Scouting Combine 2026

[frontsfan67]

Your counterparts are the ones that care lol. Nobody else does.

The person were both thinking of is a word I can’t say on this site. Plain and simple. Just ignore him

Nobody else agrees with him

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Can't wait for all the juicy, juicy gossip about who went to dinner with whom, which conversations felt great, and which idiot listed himself at 6'3" but was actually barely 6'0".

I wonder if a team has ever been knocked down or propelled upwards on draft lists based on what food they get. If one of these guys wasn't a fan of mexican and just got the kids chicken fingers, would it knock them down a peg? Would ordering the most expensive item on the menu rub them the wrong way and make them think their contract negotiations would be a pain in the ass? Does one of these guys get something with way too much garlic that could be a pungent deterrent?

In a league where Brian Burke challenged someone to a barn fight over Dustin Penner, there's gotta be some petty shit like that out there.

 

[Bender Duster]

I wonder if a team has ever been knocked down or propelled upwards on draft lists based on what food they get. If one of these guys wasn't a fan of mexican and just got the kids chicken fingers, would it knock them down a peg? Would ordering the most expensive item on the menu rub them the wrong way and make them think their contract negotiations would be a pain in the ass? Does one of these guys get something with way too much garlic that could be a pungent deterrent?

In a league where Brian Burke challenged someone to a barn fight over Dustin Penner, there's gotta be some petty shit like that out there.

I was wondering the same thing. If a prospect mispronounces something when ordering "G-nockie and Kaiser salad please", spills a water jug across the table, or destroys a prime cut of beef by asking for it well done, he must get a frowny face next to his name, no?

 

[Brodeur]

I wonder if a team has ever been knocked down or propelled upwards on draft lists based on what food they get. If one of these guys wasn't a fan of mexican and just got the kids chicken fingers, would it knock them down a peg? Would ordering the most expensive item on the menu rub them the wrong way and make them think their contract negotiations would be a pain in the ass? Does one of these guys get something with way too much garlic that could be a pungent deterrent?

It was kinda the other way around, but Eli Manning was interviewed recently and the topic about him and San Diego popped up. Manning said he could sense some level of dysfunction between the coach, GM, and owner while they all had dinner before the draft. He also specifically mentioned how Marty Schottenheimer was annoyed that the owner had chosen dinner at a generic hotel rather than one of numerous better restaurants in New Orleans.

I'd imagine the dinners are a bit more relaxed and teams are just trying to get a better feel for how the kid is like off the ice. Over the years we've heard stories about how contentious some of the combine interviews can get. Brian Burke mentioned being frustrated with Nail Yakupov and Thomas Vanek, both guys were mentally checked out since Burke's teams weren't realistically going to draft them. Boston didn't have a good impression with Mat Barzal. Terry Ryan has joked about pissing off Mike Milbury during his interview with the Islanders.

On the flip side, Burke (and Pat Quinn) absolutely loved Brad May during the interview process but they didn't have a high enough pick to get him. Burke would later trade for May in Vancouver and Anaheim.

 

[coooldude]

I wonder if a team has ever been knocked down or propelled upwards on draft lists based on what food they get. If one of these guys wasn't a fan of mexican and just got the kids chicken fingers, would it knock them down a peg? Would ordering the most expensive item on the menu rub them the wrong way and make them think their contract negotiations would be a pain in the ass? Does one of these guys get something with way too much garlic that could be a pungent deterrent?

In a league where Brian Burke challenged someone to a barn fight over Dustin Penner, there's gotta be some petty shit like that out there.

I was wondering the same thing. If a prospect mispronounces something when ordering "G-nockie and Kaiser salad please", spills a water jug across the table, or destroys a prime cut of beef by asking for it well done, he must get a frowny face next to his name, no?

Only anecdotes I have on this are that Sharks took Macklin to the steakhouse a bunch of teams go to (a high end one) and he ordered the lean chicken like the hockey robot he is... the following year, same restaurant, Michael Misa ordered a Sundae.

Think they thought both were funny, but that Macklin's choice indicated his mindset as a step above. Obviously didn't hold the Sundae against Misa and gave him shit for it at the awkward zoom room at the draft.

 

[ForumNamePending]

When I was 18 I was 6'11" 130lbs, now in middle age I'm 5'4" 240lbs... Mostly muscle!

