Briere part of Flyers contingent evaluating prospects at Combine

The 2022 NHL Scouting Combine is taking place this week at KeyBank Center and HarborCenter in Buffalo. The combine will allow NHL teams an opportunity to conduct interviews and physical and medical assessments of the top prospects eligible for the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft, which will take place at Bell Centre in Montreal on July 7-8. NHL.com will bring you all the sights and sounds.
NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

BUFFALO -- Daniel Briere has gone through a number of firsts since being named special assistant to the general manager for the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 8.
This week it's his first time at the NHL Scouting Combine, where he's part of the Flyers contingent meeting prospects for the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
The Flyers met with 16 prospects Monday, the first day of interviews. They have the No. 5 pick.
"It's really amazing to meet these young guys, to get to know them a little bit," Briere said. "Everybody says they're scripted, they all have the same answers, but for me, it's more than that. You get the vibes from them, and they're all different from every player. Some kid comes in and you can tell they're very shy. Some kids come in and they're the opposite, they're very confident. Some are very energetic. You run the whole gamut of personalities and that's the cool thing to see them and discuss with them."
Briere said he's let the scouting staff, led by assistant general manager Brent Flahr, take the lead when it comes to interviewing the prospects, but much like he did during his 17 NHL seasons as a player, he's picking his spots to contribute.
"I let the guys that have been around for a long time kind of do their usual questions, their go-tos," he said. "And then at some point when I feel that it's slowing down a little bit, or there's a few times where the player would answer something but I want a little bit more, I'll jump in right away and just try to find out a little bit more when I want more information on certain questions."
Briere is impressed by several players interviewed by the Flyers and said being part of the process has been great for him while he continues to grow into his front-office role.
"We know their game," he said. "We've watched their game. We know what they are on the ice. What we're trying to find out is what makes them tick. What are they off the ice? What's their personality? … That's kind of what you're trying to find a little bit more."

Kemell finally feeling good

Joakim Kemell said it took until the end of January for him to feel fully healthy from a shoulder injury sustained in October.
Kemell, No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters for the 2022 draft, had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 16 games for JYP in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland. But during a game against Lukko on Oct. 29, he injured the AC joint in his right shoulder and was out five weeks.
He returned to play for Finland at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, but when the tournament ended Dec. 29, he was out for another month with continued pain in his shoulder.
Kemell said he finally felt like himself when he resumed playing Jan. 28.
"When I came back [the second time] I felt like I'm back 100 percent, shoulder is OK, doesn't hurt anymore," he said. "I got my skating and shot back. I can rip it like normal."
He finished the season with 15 goals in 39 games, the most by a 17-year-old player in Liiga since Kaapo Kakko scored 22 in 45 games in 2018-19. Then he led Finland with six goals in five games at the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
"It would be amazing if I can play in the NHL next year, but I guess for my development it's better that I play one more year with JYP," he said.

Hughes shows sense of humor

Jack Hughes is in the unique position of being a top prospect for the 2022 draft while having a father who is the general manager of an NHL team.
Kent Hughes is GM of the Montreal Canadiens, who have the No. 1 pick. During a media availability following the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery, he was asked about his plans for the top pick and if he'd consider selecting his son.
"Jack is not going to be our No. 1 overall pick, I can promise you that," Kent said with a laugh.
Jack's two-word response came via Twitter: Big Mistake!

Jack wasn't sure what the right response would be, but his mom and his brother said dad would get the joke.
"I talked to him later on that day and my dad said, 'Mom said your tweet is blowing up, what's going on?' All in good fun," Jack said. "I was surprised to see it got that big."
Jack is No. 26 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters after he had 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 39 games as a freshman at Northeastern University. He said he's scheduled to interview with the Canadiens on Wednesday.
Regardless of where Jack gets drafted, he said he's proud of the job his father has done since being hired by the Canadiens on Jan. 18.
"We're all really excited for him," Jack said. "We know he's going to do a great job. We think he's done a great job so far."

Howard relishes U-18 chance

Isaac Howard understands it can be tough to stand out on the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team. The forward is No. 9 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, but there are two teammates ranked ahead of him, forwards Logan Cooley (No. 2) and Cutter Gauthier (No. 3).
Howard led the NTDP with 82 points (33 goals, 49 assists) in 60 games, and the United States with 11 points (six goals, five assists) in five games at the World U-18 Championship. That includes four goals in the tournament opener against Canada.
"When you go into that game, I was thinking of course I wanted a hat trick or something like that," he said. "We're playing Canada, it's a big moment, biggest game of the year so far. So you know that was an easy game to get up for."
The U.S. finished second after losing to Sweden in the championship game, but Howard felt he showcased his full skill set for NHL teams.
"I just went there and I played my game," he said. "I showcased that scoring ability, that playmaking ability, just that ability to drive a team in offense. I thought I played good."
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