Matt Dumba is a defenseman for the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League. The 5-foot-11.75, 183-pound defenseman was named WHL Rookie of the Year after scoring 15 goals and adding 11 assists in 62 games. He also had a tournament-high 12 points -- all assists -- to help Canada Pacific win the bronze medal at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. This summer, he played for Canada at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Tournament and also took part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Dumba has offered to maintain a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

When I first arrived in Toronto for the Scouting Combine, I was real nervous. Everything that I heard from everyone, I was pretty scared about the interviews. I didn't know what they were going to ask. But after the first couple I got some confidence, and I thought they really went well. I'm a pretty good speaker, so they just went smooth for me.

I had 19 interviews altogether, but I remember starting the first and being real nervous. As I went on, though, it got better and better and I got more relaxed and more confident as I went through.

I didn't get any strange questions -- nothing at all. Everyone else said they had something, but not me.

The fitness testing was a totally different experience. I looked in the testing room and I'd never seen something like that before. I had kind of heard stories and everything, but it was really cool, how it's all set up, how everyone is watching, critiquing you -- kind of nervous and scary at the same time. Once you get into the testing, and I started doing my thing, it was all good.

It's intimidating, for sure, but as you get comfortable in your own skin and taking off your shirt and stuff, it's good. I knew I was prepared for it all and I knew I was going to fare well on all the tests. I was happy with that.

I thought I did good on the vertical leap and especially the long jump -- I almost jumped off the mat there. And the pushups, I did really well on that.

The bikes tests were really tough. We bike a little in Red Deer at my gym in the summer, but we never did that. It's not a part of that. I'm not sure how they correlate to hockey, but I know what scouts are looking for -- how you battle and compete. I just wanted to go on there and do my best in that and give everything I have.

The Wingate test was first and it's tough. You've got to definitely focus in for those full 35 seconds. And it really is 35 -- you start and they say faster, faster and then you go and you've got to hit that for 30 seconds. I was good. I don't think I dropped off too much. I really pushed through. Wingate was one of my stronger ones.

The VO2 was next and I had done that at my gym before, but nothing like this. That was tough. I really put everything into it. At one point I think I blacked out. I didn't even know what I was doing -- I was just going. I don't know what happened, just the animal inside took over. It was good, though.

I'm done now, and it was a really good week. I'm happy I did this.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Jonathan Quick is not in the Devils heads. At least, he isn't in their heads as of yet.

After further dissection of their 2-1 overtime loss in Game 1, the Devils haven't backed down from their feeling that despite generating only 18 shots on goal they still had plenty of Grade A scoring chances against the Kings' goalie, a leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

"The opportunities were there," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "A lot of times we missed the net on some wide-open nets. The rebounds were there. We don't need to change, but we have to be better at the things we were doing."

There were also times, Parise said, that Quick was out of position.

For instance, he wasn't even close when Mark Fayne had a wide-open look at the net midway through the third period, only to have the bouncing puck flutter off his stick and go wide right. Quick was caught at the upper lip of his blue paint.

Before Parise was caught putting the puck into the net with his hand, he missed on a chance that came with Quick out of position, about two feet above the blue paint.

David Clarkson had a couple just like that as well.

"He's an aggressive goalie, he challenges the shooters, so if we can get some guys in position to get the rebounds I think we're going to get opportunities like that," Parise said. "We've just got to put them in."

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl

Hi all. Well, the NHL Scouting Combine is over for me.

I had a weird dream last night about NTDP defenseman Pat Sieloff hitting some guy in the head with a baseball bat. That's a true story, and I don't know how it happened, but I lost a little sleep over that. I woke up and ate a little breakfast before coming over [to the Toronto International Centre] and was a bit nervous. When you get here and can hear them yelling by the bike test, my blood pressure was probably a little higher than it should have been.

I think while I was in the early stages of the testing, I tried to focus on what I was doing and try to block everything else out. There are a lot of people watching you so I was just trying to do what I could. I thought doing the bench press right after push-ups was probably the toughest thing. I had to do push-ups, to vertical jump and right to bench, so I was a little fatigued.

