NHL Central Scouting Bureau
Encyclopedia
The NHL Central Scouting Bureau or NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS) is a department within the National Hockey League that ranks prospects for the NHL Entry Draft
at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate to the professional game in the National Hockey League
. It was founded by hockey executive Jack Button
in 1975 to establish a centralized database of NHL prospects. Button served as the director until 1979 and its most recent director was E.J. McGuire
. The Department consists of staff at the NHL Offices in Toronto, along with eight full time scouts, and fifteen part-time scouts throughout North America. To report on prospects playing in Europe, the NHL employs the services of Goran Stub and his staff of six scouts at European Scouting Services based in Finland. All twenty-nine scouts reporting for Central Scouting will combine to see approximately 3000 games each year.
, defenceman, and goaltender
. The Bureau released the contents of the checklists to the public from their website, so anyone can evaluate players at any level of play. The rankings are compiled by numerous reviews by the professional scouts' combined opinions of the players and released as a bimonthly list.
Eligible players for the upcoming draft are ranked as North American Skaters, North American Goalies, International Skaters, or International Goalies. The players fit under the North American or International player based on where they train. For example, the Czech
forward, Jakub Voráček
was ranked as a North American prospect, because he played with the Halifax Mooseheads
in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
. A current example is Swiss
forward Nino Niederreiter
who is 12th on the North American ranks, as he plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League
.
There are multiple times that the rankings come out during a year. Notably, the midterm rankings come out after the IIHF World Junior Championships and performance in the tournament greatly elevates draft status. In early April, after all junior and European seasons are completed, the final rankings are released.
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate to the professional game in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. It was founded by hockey executive Jack Button
Jack Button
Jack Button was a professional hockey executive with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. The Jack Button Award, given to the top prospect for the Washington Capitals, was created in his honor.-NHL clubs:...
in 1975 to establish a centralized database of NHL prospects. Button served as the director until 1979 and its most recent director was E.J. McGuire
E.J. McGuire
Edward John "E. J." McGuire was an ice hockey coach and served as the director of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.-Coaching career:...
. The Department consists of staff at the NHL Offices in Toronto, along with eight full time scouts, and fifteen part-time scouts throughout North America. To report on prospects playing in Europe, the NHL employs the services of Goran Stub and his staff of six scouts at European Scouting Services based in Finland. All twenty-nine scouts reporting for Central Scouting will combine to see approximately 3000 games each year.
Rankings procedure
The full time staff of the Central Scouting Bureau follows a checklist to assess the prospects' skillset and how it would apply to the pro game. Prospects are rated by skill as Excellent (E), Very Good (VG), Good (G), Average (A), Poor (P), or Not Applicable (NA), with different skills being emphasized amongst the different positions: forwardForward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
, defenceman, and goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. The Bureau released the contents of the checklists to the public from their website, so anyone can evaluate players at any level of play. The rankings are compiled by numerous reviews by the professional scouts' combined opinions of the players and released as a bimonthly list.
Eligible players for the upcoming draft are ranked as North American Skaters, North American Goalies, International Skaters, or International Goalies. The players fit under the North American or International player based on where they train. For example, the Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
forward, Jakub Voráček
Jakub Vorácek
Jakub Voráček is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
was ranked as a North American prospect, because he played with the Halifax Mooseheads
Halifax Mooseheads
The Halifax Mooseheads are a CHL ice hockey club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio division of the QMJHL for the 1994-1995 season. While the franchise has never won a league championship, they have...
in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
. A current example is Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
forward Nino Niederreiter
Nino Niederreiter
Nino Niederreiter , nicknamed El Niño, is a Swiss ice hockey player currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was selected fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest-drafted Swiss hockey player in NHL history...
who is 12th on the North American ranks, as he plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
.
There are multiple times that the rankings come out during a year. Notably, the midterm rankings come out after the IIHF World Junior Championships and performance in the tournament greatly elevates draft status. In early April, after all junior and European seasons are completed, the final rankings are released.
Directors
- Jack ButtonJack ButtonJack Button was a professional hockey executive with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. The Jack Button Award, given to the top prospect for the Washington Capitals, was created in his honor.-NHL clubs:...
: 1975-1979 - Jim GregoryJim Gregory (ice hockey)Jim Gregory is a former general manager and league executive in the National Hockey League. Before his NHL career, Gregory also led the Toronto Marlboros to the 1964 Memorial Cup, and coached the Toronto St...
