Faub I’m a bit surprised you think a camp watching kids is an ok replacement for watching them play in games. There’s no way on this earth scouts could/would be ok with it. Way to many things to look for over a season that you just can’t see in a camp type session. If your just referring to this year I can understand it, but no way after a reg season.
Definitely not a replacement for scouting.
This season, doing something to see these kids needs to happen, both sides of the border. It should be more of a tournament/camp combination. Run a mini camp, do some testing etc then put them split them up into some teams and let them play. Obviously not the best circumstances, especially for kids on this side of the border but for this season it's something.
As for other seasons I've always wanted to see the league as a whole start approaching these kids at least the year going into their minor midget draft year and potentially even through two age groups including going into their second year of bantam. Again, both sides of the border. This wouldn't be so much for scouting, obviously it would be a part of it but more for general league wide recruiting.
Kids going into their second year of bantam, invite 100 - 150 to what amounts to a glorified hockey school. OHL staffs working with them on some skills training, off ice training etc for a couple of days then put them on some teams, if you could run 5 or 6 teams and have them play a mini tournament for 3 days, same with the kids going into midget minor. Again, run one on this side of the border and one on the US side. No current OHL players would be involved to avoid the playing with pros issue but having team staffs, coaches/trainers to run the activities along with scouts to give advice on what teams look for, areas to improve etc. I think this would pass the NCAA test, it would likely generate some more interest from undecided kids and the teams get an early view of kids that will be draft eligible in the next year or two.
Scouts approach kids all the time, based on what a team is looking for, that passes the NCAA test. The league running a camp for younger players should also pass the test, would the NCAA have an issue with NHL teams running camps for kids at this age? I doubt it so if an actual pro league could do it there's no reason why another league they consider to be pro couldn't do it which is why there should be no NCAA issues.
In the end the league as a whole gets a chance to sell the leagueto the top kids, provide them with the type of experience that gives the kids a taste of the expectations the league provides as well as the opportunity for each team to get an early look at the kids coming up. The best recruitment tool is the experience they'll have and the tie in to the players plaing in the NHL who have had that same experience.
This season, yeah they need to do something to get some type of view and a combine/skills camp should be one part of the equation along with some game type situations but in the future they need to reach out to kids with the same type of experience before they're draft eligible.