panoo

Diary Entries - Friday, June 1
More than 100 draft-eligible players from around the world are in Toronto for the National Hockey League's annual Draft Combine. Check our combine diary below for news and updates as the NHL's 30 teams evaluate hockey's future stars.

5:00pm et - Keaton Ellerby is a big kid, but he definitely needs more weight. His lack of strength showed on the bench.

Karl Alzner didn't show a lot strength wise for somebody who is 6' 2'' and 202 lbs. He looked a little soft as far as body composition goes.

Californian Jonathan Blum put on a display in the balance portion - true to his surfer form.

James vanRiemsdyk looked very strong with 11 reps a machine.

Kyle Turris, who is on the small side, definitely did not embarrass himself. He showed excellent agility and his balance was well above average.

Thomas Hickey was good on the sprint bike and did well in control and stamina.

Patrick Kane attracted a lot of attention and did nothing to disappoint teams from taking him with top pick. He looked to be strong and in good shape.

Dana Tyrell, who is just 5'11'' and 180 lbs, had an impressive 12 reps on the bench - more than likely the high of the day He showed strength beyond his size. He also ripped it up on the sprint-bike and did well in agility. People seemed surprised at how well he did.

2:22pm et - Omsk forward Alex Cherepanov was part of the afternoon group. He looks like a smaller kid by size, and it really showed in the 150-pound bench press with only three reps. He did make a good impression with his vertical jump. He was also in good spirits and all smiles, which always sets a good precedent for scouts.

Angelo Esposito did six reps of 150 pounds on the bench. He carries a solid frame and did well on the agility tests and on the bike.

Colton Gillies was also 'single digits' on the bench press. But the big forward looked fairly good on the bike.

11:50am et - The morning group included Sudbury Wolves forward Akim Aliu, ranked 41st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. At 6-3 and over 200 pounds, he impressed a lot of scouts with his frame.

Halifax Mooseheads forward Jakub Voracek struggled a bit on the bench press (150 pounds).

Red Deer Rebels centre Brandon Sutter has the talent and pedigree to be a top prospect, but has 'Ryan Miller legs' (skinny) holding up his 6-2, 170-pound frame. He made a good impression on the sit-up segment of the physical testing and looked like he could go all day. He also did well on sprint bike and agility testing, and he'll need that speed while he builds on his weight.

Another player who made a good impression was winger Stefan Legein of the Mississauga IceDogs. He was one of 40 draft-eligible prospects selected to participate in the 2007 CHL Top Prospects Game and won the fastest skater competition with a lap time of 14.109 seconds. He has a smaller frame at 5-10, but has plenty of bulk. He appears to be testing well, impressing scouts with his work on the stationary bike.

As expected, London Knights forward Sam Gagner is turning a lot of eyes.

Swedish goalie and 'Swedish Idol' Mark Owuya is also making a good impression with his size (6-2, 200 pounds) and strength.

Calgary Hitmen defenceman Alex Plante, a big guy at 6-3, and 225 pounds, did 11 reps on the bench press. Eleven is the standard that no one has broken yet.

FULL STORY