Left wing Brendan Lemieux of the Barrie Colts considers himself the silent but deadly type.

As the son of former NHL player and four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude Lemieux, that shouldn't come as a surprise. The family patriarch made a living out of making life miserable for the opposition whenever he stepped on the ice, and it usually worked.

Does dad notice similarities between his style and the way his son now attacks the game?

"Yes, Brendan plays a very similar style of hockey that I did back when I played," Claude Lemieux told NHL.com. "Having said that, it's hard to compare playing today's game versus the old NHL of the '80s and '90s. The game today is less physical and much more of a skill game played at a faster pace, so Brendan is forced to be different than I was because of the way the game is played."

Forwards John Quenneville and Jayce Hawryluk have gained accolades playing different styles, but there's no denying the chemistry exhibited as linemates in the turnaround of the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2013-14.

Each player no doubt bolstered his draft stock during the second half of the season and is a prime candidate to be selected in the early rounds of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on June 27-28.

"Prior to the home stretch, both players had missed time due to injury and it was impressive to NHL scouts how both of them elevated their game throughout the playoffs to lead their team," NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr told NHL.com. "It bodes quite well for Brandon's future to have two high-character players that can lead them both on the ice and on the score sheet."

Quenneville, second cousin to Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, is No. 23 on NHL Central Scouting's final list of the top North American skaters eligible for the draft. Hawryluk is No. 37.

Individually, defensemen Jack Dougherty, Jack Glover, Jonathan MacLeod and Ryan Collins did well for the United States National Team Development Program Under-18 team this season.

Together, they elevated each other and capped their season with a gold medal at the 2014 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

That togetherness carried them through a stressful time that saw them under the microscope of NHL scouts.

"It's always fun to have teammates around," MacLeod said. "Gives you a little bit of reassurance that you got some buddies here to support you and you support them."

Each of the four brought something different to the table.

Has the time come for center Ryan Donato to take his talents to the next level after dominating the prep school ranks in Massachusetts for three seasons?

That decision likely will be made at some point following the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on June 27-28. Donato, No. 58 on NHL Central Scouting's final list of the North American skaters eligible for the 2014 draft, is projected to be selected during the first three rounds of the draft. He's the No. 2-ranked U.S. high school player, after defenseman Luc Snuggerud of Eden Prairie (Minn.) High School, who is No. 42 on the list.

Donato, the son of former NHL player Ted Donato, had 37 goals and 78 points in 30 games for Dexter School in Brookline this season; in three high school seasons he's totaled 80 goals and 174 points in 83 games.

NEW YORK -- Leading up to the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings facing off in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS), top prospects Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Leon Draisaitl, Samuel Bennett and Michael Dal Colle enjoyed a whirlwind day in the Big Apple.

As part of a prospects tour of the Cup Final that has been going on since 1993, these players got to watch practice and meet players from each team. The players may change every year, but there is one constant that has remained at the annual event.

NHL senior manager of public relations Dave Keon has led prospects through the Cup Final and the NHL Draft since that first class, which included top pick Alexandre Daigle as well as Chris Pronger and Paul Kariya. The process remains a major eye-opener for these hand-picked future draftees.

NEW YORK -- It was as if Barrie Colts defenseman Aaron Ekblad was just one of the boys when he strolled into the locker room of the Los Angeles Kings following the team's morning skate in preparation for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS).

For Ekblad and fellow 2014 draft-eligible blue chip prospects Samuel Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs, Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice, Leon Draisaitl of the Prince Albert Raiders and Michael Dal Colle of the Oshawa Generals, it was a chance to experience all the pomp and circumstance that accompanies the Stanley Cup Playoffs this time in the season.

All five top prospects were flown into New York on Sunday and spent the day at Madison Square Garden on Monday. They were interviewed by Hockey Night in Canada's Don Cherry early in the morning, visited the locker room of each team after practice and were issued tickets to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

NEW YORK -- Mere feet separated five of the top prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft from the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings while the teams went through their morning skates Monday ahead of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS), in which the Kings hold a 2-0 series lead.

In a few months, those same five prospects could be living their own NHL dreams.

Kingston Frontenacs center Samuel Bennett, Barrie Colts defenseman Aaron Ekblad, Kootenay Ice center Sam Reinhart, Prince Albert Raiders left wing Leon Draisaitl and Oshawa Generals left wing Michael Dal Colle, the five top players in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, were on hand here at Madison Square Garden to watch the teams skate and meet a few current NHL stars.

"Just watching them practice, thinking that I could be there next year, is pretty cool," said Bennett, Central Scouting's top-rated prospect. "It's a dream come true if that could ever happen."

One month after Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon admitted he was openly fielding offers for the top pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, at least one team has inquired into the cost of selecting first on June 27 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving revealed Friday he has been in touch with Tallon about acquiring Florida's pick.

The Flames have the fourth pick in the first round.

"Now is the time that all of those conversations are happening," Treliving said. "We're going to keep pounding away and try to get a sense of what other teams are thinking. For the most part, teams have gotten through their meetings. They've done their preparation for the draft. The talk between managers is increasing. We'll see where it goes."

The meteoric rise of Swiss-born left wing Kevin Fiala with Swedish team HV71 could not be ignored during the second half of the 2013-14 season.

In addition to playing in the Swedish Hockey League, he also represented Switzerland in four major international events: the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in August, the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship in December and January, the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in April and the IIHF World Championship in May. He had at least one point in each tournament, including four goals, nine points and a plus-4 rating in five games in the Under-18s, when he was named one of the top three players on his team.

TORONTO -- The NHL Scouting Combine has come a long way since the days of fitness testing in the basement of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

That was evident this week when the 21st installment of the Combine was held at the Westin Bristol Place and The International Centre.

A total of 119 of the top prospects from North American and Europe did their rounds of interviews and fitness exams at one of the NHL's premier events leading up to the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on June 27-28.