World junior experience. He’s the young version of Captain Canada. He has unbelievable leadership skills. He’s a brilliant player and he has huge leadership skills.
“(Russia’s Mikhail) Grigorenko out of Quebec is a bigger guy. He’s not afraid to get involved. He makes plays. He’s got the hands of a typical Rusian but he has some grit and size. He’s a guy that I think should get people excited.
“One guy I really want to mention is (Red Deer defenceman) Matt Dumba. His passion to play and how excitable he is, he’s kind of the poster boy with this event. No one will enjoy the game more than him and it will show in his game. He’s known for throwing the big hit and his ability to take the puck and go with it.”
KP: Tell us about the skills competition, which now is only a $10 ticket in Kelowna?
CS: At 10 bucks for the skills that’s the steal of a lifetime. I live for the 3 on 3 and the skills competition. For me the 3 on 3…that’s where guys tend to be a little more creative. It’s a real good opportunity to see just how skilled these guys are.”
The 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 7 pm PT on Sportsnet Pacific. Coverage includes the pre-game show with HOCKEY CENTRAL host Jeff Marek and analyst Damien Cox.