: 1979-1992 - Frank Bonello: 1992-2005
- E. J. McGuire: 2005-2011
Top Prospects
- Source: NHL Central Scouting BureauNHL Central Scouting BureauThe NHL Central Scouting Bureau or NHL Central Scouting Services is a department within the National Hockey League that ranks prospects for the NHL Entry Draft at specific times during the hockey season. Players are ranked based on how well they will translate to the professional game in the...
final ranking.
| Ranking | North American skaters | European skaters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ryan Nugent-HopkinsRyan Nugent-Hopkins Ryan Jeremy Noel Nugent-Hopkins is a Canadian ice hockey centre for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League. He was selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.-Hockey career:... (C Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... ) |
 Adam LarssonAdam Larsson Adam Larsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman for the New Jersey Devils. He also played for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien since 2009. He was selected 4th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2011 NHL Draft... (D) |
| 2 | Gabriel Landeskog Gabriel Landeskog Gabriel Ingemar John Landeskog is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward currently with the Colorado Avalanche organization. He was a member of Sweden's 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship team... (LW) |
Mika Zibanejad (C Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... ) |
| 3 | Jonathan Huberdeau Jonathan Huberdeau Jonathan Huberdeau is a Canadian ice hockey forward who played for the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . At the 2011 Memorial Cup, Huberdeau helped the Sea Dogs win the Canadian Hockey League championship, and was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player in the... (C Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... ) |
Jonas Brodin Jonas Brodin Jonas Brodin is a Swedish ice hockey player who is currently playing with Färjestads BK in Elitserien. He was selected 10th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He was raised in Edsvalla, Sweden.... (D) |
| 4 | Dougie Hamilton Dougie Hamilton Dougie Hamilton is a Canadian ice hockey player currently playing for the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. He was selected ninth overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. He was raised in St. Catharines, Ontario.... (D Defenceman (ice hockey) Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring... ) |
 Joel Armia Joel Armia Joel Armia is a Finnish ice hockey player currently with the Porin Ässät of the SM-Liiga Finland. He was selected 16th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.- Career statistics :- External links :* *... (RW) |
| 5 | Nathan Beaulieu Nathan Beaulieu Nathan Beaulieu is a Canadian ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . He was selected 17th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens... (D) |
 Dmitri JaskinDmitri Jaškin Dmitrij Jaškin is a Russian-born Czech professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Slavia Praha of the Czech Extraliga. Jaškin was selected first overall in the 2010 KHL Junior Draft by Sibir Novosibirsk and was drafted by the St... (W Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink... ) |
| 6 | Sean Couturier Sean Couturier Sean Couturier is an American-born Canadian ice hockey player currently with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League... (LW Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... ) |
Max Friberg Max Friberg Max Friberg is a Swedish ice hockey winger who is currently playing with Timrå IK in Elitserien . Friberg was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the fifth round, 143rd overall, of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.... (LW Winger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink... ) |
| 7 |  Sven Baertschi (LWWinger (ice hockey) Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink... ) |
Miikka Salomaki Miikka Salomäki Miikka Salomäki is a Finnish ice hockey player currently with Kärpät of the SM-Liiga.-International statistics:- External links :... (C Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... ) |
| 8 | Ryan Strome Ryan Strome Ryan Strome is a Canadian ice hockey player currently playing for the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL.Ryan Strome was selected 8th overall in the 2009 OHL Priority Selection by the Barrie Colts. In 2010 he was traded to the Niagara IceDogs. He was selected fifth overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by... (C Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... ) |
Oscar Klefbom Oscar Klefbom Oscar Klefbom is a Swedish ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing with Färjestads BK in Elitserien. He was selected 19th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.-Career statistics:-External links:... (D) |
| 9 | Ryan Murphy Ryan Murphy (ice hockey b. 1993) Ryan Murphy is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL. He was selected 12th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.- Playing career :... (D) |
Victor Rask Victor Rask Victor Rask is a Swedish ice hockey center currently playing with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. He was selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 NHL draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.-Awards and honours:... (C Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... ) |
| 10 | Duncan Siemens Duncan Siemens Duncan Siemens a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL. He was raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta. He was selected 11th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.... (D) |
Joachim Nermark Joachim Nermark Joachim Nermark is a Swedish ice hockey player who is currently playing with Linköping in Elitserien. Nermark was selected in the fourth round, 93rd overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.... (C Centre (ice hockey) The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player... ) |
| Ranking | North American goalies | European goalies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  John GibsonJohn Gibson (ice hockey b. 1993) John Gibson is an American ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He was committed to play for the University of Michigan team which competes in NCAA's Division I in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association... |
Samu Perhonen |
| 2 | Christopher Gibson Christopher Gibson Christopher Gibson is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the QMJHL. Gibson was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2nd round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.... |
Stefan Steen |
| 3 | Jordan Binnington Jordan Binnington Jordan Binnington is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Owen Sound Attack in the Ontario Hockey League . Binnington had a very strong 2010-11 OHL season posting a 27–12–1–4–7 throughout 46 games... |
Jaroslav Pavelka |