When junior hockey scouts filed into Livonia’s Eddie Edgar Arena for Saturday’s debut MIHL-KLAA Challenge Showcase, they were handed a thick booklet listing all teams and players to watch.

“Heady player with good motor,” was the booklet’s entry for Salem senior forward Tyler German. An entry about Livonia Stevenson senior goalie Will Tragge called him “a tireless competitor” who “oozes hockey.”

Although it’s handy to have a quick reference — especially with 10 boys high school games to view, not including a “bonus” morning game between KLAA teams Livonia Franklin and Grand Blanc — scouts such as metro Detroit-based Jon Frantti already are well on the way to having their own chapter and verse about everyone from blue chippers to so-called diamonds in the rough.

Frantti, a scout for the Fairbanks (Alaska) Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League (a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II junior league), said any notes and observations at the showcase would quickly be plugged into his home database. 

Work in progress

With that, he can maintain “a running tab” on players throughout the 2017-18 season.

“That’s because a particular player could look really good one day and the next time you see him he may not be as good,” Frantti emphasized. “You definitely need multiple viewings.”

Jon Frantti, a coach for the NAHL's Fairbanks Ice Dogs, attended the showcase in Livonia. (Photo: TIM SMITH)

He said he would be looking for players with compete level, first and foremost. Other top traits include hockey IQ, skating ability and good hands.

Concurring was Zack Bargy, a scout for the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness also based in Michigan.

“I don’t think you really ever have a final opinion to be honest, you have your assumptions,” Bargy said. “But every kid’s different. I like to watch a kid four or five times before I decide to do anything.”

Bargy said he’d be looking for players with key elements in their game such as “speed, skill, puck possession... players that fit that mold.”

If he finds any players that turn his head, he’d look at schedules and make a return trip. 

That doesn’t necessarily mean only potential “star players” were on Bargy’s must-watch list.

“I think a lot of those blue chip kids, everyone knows about, they’re easy to find,” Bargy continued. “I take pride in finding those third or fourth-line guys that are going to help us win.”

Doing their homework

Scouts might drool over players with Dylan Larkin-like speed. Yet slow and steady apparently wins the recruiting race.

“The good programs, teams, coaches and scouts take the body of work into account,” explained Kyle Zagata, a scout for the Aberdeen (South Dakota) Wings of the NAHL. “And they watch over time, watch how they develop over time. 

A number of junior hockey scouts, including Zack Bargy of the NAHL's Minnesota Wilderness, attended the MIHL-KLAA Challenge Showcase. (Photo: TIM SMITH)

“We’re not just taking them for how good they are right now, we’re projecting how good they can be. You definitely want multiple views of a player.”

Wearing two hats during the first-annual event (spearheaded by Livonia Stevenson head coach David Mitchell) was Andrew Whiteside, an assistant coach and director of scouting for the NAHL’s Wilkes Barre/Scranton (Pennsylvania) Knights.

Whiteside nodded when asked if the showcase between the two top high school leagues in Michigan might be like being a kid in a candy store.

“For sure, there’s definitely some gems in the rough in this Michigan high school league,” said Whiteside, watching an early afternoon tilt between Salem and Trenton. “This is my first time watching this level and I’m excited to be here for the day.”

He said scouting events such as Saturday’s are crucial in filling needs; he noted that the Knights will be looking to replenish its roster of forwards ahead of the 2018-19 season.

According to Whiteside, he found out about the MIHL-KLAA Challenge Showcase via the scouting software RinkNet as well as “word of mouth, some players from Michigan have had success in our league.”

Chance to shine

The stands and corridors of Eddie Edgar Arena were filled with many other hockey scouts, who bounced back and forth from Rink A to Rink B to catch portions of as many games as possible. The starting times were staggered for that reason.

“It’s showcasing high school hockey in Michigan, and it’s an event,” Zagata said. “There’s a lot of great hockey players in the area and there’s a lot of great scouts coming to watch them. At Aberdeen, we’ve had lots of success with Michigan high school players. 

“They’ve helped our program and we’ve helped them move on to the next level of college hockey. ... we’re happy to see it growing and events like this are great for the game.”

Stevenson’s Mitchell (whose team dropped a tough 3-2 decision to Orchard Lake St. Mary), credited broadcast journalist Sean Baligian (who formerly worked with Pete Krupsky broadcasting games for the OHL’s now-defunct Plymouth Whalers and, later, the U.S. National Team Development Program) for helping the Dec. 16 event take root.

“It was something that Sean Baligian and I discussed, doing something like this,” Mitchell said. “We threw a date out there, and the coaches all got on board with it. It’s a collaborative effort.”

There was shiny hardware, too. Because MIHL teams enjoyed a 6-to-4 edge in victories Saturday, that league took home the brand new 'Challenge Showcase' cup donated by Livonia Trophy. 

Hockey fans at Eddie Edgar Arena were able to catch a glimpse of the brand new MIHL-KLAA Challenge Showcase Trophy, donated by Livonia Trophy. The MIHL took home the trophy, having won six of 10 contests. (Photo: TIM SMITH)

 

Mitchell added that the MIHL-KLAA event was put together to supplement the MIHL Prep Hockey Showcase held each February at Kennedy Ice Arena in Trenton — which he called “our Super Bowl” — to give players another chance to be seen by scouts. 

And that extra look could mean the difference between a player finding a future home in the Tier II junior ranks or not. 

Especially if a player has a shaky game the first time around.

“You hope a kid doesn’t come out and (have) a poor performance,” Zagata said. “You never want to put that pressure on a kid. That’s why I think more of these are needed, so kids become used to them. 

“So they don’t put all the weight on one game, because the good scouts will find players. The good teams and players are found. If they’re a good player, it’s not just this game. They will be found.”

Viable path

The path many players take from high school to college teams travels through the junior hockey ranks.

The “high, high-end talent goes to the USHL,” noted Frantti, referring to the (Tier I) United States Hockey League.

“There’s a lot of guys that don’t make that league that end up in our league that end up with scholarships,” Frantti said. “You can look at the website and the numbers speak for themselves.”

With the number of elite high school hockey programs in Michigan continuing to grow (Detroit Catholic Central, Brighton, Hartland, among many others), scouts deciding to spend a full day watching games in Livonia was like a back-door tap-in.

“I think there’s a lot of talent here in high school hockey, it’s definitely underrated,” Bargy said. “It’s proven every year that there’s players.”

Saturday’s showcase helped scouts write the preface in the stories of many young hockey players. The exciting chapters are yet to be written.

tsmith@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @TimSmith_Sports