Wright, Cooley finish Scouting Combine testing to prep for 2022 NHL Draft
Kingston, NTDP centers among projected top-four selections
Each excelled in different areas of the testing during the final two days of the combine, but felt the Wingate cycle ergometer bike test, measuring the explosiveness of a skater, was most grueling of all on Saturday at HarborCenter.
"It was pretty tough," Cooley said of the Wingate test. "I think it was harder than the first bike test (VO2 max). I felt a little more tired after ... a little light-headed. But after a while I felt pretty good."
Said Wright: "It's great seeing where I'm at with my physical capabilities, but definitely glad that the Wingate is over. That was definitely a tough one. But overall it was a really good day."
Wright (6-foot, 191 pounds), a right-handed center with Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League, has held
No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's ranking of North American skaters
eligible for the 2022 draft all season and is the projected top choice.
"To me, this isn't a competition against other players as much as I think it's a competition within yourself," Wright said. "Everyone's at different levels of their physical capabilities with the offseason as well with how long they've been playing and how long they've had an offseason.
"I think it's mainly a test against yourself, a test against the type of athlete you are and what you've accomplished so far. I think that's kind of what my mindset was going into testing day."
Wright was eighth in the OHL with 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists) in 63 games this season.
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The Montreal Canadiens have the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, to be held July 7-8 at Bell Centre in Montreal. The New Jersey Devils have the No. 2 pick and the Arizona Coyotes have the No. 3 pick.
Cooley (5-10, 174), a left-handed center with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team, is No. 2 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.
"I think you always want to have the top scores, be the best one out there," Cooley said. "You never want to be in second place or anything like that. I think you have to enjoy it too, because it's pretty fun to be in this moment."
Cooley ranked second on the NTDP with 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) in 51 games this season.
"Fortunately for me, the NTDP does a great job of preparing guys for this," he said. "We had the chance to do some of this stuff over the past two years, so that really prepared me."
Cooley finished with 12 pullups to nine for Wright. In the bench press, where each player lifts 50 percent of his body weight, Wright had 6.2 repetitions (100 pounds) to 6.1 for Cooley (90 pounds).
"I think you're focused on yourself during the testing, just trying to do the best you can do," Cooley said. "I'm sure we'll see everyone's results later. Then you could look at it. When I was out there, I was focusing on my stuff."
Cooley said he was most comfortable on the bench press.
"I felt pretty powerful and was moving the bar pretty good," he said.
Wright said he thought it was motivating to have an athletic trainer screaming words of encouragement on the Wingate, when he was pedaling as fast as he could on a stationary bike for 30 seconds.
"It pushes you," he said. "He's trying to get every last ounce of energy out of you. So he just wants to see you give your best effort. I think it definitely helped me, for sure.
"I think the first 10-15 seconds are all right, and you're feeling pretty good, and then that last 10 seconds, you're really grinding and fighting through it. So that's probably the toughest part of it."
Wright said he felt best on the standing long jump (107.8 inches).
"I think I could have done a couple more pullups, but overall I felt pretty good," he said.
Next on the agenda for Wright is a visit with the Devils. He was scheduled to fly to New Jersey later Saturday and meet with the team Sunday. Cooley will travel for orientation at the University of Minnesota, where he will begin his freshman season in 2022-23.
WRIGHT TEST RESULTS
Standing long jump - 107.8 inches
Bench press repetitions (50 percent body weight) - 6.2
Pro agility test - Left: 4.49 seconds; Right: 4.62 seconds
Vertical jump - 20.19 inches
Pullups - 9
VO2 max bike test (duration) - 13:00
Wingate bike test (peak power output) - 15.0 watts/kilogram of body weight
COOLEY TEST RESULTS
Standing long jump - 107.0 inches
Bench press repetitions (50 percent body weight) - 6.1
Pro agility test - Left: 4.58 seconds; Right: 4.88 seconds
Vertical jump - 18.58 inches
Pullups - 12
VO2 max bike test (duration) - 14:20
Wingate bike test (peak power output) - 17.8 watts/kilogram of body weight
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