Ideally you sit there and see your depth chart and make your pick accordingly, but when its our time to pick, were going to try to get the player that is going to have the most impact for the Blackhawks, Kelley said. Hes got a great presence.. People dont really see that part of it. The one thing I would say about our staff, I think all the scouts are aggressive. A WHL player who came down to play in the USHL. Like, I have a 23-year-old, a 21-year-old and a 19-year-old at home, and its like kids are dumb sometimes. https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1499844233775230980?s=20&t=osmVEnMJ4zPGKdJMDQ9KXw. When we watch the league, how its going now, the big defenders are having a lot of success or I should say the teams that have the big defenders are having a lot of success. I think that were very, very thorough. I know his coach, Jussi Ahokas, really liked him. Its the digital age, after all. But the Blackhawks likely would have to leap ahead of at least Carolina at No. Blackhawks.com is the official website of the Chicago Blackhawks. I think that came naturally being around it, said the 59-year-old Kelley, whose older brother David is married to Michelle Pfieffer and is a television writer and producer. But he wants to play as fast as we can. 12? Just like Kelley used to ask his dad a lot of questions, he now asks his staff an abundance of them. He wasnt pursuing something bigger then. Jack was the perfect person to ask such questions to, too. So far with Bowman as general manager, 17 of Kelleys 62 drafted players have made it to the NHL. We have a great relationship, Kelley said. 3 and 5 in NHL Central Scouting final rankings for North American skaters, respectively. If they draft poorly, well, they probably wont. As of now, the Blackhawks dont have a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, but Doneghey said hes prepared for anything and everything. Two years later, Kelley was made the Blackhawks director of amateur scouting. In a lot of ways, it was a natural transition for him. Mark Kelley Contact Information. A lot of length to his game. You need help? said Blackhawks vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley. So I guess that was my first time I ever recruited.. Not that we can lead with size, but yeah, size is always good to have. Shoots the puck as good as anyone in the draft. He wants to build the team a certain way, Doneghey said. Blackhawks NHL draft preview: Hawks 'excited about the quality' of When Penguins general manager Craig Patrick was fired after the 2005-06 season, Kelley had to go looking for a new job as well. The Blackhawks are feeling that lack of offensive talent throughout their organization, especially at the NHL level. (1:02) - The growth of Blackhawks rookie Kirby Dach wasn't expected this soon, (5:36) - Not having the combine hurts scouting, (9:24) - Characterizing the 2020 draft class, (12:35) - Finding another Brayden Point in the draft, (16:20) - Blackhawks drafting philosophy is to take best player available, (22:35) - Charlie and Slavko react to Mark Kelley interview, Presented By Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich, article_body => "
With the unprecedented way this year has impacted the NHL, teams are getting creative with how they prepare for offseason activities including the NHL Draft. Follow Scott on Twitter @byscottpowers, Lukas Reichel is considered one of the Blackhawks top prospects. Overall, though, its a weak forward group, and Davidson acknowledged as much recently. His coaches like him and hes engaged down the middle. That is true. As he enters a position back in amateur scouting, hes found that time in pro evaluation to be huge. We have to deal with the salary cap. Its been brewing for several years, the source said. Mark Kelley on Lukas Reichel | NHL.com 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. He was always asking the kind of questions with a little more probing than the other kids were. Mark Kelley Team Staff Profile - Elite Prospects What stood out for us this year playing for Canada, he was on that top line with Shane Wright and Dylan Guenther, and he showed a lot of compatibility in his game. Copyright 1999-2020 Chicago Blackhawk Hockey Team, Inc. and the National Hockey League. Biography of Mark Kelley - The Official Board Jack was around the Stanley Cup last year and will be again this summer, as his grandson Andy Saucer is a video coach for the Penguins. Him, Norm and Jeff, they have certain traits and characteristics where they want to build it, and its my job to find those players that check those boxes, if you will. (Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports), Andrew Shaw was a fifth-round draft pick by Mark Kelley. Why the Blackhawks needed a change in their amateur scouting leadership Mike Donaghey, the Hawks director of player personnel, will now oversee amateur scouting on an interim basis, while the Hawks pro scouts will temporarily report directly to Davidson. Weve been watching him for three years, hes a late 02. They can be dominating a league, but you have to look beyond and ask are they dominating it just because maybe theyve been on that team for a few years and maybe theyre bigger than everybody. They were that good. By Mark Lazerus. Now I go in and Im running this staff, and its like, hey, a lot of times what we think they are, theyre really not. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. So I think the biggest thing is youre not scouting for someone who can come in and help you that next season. As of now, the Blackhawks don't have a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, but Doneghey said he's prepared for anything and everything. To this day, Kelley is grateful for his experiences in Russia. Follow our coverage of the 2022 NHL Draft live. Goaltenders can be a challenge to project, said Blackhawks vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley. Email. According to Slavko Bekovic of NBC Sports Chicago, the following players have met with the Blackhawks multiple times this week in Buffalo: NTDP left winger Matthew Boldy, a Boston College commit, Caufield and Zegras have also met with the team. All those experiences added up. Mark Kelley always asked his father Jack questions that were more inquisitive about hockey than his two brothers. Jack believes now he was too tough on Kelley as a player because he didnt want anyone else on the team to think he was soft with his son. Kyle Davidson is not wasting anytime shaping this front office the way he wants it. Hes very easy to find when hes on the ice. Mark has done a great job from that perspective.. Thats our job., (Photo of Dawson Mercer: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images). But we had a great sample size on him for two years. After 15 seasons of being with the Blackhawks organization and winning three Stanley Cups, VP of amateur scouting Mark Kelley was let go today. With the Blackhawks prospect pool so thin and Kyle Davidson taking over as general manager, I think it was best that both sides went their separate ways. There has to be a skill set that we can recognize that transfers to the NHL. It wouldnt be surprising if his philosophical thoughts on amateur scouting didnt line up with those of Kelley and Bowman. Like Jim McKeller with Isaak Phillips when he came out of Sudbury, he was like, I know this guy better than anybody. Stewart was promoted to assistant GM alongside Davidson and Mark Eaton in November 2020 after rising up the organizational ladder steadily since 2006. Chicago Blackhawks : NHL : Scout : Amateur Scout : 2007-08 Chicago Blackhawks : NHL : Scout : Amateur Scout : 2008-09 . Maybe one of those most skilled players in the draft. Before that, he was the sports editor of the Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana. He had a say in a lot of the draft picks, especially the first-rounders, and he was on board with the organizations philosophies. He has also written for the Daily Herald and the Chicago Sun-Times and has been a sportswriter in the Chicagoland area for the past 15 years. With a Premium subscription, you'll get access to over 30 tools, features and benefits. Hes one of those offensive defensemen with great ability to create offense. Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkLazerus. I would say from probably about November on, Im not sure anyone had a better year in the CHL. Three of those players have been 6-foot-6 or taller. Hes 89. Blackhawks head scout Mark Kelley breaks down the NHL - The Athletic His numbers in the J20 (league) in Sweden (13 points in 11 games) speak for themselves. Their departures which came three days after Davidson was named permanent GM pave the way for Davidson to overhaul the people and perspectives that form his inner circle and foreshadow more departures. Complete player biography and stats. There was a game during the 1976-77 season where Colby upset Northeastern, giving Jack his 300thcareer victory. (NHL Draft Guide 2021: From ranking the prospects to mock drafts, heres everything you need to know.). Hes very well respected in the scouting fraternity.. The projection on him, the upside, is really, really enticing. Mikes a super passionate guy, Davidson said. Podcast: Blackhawks' Mark Kelley previews 2021 NHL Draft - RSN The number of actual games that were being attended wasnt good enough. Try a week on us. 5 NA), Center/Left wing Trevor Zegras of NTDP/Boston University commit (No. He can get them the puck. 88K subscribers in the hawks community. I think we go into every draft with goaltenders that we would like to target at certain times. He made the call on selecting Phillip Danault, Brandon Saad, Teuvo Teravainen and Alex DeBrincat, among others. Hes just immersed in it.. Hes 6-5, skates, mobile, he thinks the game, he has the presence. Thats the reality when seven of your past 10 picks in the first and second round have been for a position other than forward. As we get beyond that, he knows these guys and I have to really defer to his opinion and I have to trust hes seeing it the way I would see it if I were a full-time scout and I cant be. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League He just wanted to know more. What was most impressive about Sillinger was how quickly he assimilated into the Sioux Falls team. Kelley was allowed to go everywhere his dad was as a coach and just paid attention. He spent six seasons on the Blackhawks beat for the Chicago Sun-Times after covering Notre Dame's run to the. The Blackhawks went to the playoffs in 2002 and didnt do so again until 2009. I think I had two or three conversations with Pierre. Blackhawks head scout Mark Kelley breaks down the NHL draft big board - The Athletic Playoff scenarios J.J. Watt to retire Season predictions 3.0 Power Rankings Best of The Athletic 2022. Mark Kelley joins Charlie Roumeliotis as they discuss the Blackhawks' 2020 draft board, how they have scouted players and Mark's thoughts on the incoming class. Kelley recaps 2021 NHL Draft | NHL.com Scott Powers is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Blackhawks. Blackhawks vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley said things didn't change all that much when they moved up nine spots in the lottery to grab the No. Mark Lazerus is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Blackhawks and the NHL. Both Caufield and Turcotte are committed to the University of Wisconsin, while Zegras is heading to Boston University next season. Why Boston's David E. Kelly Roots For The Hawks - NBC Chicago He was also with the organization for 15 seasons. When the Blackhawks finally got their chance at No. They grew to understand each others hockey philosophies more closely, and Kelley began to recognize exactly what Bowman and Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville wanted in players. If you went in and said you want a goaltender, a forward, a center, or a defenseman and the fits not there well, I think you really have to get value with your pick. Here are nine other possible targets for Oct. 6, with Kelleys thumbnail analysis on each: 2019-20 stats: 24 goals, 36 assists in 42 games, Kelleys take: Very good player. The plan now and in the coming years is to stockpile as many high draft picks as possible. So for me, the last two years has been a learning experience. This is your daily thread to talk about the latest hockey news. Previously, he covered the Blackhawks and the White Sox for ESPN Chicago. Most recently in the AHL with Binghamton Whalers. Mark Lazerus is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Blackhawks. It just comes naturally.. Hear from VP of Amatuer Scouting Mark Kelley on Chicago's selection of Lukas Reichel in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft. But of any of the Blackhawks hockey operations personnel, the one who may matter the most beyond Davidson is director of amateur scouting Mike Doneghey. After the shock of the draft lottery in early April, Kelley cancelled a European scouting trip to watch the WHL playoffs, which gives a clue to some of the top targets: Bowen Byram, Dylan Cozens, Kirby Dach and Peyton Krebs, plus Americans such as Alex Turcotte, Trevor Zegras and Cole Caufield. - Improve your search rank I really like the way he talks about players, the respects he holds in the room to draw out the opinions and information we need as a managing group to make the ultimate decision. On the way home from the 2006 draft, Kelley happened to run into Dale Tallon, the Blackhawks general manager at the time, at the airport. Blackhawks' front-office changes begin with departures of Mark Kelley, Ryan Stewart Kelley, the Hawks' longtime scouting director, and Stewart, one of their two remaining assistant GMs, are gone as new GM Kyle Davidson begins restructuring the organization. Hell, even Crawford took more than seven years to become an NHL regular. 4 NA), Center/Right wing Dylan Cozens of WHL Lethbridge (No. Scott Powers is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Blackhawks. Perry believes the time to say goodbye is now, especially with every founding band member over the age of 70. If you have the pick and the value is there, Id love to draft a goaltender that turns out to be a franchise goalie for the Blackhawks. Mike Doneghey, the man behind Blackhawks' draft picks The other kids were enjoying the game, playing the game. He plays with a lot of speed, a lot of power, and really has a presence going up the ice. 3 pick in the June NHL draft. Blackhawks' front-office changes begin with departures of Mark Kelley The past two seasons Doneghey moved to pro player evaluation. If youre wondering, yes, last years interminable second day of the NHL draft was every bit as boring for those drafting as for those of us watching. Five of his drafted players have contributed to Blackhawks Stanley Cup championships. We only use official stats. They take time in development. Hes complementary in that his skill set goes very well with skilled wingers. Another part of the equation was not drafting the right forwards. Having traded away their first-round picks in 2015 and 2016 is certainly part of the equation. -- Hawks VP of amateur scouting Mark Kelley Forward Colton Dach, 18 Taken: Second round, 62nd overall; Height, weight: 6-4, 196 Skinny: Younger brother of current Blackhawks center, Kirby. Mark Kelley - Elite Prospects I think his skill set is a little bit underappreciated. It is what it is. Kelley didnt realize it at the time, but the in-depth questions he