 

[Clint Eastwood]

I was wondering the same thing. If a prospect mispronounces something when ordering "G-nockie and Kaiser salad please", spills a water jug across the table, or destroys a prime cut of beef by asking for it well done, he must get a frowny face next to his name, no?

Caleb Malholtra is going to put ketchup on his steak at every dinner and mysteriously fall to 15th overall!

 

[Cold Steel on Ice]

When I was 18 I was 6'11" 130lbs, now in middle age I'm 5'4" 240lbs... Mostly muscle!

You lost 19 inches in height and gained 110 pounds?Interesting stats.

 

[FinlandPanther]

You lost 19 inches in height and gained 110 pounds?Interesting stats.

Generational, if you will.

 

[Leviathan899]

4 Czech goalies invited and we got 9 out of 90. Good numbers for us. Especially when most of us consider this a weaker draft class with no real tip top guy. Goalies look great but that will take years till (if) we see them in NHL.

Novotny being our big deal and he seems to have skipped a bit.

Looking forward to watching one of your boys, Katolicky, in Sarnia next year. Any Czech kids you think are going to be top 5-10 import picks this year?

 

[Leviathan899]

We're not talking about strength here. We're talking about being in poor shape at the Combine is signs of poor work ethic / discipline, and it veered into weight specifically.

So for example Noah Östlund being 164lbs while having the lowest body fat percentage at the Combine, or Ivan Ryabkin being 210lbs at 5'11" and not exactly having one of the lowest body fat percentages. I'm arguing that this is more of a negative because it shows that they haven't put in enough of an effort to get to a good size, than it is a positive that there are easy gains to be made by them getting to a good size.

In that sense I agree with you, coming into the combine overweight or looking like you haven’t been taking care of your diet or been in the gym is often a sign of laziness or a poor work ethic. I think many assumed you were talking about a classic ectomorph, a kid who’s very lean and struggles to add lean muscle mass. I think McKenna is like this, he’ll likely never look like he’s “built” and will struggle to add muscle mass to his frame.

 

[My3Sons]

Since people are sharing, went to college as a young freshman (turned 18 couple months before school started) at 6'4" and 175lbs. Wide back, wide hips, otherwise just a skinny kid.

Left at 220lbs (not all good, mind you, but I had never worked out before college).

Today in early 30's without doing much cardio hover around 212-215. In my best shape was 208ish.

As a high school senior woukd you have gained any real muscular bulk from weight lifting or did it take some time for you to fill out? As a bigger guy that’s the sort of question an NHL prospect would be subjected to.

 

[dmcccdmn]

Grier will have Stenberg and Reid go 1on1 against Will Smith. Whoever loses to Will Smith will not get selected 2AO.

If both lose, he's trading down because that's embarrassing losing to Will Weaklin' Smith.

 

[Juniorhockeyguru]

It's literally the same thing as a CHL team claiming a now-NCAA player

And why wouldn't they?

 

[Grub]

Canucks having dinners with Stenberg and Chase Reid.

 

[bigdog16]

And why wouldn't they?

Because it just speaks to the CHL’s Napolean Complex and struggle to come to reality that NCAA is flat out better hockey.

 

[Grub]

Hasn't been a lot of info on the combine?

 

[lanky]

Hasn't been a lot of info on the combine?

The best we can hope for at this point is who dined with who.

 

[FlyguyOX]

As a high school senior woukd you have gained any real muscular bulk from weight lifting or did it take some time for you to fill out? As a bigger guy that’s the sort of question an NHL prospect would be subjected to.

I doubt it. Not like my parents are muscular, either; they have never really weight lifted. I've got good ankle mobility though so chalk one up for skating potential.

 

[Chainshot]

 

[hockeeyyy]

I had no idea Morozov was so young. He is still 17 until August.

 

[majormajor]

Grier will have Stenberg and Reid go 1on1 against Will Smith. Whoever loses to Will Smith will not get selected 2AO.

If both lose, he's trading down because that's embarrassing losing to Will Weaklin' Smith.

And if they both win?

 

[Mjul Qvist]

And if they both win?

Smith gets traded?

 

[My3Sons]

I doubt it. Not like my parents are muscular, either; they have never really weight lifted. I've got good ankle mobility though so chalk one up for skating potential.

Hopefully you get drafted this cycle.

 

[FlyguyOX]

Hopefully you get drafted this cycle.

Never too late.

My DM's are open if any NHL scouts would like to setup an interview