I did some of these exercises at the NTDP, but I'm not smart to do all the conversions in my head. Some are easier than others, but they don't really give you answers while you're taking the test.

When it came to the Wingate test, I just got up on the bike and looked around and took everything in. It was cool with everything hanging up, and then I started pedaling and they're screaming at you and you just have to keep going. I think that was a pretty tough test coming in because you're just cold. Right after, I was dead. I wasn't really pedaling for the last five seconds. Personally, I didn't think having a guy screaming at me to motivate me to keep going didn't really help. I'm not really a guy who needs to get angry; I'm more of a guy who can focus and be calm. But it's something you're going to have to deal with playing in buildings with 20,000-plus people, so might as well get used to it.

After that test, I had a 20-minute break and sat in a room and was just dead tired. But it was tough because you knew you had to do another grueling thing and that was the toughest part of the whole day -- knowing I had to do another bike test [VO2 Max]. Once you're out of there, though, you just know you have to keep pedaling. That's all you're really doing. I thought the end of the VO2 was harder than the Wingate, but the beginning was easier because you got to build your way up, so I think it was easier on the legs and on the lungs. But in the end, you're totally empty.

Overall, it was a memory I'll take with me forever. In between bike tests, I was sitting in the room with Ryan Murray and we were both tired and talking to each other saying, 'What are we doing?' That was pretty cool because that was the first time I ever met him and it's nice to get to know everybody you're going up against and going through this with. They're all nice guys and we're all going through the same thing.

But it's over now. I'll probably head home and work out and do the same stuff, but I'm through with the Combine so now I can kind of enjoy the Draft. I'll have a lot of people coming and it'll be nice to share the Draft experience with everyone that has supported me through all this. Thanks for reading everyone!

Follow Jacob Trouba at: @jacobtrouba

TORONTO -- Les Jackson, director of scouting and player development for the Dallas Stars, has been doing his job for a long time, and is one of the more respected talent evaluators.

What he's learned over the years has shaped his approach to the Scouting Combine, which is different than many others.

Jackson said in the grand scheme of what he does, he doesn't gain a lot from the Combine, either in the interviews or the fitness testing.

"We take the season to evaluate the players and watch them," he told NHL.com. "Individual scouts in the areas meet with the players, find out about their backgrounds. We don't even really interview players at the Combine itself."

Jackson said he believes the interview set-up at the Combine doesn't do justice to the player are the teams.

TORONTO -- Phoenix Coyotes GM Don Maloney told NHL.com that he's happy with the 27th pick of the first round, but said there's a good chance he will move the pick.

"We're probably more inclined to move the pick one way or the other," he said. "A lot of this stuff gets talked about and dealt with on the draft floor. You look at what might be there. What's the value of dropping some to get an extra pick or two? Does that make sense? Or is there a guy that's sitting there that you might have in your top 12 sitting there at 19 or 20, you say maybe we throw something together to get up. For me, it's really exploring where we can go with it."

Maloney said he's willing to move the pick because the 2012 NHL Draft is considered deep in defensemen, and he feels that's a position of strength in his organization.

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

It's been a good week for me here at the Scouting Combine. When I arrived in the hotel I didn't know what to expect. I thought it would be like the Research and Development camp. But I expected more media, more scouts, more people, and that's what happened.

Since I didn't know what to expect from the NHL teams, I was a little nervous in the interviews. I think my first interview wasn't my best one. Then I got comfortable and I wanted to make sure they knew what kind of person I am and what kind of personality I have and I think I did that well.

Today I had the testing, and that was really different. When I walked into the room, the first thing I thought was, "Oh my god." So many media and they're just starting at you. You feel awkward a little bit, but then you see the things you've seen the before, like the bench press, the bikes. So you feel like, "OK, I know what this is," and just get in and perform.

All the tests are things I've done before, but I didn't do those things in one workout. It's stuff I've done, but once a year for the testing for your achievement back in Sarnia. It was a little different but I knew what was going on.

The bike tests at the end were really tough. You might think it's strange to have them duct tape your feet to the pedals or have them scream in your face, but I'm glad they did. I was actually wanting them to tape me in and I'm happy they did. You don't want to lose any seconds or power because your feet are moving. And my dad screams all the time at me to push me, so I got used to that. It was good. I like that they take the time and help me get better.

