Scouting is work done in the shadows of hockey. No one is watching and the only daily evidence comes in the form of a digital report filed from hotel rooms in Minnetonka and Sault Ste. Marie and Prague.
They slip into press boxes shrouded in grim silence. When they talk or share a laugh it is among the fraternity. They make solitary travel plans, flying here and then driving there. A platinum Marriott rewards card is their badge of honour. Living on 75 bucks a day and watching the piano recitals of sons and daughters through shaky video shot by wives or in-laws. Scouting is art more than science. It's about projection. What will that 17-year-old look like in three years? In six years? Can a player's game translate from boys to men?
When the Stanley Cup is awarded each year the Sidney Crosbys of the game are first-in-line. The scout that traipsed around the world to watch them play in junior or college hockey is sometimes on the ice standing at the fringe of the crowd. The Cup may even make it into their hands after the players have nearly exhausted all the glory of the moment.
They may have seen the player first but they get their reward last.
It's one of the inequities of professional sport. Without a superior scouting staff and an unflinching commitment to the spade work of a franchise - there is no shining moment with the greatest of all trophies in professional sport.
Golden Knights Scouts Unsung Work Will Take Center Stage
The work done by Golden Knights scouts this past year will be on display at the NHL Draft this weekend
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