asked and the thorough answers he received from his father were unintentionally preparing him for his career. I dont want to draft any higher than 18. (Bill Smith / NHLI via Getty Images). Director of scouting Mark Kelley breaks down potential Blackhawks draft targets. You have to look three, four, five years out and try to envision what this player will be like. If the Blackhawks draft well with those picks, then theyll likely improve. Blackhawks Sports NHL Blackhawks drawn to 1st-round pick Nolan Allan by the 'subtleties of his game' Allan's performance with Canada at the under-18 world championship impressed Hawks general manager Stan Bowman and scouting director Mark Kelley. If we lose, I wont talk to him for a couple days hoping thats not the topic of the discussion. He played in Jyvskyl, which is the hometown of Mikko Luoma, our Finnish scout. Beyond them, Landon Slaggert (2020 third-round pick) and Colton Dach (2021 second-round pick) are thought to have NHL potential. Tags: I think its a product of the game.. As for Kelley, as VP of Amateur Scouting for the past fifteen years he also had a significant role in the team's cultivation of young talent. The price would be, in our case, prohibitive, I think.. Kelley has also shared all those Stanley Cup experiences with his father. 6 NA), Right wing Cole Caufield of NTDP/Wisconsin commit (No. It tends to be an even crappier shoot when it comes to goalies. I try to make a point of seeing the top 30, 40 players because at least when were looking at that first guy that I have some kind of frame of reference. That being said, Wallstedts numbers and his performance in the SHL got everyones attention. So weve had a good dose of him internationally. Even when I was at Bridgewater, I was able to put teams together, make trades, pick players up, go out scouting and watch younger players, so Ive always liked the scouting aspect of it. Kelley is always in general manager Stan Bowmans ear as the draft approaches, trying to get him to move up. Big upside on him. But getting into scouting in the NHL, if you didnt play I always tell people, it was like trying to get season tickets at Fenway Park, like someone had to die if you want to move on. He was tuning out scouts in some regions. You can get a taste, but the live viewing is very important, Kelley said. He plays hard. Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkLazerus. Hes had quite a bit of exposure with the national team, and then to watch what he did this year as an 18-year-old in the SHL was impressive. So the Blackhawks have never been in a huge rush to draft goalies, preferring alternate means of finding ready-made goalies, such as free agency (Ray Emery, Cam Ward, Robin Lehner), plundering other teams developmental systems (Scott Darling) or scouring Europe (Antti Raanta, Kevin Lankinen). We go very in depth on the character, relationships with teammates, how he reacts in situations, Kelley said. 13 in order to have a chance. 17 (a byproduct of the qualifying-series victory over the Edmonton Oilers), but Kelley and his staff certainly have had their eyes on him. In the middle 10, well, its not so clear. The odds are there. And they all came. The Chicago Blackhawks and Blackhawks.com are trademarks of Chicago Blackhawk Hockey Team, Inc. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. Previously, the staff had its own regions, but there was a lot of crossing over. The hardest thing you have to do is projecting as opposed to what are they doing in their current league because it can cut both ways, Bowman said. Its a good thing Ill be there to get him live because its going to be hard to get him. Try a week on us. In those drafts, Chicago has chosen just 12 goaltenders four in the seventh round, four in the sixth round, one in the fourth . Kelley was there when the Blackhawks drafted Kane in 2007. Its recruiting, recruiting, recruiting, and, well, I always I liked the recruiting part of it more than I liked the on-ice part of it. Mark Kelley joins Charlie Roumeliotis as they discuss the Blackhawks\u2019 2020 draft board, how they have scouted players and Mark's thoughts on the incoming class. To qualify, a. Director of scouting Mark Kelley breaks down potential Blackhawks draft They really went with four- and five-man units.. Another one who competes real hard. Really impressive. Alec Regula, Isaak Phillips and Jakub Galvas have been getting more NHL games than Beaudin and Mitchell of late. Thankfully, I knew Ronnie Anderson, who I played for at Merrimack, worked for the Blackhawks, and he was transitioning to his new role, so they were looking for a part-time guy in New England.. When Tallon was fired a year later, Kelley sat down with Blackhawks president John McDonough for about two hours and Kelley stayed on board. This years draft has one of those goalies: 18-year-old Russian phenom Yaroslav Askarov. In Flint, hes shown a great skill set, the ability to run numbers. New Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson isnt waiting long to restructure the front office. I think I learned a lot just about the way the game was played over there, Kelley said. Edmonton lost Guenther for the under-18s, and I dont want to say they didnt miss him, because of course they did, but Cossa, he stayed the course. 