It was hard, but I'm a competitive person. I want to give everything out. On the Wingate I gave 100 percent, same on the VO2 -- 100 percent. I feel really relieved and happy about myself right now.

The VO2 test was a new thing for me. They put the thing in your mouth and close your nose with their fingers. I don't really like tight spaces, and you know when someone holds your nose you almost feel like you're dying, but I got used to it and it was good.

I'm not sure how I did on any one test, or if I did well or not. But I don't think it's the results 100 percent, that teams look for. It's how you give everything out. I know I gave everything out there. But we'll see what happens on June 22.

I'm heading home now, but I want to thank the NHL for the hospitality and for making this event so comfortable for the players. The hotel has been great, the teams have been nice and it's just an unbelievable experience. I'll remember this for the rest of my life, for sure.

TORONTO -- When Kevin Cheveldayoff arrived at the NHL Scouting Combine, it was in an entirely different role than his time here in years past.

It was at last year's Combine that the first seeds were planted that landed Cheveldayoff, then an assistant GM with the Chicago Blackhawks, as GM of the Winnipeg Jets.

Hired by the Jets on June 8, 2011, he had to hit the ground running heading into last year's draft. This year, he says, it's a bit different of an experience for him.

Jacob Trouba is a defenseman for the U.S. Under-18 National Team Development Program of the United States Hockey League. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound native of Rochester, Mich., was the youngest player on the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2012 World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Calgary, Alta. He also won his second straight gold medal for Team USA at the Under-18 World Championship in Czech Republic, connecting for one goal, three points and a plus-5 rating in six games. Trouba has agreed to give fans a players' perspective while attending the 2012 NHL Combine, scheduled May 28-June 2, by blogging his experiences.

Before I even had to start thinking about the fitness test on Friday, I had a great opportunity to join teammate Stefan Matteau on Wednesday for a fun night out at the Playdium in Mississauga.

Thanks to NHL.com for arranging the trip and I think a video is being made documenting our trip, so it's possible we'll get to relive the memories on NHL.com sometime soon. The Playdium is like a Dave & Buster's Arcade kind of place with lots of different things to do. If was fun … like being a kid again.

It was just good to get out of the hotel for a couple of hours and have some fun. Not that interviewing with NHL teams wasn't fun but, well, you get the idea.

The go-karts were alright. My car stopped halfway through so I got lapped by Matteau and he loved that. But the final camera angle has me in front of Matteau, even though he really lapped me. But that's fine with me because now it looks like I won -- and it's on tape.

TORONTO -- The San Jose Sharks were one of the most active teams at last year's draft, making a pair of moves that landed them defenseman Brent Burns and forward Martin Havlat. It might not be at the same level this year, but Sharks GM Doug Wilson could see his team being just as active this year.

"We have six picks, hopefully we'll have more picks by the time the draft comes around," Wilson told NHL.com. "We think it's a good draft, we really do. Lot of people do tend to just look at the top five or seven or 10 picks and value the draft on that basis. There's quality guys in those spots, but I think there's some really good players deeper in the draft that are going to play and have very successful careers."

The Sharks currently have the 17th pick in the first round, and Wilson said they'll stick to their philosophy of taking the best player available, regardless of position. However, if there's a player they like, Wilson said he won't be afraid to move up to get him.

TORONTO -- Marc Bergevin wasn't able to spend much time at the NHL Scouting Combine, but the new Montreal Canadiens general manager knows he has real good people in place that will help the team get the most out of the third pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.

Leading the way is Trevor Timmins, the club's highly respected director of procurement and player development.

"I didn't know Trevor other than who Trevor was," Bergevin, hired May 2, told NHL.com. "He's an outstanding person. The way he conducts his meeting, the way he runs his staff, is very impressive."

Bergevin, who left the Combine to return to Montreal late Thursday afternoon after arriving Wednesday night following the GM meetings in New York, said he'll have the final say on what the Canadiens do at the draft. However, he said Timmins and his scouting staff will play a major role in what happens June 22-23 in Pittsburgh.