BUFFALO -- The NHL Scouting Combine began at KeyBank Center and HarborCenter on Monday.
There are 104 players here this week, including North American and international skaters and goaltenders. The combine will give all 31 NHL clubs a complete physical and medical assessment of these players before the 2017 NHL Draft, which will be held at United Center in Chicago on June 23-24.
The invitees include 84 of the top North American prospects and 20 top international prospects. There are 58 forwards, 36 defensemen and 10 goaltenders.
Each NHL team will have the opportunity for 1-on-1 interviews with the prospects at KeyBank Center, Monday through Friday. The medical examinations of each player will take place by Thursday, and eight of the 12 fitness tests will take place Saturday at HarborCenter.
No player can test until clearing the medical screening.
Here are four intriguing takes from Day 1 of the combine on Monday:
1. First-round feedback
Brandon Center Nolan Patrick (6-foot-2, 198 pounds), No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters eligible for the draft, has 13 team interviews scheduled this week prior to testing on Saturday. Patrick missed 35 regular-season games because of an upper-body injury and four games in the Western Hockey League playoffs because of a lower-body injury. His medical screening will take place Wednesday.
"I do want to go through all the testing if I'm cleared to do so," he said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing and some of these tests I haven't done. I don't want to leave the combine knowing I wasn't able to do all the tests because you are only here once. Hopefully I get to go-ahead to go through it all."
On Monday, Patrick interviewed with the New Jersey Devils, who have the No. 1 pick in the draft. His interview with the Philadelphia Flyers, who have the No. 2 pick, will take place Tuesday.
Scouting Combine gets underway in Buffalo
104 players being evaluated this week leading up to NHL Draft