The Director of Player Personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs made a surprise visit this afternoon at Kelowna Rockets training camp. I had to ask Al Coates why he was sitting at Prospera Place watching the players go through the paces. Was he in Kelowna to sign prospect Luke Schenn and take him away to Toronto? As it turned out, none of the above was true. Here's the conversation I had with Coates.
"I was debating whether to even stop or not because of red flags. My son (Jeffrey) is going to the Okanagan Hockey Academy, so he has to be there for training camp in a couple of days so that's why I thought I'd stop by Rockets training camp."
You were hired by the Leafs late this summer, but what do you think of prospect Luke Schenn?
"I think he's a really good player. I have to say at the outset, I wasn't involved in amateur scouting last year with Anaheim nor was I with Toronto in time really to have any input into that. I think Cliff (Fletcher) did a terrific job of moving up in the draft to get a young man that most people think is a top two-three defenseman in the NHL for a long time to come, so those are the kinds of people if it works out the way everyone expects it too to build championship teams around. You have to start somewhere. I think we've made some significant changes in Toronto. About 25 percent of our team quite frankly, and if you run that over on into the draft, then I believe the organization is headed in the right direction".
Are you under the belief that Luke Schenn can play with the Leafs this season?
"I think what has to happen is...sure he can play, but should he play and can he play and will he play? I am sure that's what he thinks. He was good at rookie camp, and I think that's what training camp is all about. I think Cliff Fletcher along with Ron Wilson and hopefully I have a little bit of input when we get to that point, we look at all of our young players and we make the right decision for both the player and the organization, for the long term and not just the short term."
Because the Rockets are projected to be an elite team in the WHL this season, does that give you a sense of leaving him in junior for another season rather than hustling him along to play in Toronto?
"I think it's one of those factors that you take into account. I think you sit around a board table sometime through training camp or at the end of training camp and you make an evaluation, and take in all the factors include a strong junior team that has good coaching and good ownership and you factor all these things into making an evaluation. It would be very persumcious for me to say one way or the other to say what the outcome will be. Toronto is playing nine exhibition games, so their is tremendous opportunity for all of the young players to demonstrate what they are capable of doing."
I always wonder how much pressure will be on the shoulders of Luke Schenn from not just the fans, but the media in Toronto, when he indeed wears Leafs colours?
"He seems like a pretty polished young guy, and I've had the good fortune myself...say in Calgary when Iginla came in as a young player, the key really is to have not just management and coaches around, but leadership around young people so you can help guide them through the nasty waters, and their are some for sure. Toronto, Montreal and all Canadian cities frankly, and two or three in the United States, you are under media scrutiny all the time and it goes a little less noticed if you have a real top end team and your winning all the time and they don't pay as much attention to somebody, whether it's the captain of the team or an 18 year-old prospect. But I think the media attention is a good thing. I think it builds character. I think it brings people together and it helps bond a team together. Quite frankly it develops mental toughness and it's all part of the process of being a pro for a long, long time."
"I was debating whether to even stop or not because of red flags. My son (Jeffrey) is going to the Okanagan Hockey Academy, so he has to be there for training camp in a couple of days so that's why I thought I'd stop by Rockets training camp."
You were hired by the Leafs late this summer, but what do you think of prospect Luke Schenn?
"I think he's a really good player. I have to say at the outset, I wasn't involved in amateur scouting last year with Anaheim nor was I with Toronto in time really to have any input into that. I think Cliff (Fletcher) did a terrific job of moving up in the draft to get a young man that most people think is a top two-three defenseman in the NHL for a long time to come, so those are the kinds of people if it works out the way everyone expects it too to build championship teams around. You have to start somewhere. I think we've made some significant changes in Toronto. About 25 percent of our team quite frankly, and if you run that over on into the draft, then I believe the organization is headed in the right direction".
Are you under the belief that Luke Schenn can play with the Leafs this season?
"I think what has to happen is...sure he can play, but should he play and can he play and will he play? I am sure that's what he thinks. He was good at rookie camp, and I think that's what training camp is all about. I think Cliff Fletcher along with Ron Wilson and hopefully I have a little bit of input when we get to that point, we look at all of our young players and we make the right decision for both the player and the organization, for the long term and not just the short term."
Because the Rockets are projected to be an elite team in the WHL this season, does that give you a sense of leaving him in junior for another season rather than hustling him along to play in Toronto?
"I think it's one of those factors that you take into account. I think you sit around a board table sometime through training camp or at the end of training camp and you make an evaluation, and take in all the factors include a strong junior team that has good coaching and good ownership and you factor all these things into making an evaluation. It would be very persumcious for me to say one way or the other to say what the outcome will be. Toronto is playing nine exhibition games, so their is tremendous opportunity for all of the young players to demonstrate what they are capable of doing."
I always wonder how much pressure will be on the shoulders of Luke Schenn from not just the fans, but the media in Toronto, when he indeed wears Leafs colours?
"He seems like a pretty polished young guy, and I've had the good fortune myself...say in Calgary when Iginla came in as a young player, the key really is to have not just management and coaches around, but leadership around young people so you can help guide them through the nasty waters, and their are some for sure. Toronto, Montreal and all Canadian cities frankly, and two or three in the United States, you are under media scrutiny all the time and it goes a little less noticed if you have a real top end team and your winning all the time and they don't pay as much attention to somebody, whether it's the captain of the team or an 18 year-old prospect. But I think the media attention is a good thing. I think it builds character. I think it brings people together and it helps bond a team together. Quite frankly it develops mental toughness and it's all part of the process of being a pro for a long, long time."
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