Sullivan retires from NHL Central Scouting after 27 years

Peter Sullivan retired Saturday as a full-time scout for NHL Central Scouting after 27 years.

The 72-year-old had been with Central Scouting since 1996 and spent most of his time evaluating players in Western Canada, but also scouted talent in other leagues during his tenure during crossover viewings throughout the United States and Canada.

"Scouting, to me, is very similar to playing," Sullivan said. "The people around you are teammates whether you're playing or scouting from the past to present. Everyone has been just phenomenal. We've lost a lot of good guys here, some have gone on to club teams, some have just retired, but I can't say enough about them."

Long before he became a scout, 'Sully' was quite the hockey player.

"I had a pretty good reputation coming up in the Toronto area, playing for Oshawa (Ontario Hockey Association), and I was supposed to go pretty high in the (NHL) draft," Sullivan said. "I had pretty good linemates in Terry O'Reilly and Bob Kelly so I got into a few altercations I didn't want to get into. But then I ended up getting sick."

He was chosen by the Montreal Canadiens in the seventh round (No. 95) of the 1971 NHL Draft, but his professional career was delayed because of thyroid cancer.

"It really knocked about two years out of me," Sullivan said. "But I ended up playing with Montreal's farm team in Nova Scotia with the Voyageurs (1972-75) and they gave me a 'Peter Sullivan Night' which was the first time the Montreal organization ever did that for somebody in their farm system."

Sullivan tied a Voyageurs franchise record for points in a season (104) in 1974-75, equaling Yvon Lambert in 1972-73.

He signed with the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association in 1975 and played there for six seasons, including his final two with the Jets in the NHL following the WHA/NHL merger in 1979. He played most of his final six seasons in Switzerland, retiring after the 1985-86 season.

"After playing, I did a little bit of coaching in Canada and in Switzerland, but I came back and was fortunate to have my former Voyageurs coach, Al MacNeil, talk to Jim Gregory and he got me on here with Central Scouting and it's been an honor and pleasure ever since," Sullivan said.

Sullivan transferred the warrior-like approach he had on the ice to scouting.

"It starts with who he was as a player and he was skilled and had unreal hockey sense ... he was a highlight reel," Central Scouting director David Gregory said. "He understood the game at a level that many of us didn't because of how he played and where he played. We were lucky as a staff long before I got here for Peter to join because he just brought that immediate knowledge of the game.

"He doesn't always say a lot, but when he does you know he means it. He's an unreal hockey scout and an unreal person, mentor and friend."

Sullivan's gruff, steadfast approach to player evaluations during scouting meetings always was a welcomed treat. In fact, he's probably the only scout ever to have candy bars tossed at him in attempt to calm the beast.

"Peter is the grizzly bear that really is just telling you he loves you, as opposed to anything else, and he likes to chirp and seem angry," Gregory said. "There was one time he was, let's say relatively excited, and he got a Snickers bar tossed at him in the room. He's been having them thrown at him for years now."

Sullivan went out with a bang, having the opportunity to evaluate center Connor Bedard with Regina of the WHL in his final scouting season. Bedard was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

"You can't go out any higher when it comes to scouting than being able to watch a player like Connor Bedard," Sullivan said. "It's just been a treat. I've watched guys for over 30 years and have a different perspective on high-talent players. But then go out and see Connor with the way he's playing today, it's been an honor."

Sullivan made scouting fun for every one of his co-workers at Central Scouting during his tenure.

"He's meant a lot to me personally, and everybody here," said John Williams, who worked closest with Sullivan as an evaluator of players from the Western Hockey League. "He has a pretty gruff exterior that we tease him about, but he was, from the very get-go, very welcoming and made me feel part of the team, part of that group. He brought a significant amount of experience from his playing days in the WHA, played in the NHL, in Europe, so he brought a different perspective that the rest of us didn't have."

Said Central Scouting vice president Dan Marr: "Peter brought a unique perspective to Central Scouting which often impacted a player ranking. You can't replace an individual such as Peter. You only hope that all of us learned from the wisdom he shared from his playing and scouting experiences."

Sullivan still plans to visit rinks, watch hockey, and mingle with scouts, but he's also looking forward to spending more time with his wife of 47 years, Dorothy, and their sons, Sean and Peter Jr.

"For anyone who wants to get into scouting, listen to your peers, learn from them," Sullivan said. "It's so much what you see through your eyes than what you hear. I think the first thing I've noticed throughout the years is scouts fall in love with a guy too early and you can't do that. You can't take anything personal because everybody thinks the game different.

"You'll always know more tomorrow than you do today; that's the best advice I was given."