Edwards learned from the best

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. -- Long before NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards became a respected scout, he was learning from the best of them.

It's the same road every scout takes, actually.

"Mike Sands worked with us at Central Scouting and I did a lot of traveling with him," Edwards said. "Then, he went on to Calgary and I actually took his job scouting when he left, but he was a guy who really helped me out a lot."

Sands previously served as an amateur scout for the Flames and with Central Scouting.

But the list doesn't end there. Edwards also received assistance from Frank Bonello (Central Scouting director, 1992-2005), Paul Goulet, Gerry Blair and several others.

"Frank Bonello gave me the opportunity to start scouting so I did a lot of traveling with him as well," Edwards said. "The thing is, you learn how to travel and live the life as a scout with veterans who have done it. I was fortunate enough where I learned how to that before I started scouting. I've been around all the guys, and listened to them for a lot of years while driving in the car with them."

Edwards then recalled Hockey Hall of Famer Jim Gregory. After 1979, Gregory became Central Scouting's director and, in 1986, the Executive Director of Hockey Operations. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2007 and is the current chairman of the Hall of Fame committee.

"I remember doing all that video work and I used to have to go with Jimmy Gregory to a lot to Detroit, Ottawa and Buffalo hockey games," Edwards said. "We had to make certain the video replay system was running properly. We had some bugs in the beginning, so I spent a lot of time with Jimmy over the years. During that time, I was able to go into the coaches' office and I remember going in and listening to Jimmy and Scotty Bowman talk. You learn about the game just by listening to these guys and it made a big impression on me."

Most importantly, however, Edwards remembers how gracious, understanding and personable Gregory always happened to be.

"There are so many good people in the game and especially Jim Gregory," Edwards said. "When you see the way he treats people; he's a guy in the Hall of Fame … to treat people as well as he does, that's the way you've got to be in this game if you're going to survive. There are some guys who come in and don't last very long, and it's simply because they lack the good people skills."

Then, there was the bond Edwards created with the late E.J. McGuire, who passed away last April following a five-month battle with cancer.

"E.J. taught me a lot about what it takes to be a pro hockey player and that came from his coaching days," Edwards said. "You listen to him talk about a player and he'd say this player does this very well and I could use him as a checker or whatever. You'd listen to the way the game is played from a guy who just finished coaching; it was very helpful."

The relationship between Edwards and McGuire wasn't just a one-way street, either. McGuire benefitted from Edwards' familiarity of Canadian geography. Something NHL.com has learned this week during the 'Life of a Scout' series -- Edwards doesn't use a GPS system or even a map at any time!

"E.J. didn't know where Moose Jaw was in relation to Swift Current or Medicine Hat," Edwards said. "So from my end of it, I may have helped him out with travel through the junior loops."

Bottom line here is, scouts help scouts. The respect is always mutual.

Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale