What age do kids get scouted for the nhl?

Question

How good do u have 2 be?

Answer 1

Generally speaking NHL scouts will have a look at a kid when he is in junior hockey, usually at a minimun age of 16. Of course players who are truly exceptional such as Gretzky, Crosby, John Tavares et al, usually have turned heads by the time they have been ten or so, but that's different from being scouted by the NHL.

Obviously you have to be pretty good to make the leagues that NHL scouts pay attention to, and they do pay attention to leagues other than the CHL-just not to the same degree. Once you make a team at that level then you have to go about standing out on that team.

Answer 2

There are kids as young as 15 playing the equivalent of semi-pro hockey, and they would be scouted. Most of them are actually playing for teams away from their homes, being billeted with local families, and yes, going to high school in their team's home town.

Teams at even that level are always watching out for the best players at that age. So, if you're 14 or 15 and haven't been noticed by a scout, chances are slim that you aren't good enough.

There is a great book on sports scouting entitled "Dollar Sign on the Muscle", Kevin Kerrane, Simon & Schuster (c) 1989. Yes, it's written about baseball scouts and scouting, but scouting is scouting. You'll get a good idea about the process and about the types of things that scouts look for in general.

Answer 3

Guys like Gretzky, Crosby and Spezza were noticed as early as 10 years of age. I'd say NHL scouts mainly focus at the ages of 14-18.

Most players drafted into the NHL come from the CHL (Canadian Hockey League), players are between the ages of 15-underager to 21-overager.

Answer 4

There is no real answer to this. Depending on the player and how good he is will determine how soon he is scouted. Bobby Orr was scouted at thirteen with the Oshawa Generals, one of the youngest ever to play junior hockey. however most kids are scouted when they are 16. My son is being watched by some Jr teams now and he is 13.

Answer 5

Scouting is one of those processes that is somewhat amorphus...by that, I mean that the actual process of ranking players and submitting them to Central Scouting usually happens around 16 and 17. They are then placed on what are called "Watch" lists, and circulated to all of the NHL organizations.

You can see an example of that type of thing here:

http://centralscouting.nhl.com/csmenu.nsf/public?openframeset&login=1&username=public+access&password=hockey+2004

To build these watch lists, however, kids are looked at and reviewed as they progress through the leagues they play in, and it can start as early as Bantams (13-14).

Answer 6

Kids get scouted as early as 13. Most kids that young play for a junior national team. Most players get discovered in 8th or 9th grade and move to private schools where they play as part of their schooling.

Answer 7

As soon as u make a Junior A team there r scouts watching but not before that

Answer 8

initially I play in scaha additionally and that i'm on a lower back to lower back national winning team. First you're able to love the sport and be stable. you're able to artwork hard and get on stable communities. If there is and scouting camps or something bypass to those.

Answer 9

Usually around 16 or 17, these are kids that have been playing hockey their whole lives.

Answer 10

16 Simple

you also have to be in a respectable lg as well i should know i am in that boat