Long road trips take their toll on players

Friday, 11.18.2011 / 1:08 AM

By Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer / Life as a Scout

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Life as a Scout
Long road trips take their toll on players
MOOSE JAW, Sask. -- Have you ever wondered if a scout takes into consideration a long road trip for a potential prospect in an upcoming game he intends to view?

  The mighty moose at tourist info center in Moose Jaw
Well, NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards does.

While Edwards will always chart and view players equally, he also knows they're only human.

"Last Sunday, for instance, Guelph was in Brampton in the afternoon and they played Sarnia the night before [on Saturday]," Edwards recalled.

Actually, Guelph suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to Erie on Nov. 4 before making the 2.5-hour drive to Sarnia (a 6-5 victory) the following night and then getting on a bus at 11 a.m. on Nov. 6 to travel to Brampton (a 3-1 loss). So that would be three games in basically two-in-a-half-days.

"That takes its toll on these guys, and not many leagues do it that way," Edwards said. "Now, on the flip side to that, if a player I'm scouting stands out despite the travel time and game action, then that's a kid that certainly will get close attention."

Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale
 
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