Defenceman Brandon Hickey of the Spruce Grove Saints is participating in the 2014 NHL Scouting Combine in Toronto, ONT this week. Fellow CJHL d-man Jake Walman (OJHL) is also in attendance at the exclusive event. Walman is listed at No. 47 amongst North American skaters while Hickey is listed at No. 63.
Developing the invite list for the 2014 NHL Combine adopted a two-stage process as compared to other years. In the initial stage, the top 75 players on the NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch List were invited and in the final stage, the NHL clubs voted on the remaining 45 players. The number of invites increased this year as compared to past years. The Combine is split into three parts – an interview phase on May 26-30, followed by medical exams on May 30 and fitness testing on May 31 at the Toronto International Centre.
Brandon Hickey tripled his offensive output during his second year with the Spruce Grove Saints, recording 18 assists and 22 points in 2013-2014. The 18 year-old defenceman was selected to represent Canada on Team West at the 2013 World Junior A Challenge in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He is the highest ranked NHL Draft Prospect in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Hickey has committed to play for Boston University for the 2014-15 season.
The NHL Combine attendees include the top 101 North American players on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings as well as 18 international prospects. For the complete player list click here.
The 2014 NHL Entry Draft will be held on June 27-28 at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center Arena.