51. ", short_title => "Podcast: Blackhawks' Mark Kelley on 2020 NHL Draft", alias => "\/chicago\/blackhawks\/blackhawks-talk-podcast-mark-kelley-2020-nhl-draft", title => "Blackhawks Talk Podcast: Mark Kelley on 2020 NHL Draft", mps => {"author_0":"Charlie Roumeliotis"}, sponsor => "Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich", meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/chicago\/blackhawks\/blackhawks-talk-podcast-mark-kelley-2020-nhl-draft.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/chicago\/2020\/09\/29\/DachKelleyGetty.jpg"]}. He shows an ability to put the puck in the net, and also make the plays with his wingers., 2019-20 stats: 10 goals, 18 assists in 44 games, Kelleys take: We have a lot of information on him. I think its to the point he knows exactly what Im looking for and I understand how he motivates our staff and how he leads them and guides them. Nobody is looking at yesterday. Unfortunately for Chaz, he had an illness not COVID-19 and was unable to play (in the U-18 Worlds) in Texas. I forget who said it, but some GM said, the only way to hit on more players is to have more picks, Doneghey said. So if not Askarov, then whom might the Blackhawks take at No. Oct 7, 2020. He was part of the scouting process in helping the Blackhawks identify players like Kevin Hayes, Alex DeBrincat, Phillip Danault and Brandon Saad. He called me back and he gave me the job. Hes a puck-mover, creates offense, hes a dynamo on the point. Left-handed defenseman Bowen Byram of WHL Vancouver (No. Bowman trusts Kelley and Kelley trusts his staff of 13 scouts. Great vision. Great mobility, great range. When Im watching young kids play, certain young kids just pick up things and understand things. Hell feel even better once the expansion draft is out of the way and things really get cooking. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports) All those experiences added up. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update staff stats. What you need to know: Kelley, 19, recorded five points (three goals, two assists) in 25 games this season as a freshman for the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. As the draft moves on, youre looking more at the depth chart. Braden reminds me a little of (Brent Seabrook). So, actually, JR without knowing it helped me get my job too.. All Rights Reserved. Graham Knott was their top pick in the 2015 draft, and he never played an NHL game before being traded. I dont look at it as a challenge, Kelley said. When speaking of his strengths, Davidson brought up amateur scouting. Pierre Gauthier, who is now the Blackhawks player personnel director, hired Kelley with the Nordiques. Kelley is especially proud of drafting players who helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. Kelley had a goal and two assists in the win. Two of the highest-ranking members of the hockey-operations department Ryan Stewart, the assistant GM who headed pro scouting, and Mark Kelley, the longtime amateur scouting director were let go Friday by the Hawks, according to a team memo. He was with his dad after wins and losses. Davidson also liked how Doneghey can gather information from his scouting group and present it. The Swedish scouts scouted the Swedish league; Mikko Luoma had Finland covered; Andrei Nikolishin handled the Russian players; and Karel Pavlik took Slovakia, the Czech Republic and even snuck into Germany, as Kelley put it. 11 votes, 11 comments. Blackhawks' search for the No. 3 pick began long before they moved up That just gets your attention right there. Uncle: Paul Kelley (Top photo of Nicolas Beaudin, center, with team representatives after being selected in the first round of the 2018 draft: Jerome Miron / USA Today). With some of the players were watching, what were really looking to see is what they do away from the puck. Really, really good with the puck. One person suggested it could take as little as five years and as many as 10. Hats off to the Chicago Steel. All the above listed tests will be open to NHL teams and the media. He would never go four, five, six days without a phone call, just to see how everything is going. He gets in there and battles. Previously, he covered the Blackhawks and the White Sox for ESPN Chicago. Later on in the pod, Charlie is joined by Slavko Bekovic to react to the Mark Kelley interview and discuss their key takeaways that fans should pay attention to.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(1:02) - The growth of Blackhawks rookie Kirby Dach wasn't expected this soon<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(5:36) - Not having the combine hurts scouting<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(9:24) - Characterizing the 2020 draft class<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(12:35) - Finding another Brayden Point in the draft<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(16:20) - Blackhawks drafting philosophy is to take best player available<\/p>\r\n\r\n
(22:35) - Charlie and Slavko react to Mark Kelley interview<\/p>\r\n\r\n