Pens host USHL Fall Classic this weekend
"I think the organization has done a great job of putting together a huge event that appeals to a large group of hockey people," said Jason Karmanos, the Pens assistant general manager. "It brings a lot of people into town and it benefits everybody."
Pittsburgh will become the epicenter of the hockey world with the largest gathering of scouts in North America as over 350 scouts from 31 NHL teams, college and amateur ranks will attend to the event, which will feature all 17 USHL teams playing two regular-season games and 81 teams overall taking the ice.
"It's convenient for all the scouts from an NHL point of view, from a college point of view," Karmanos said. "It's an exciting weekend for us. It's a great way to kick off the scouting season and the USHL, getting to see all the teams in one post. It's not often you get to do that in the scouting world."
The Canadian junior ranks of hockey dominated the pool of draft selections into the NHL for decades. But the sport has evolved and grown, and with that other markets are producing the next generation of superstars.
The United States is a country that has generated more and more NHL players, and the USHL is a league that has gained recognition as a source of high-end talent.
In the 2016 NHL Draft the first round featured 10 USHL alumni players selected, including the first-overall pick Auston Matthews. The USHL had seven players drafted in the first round in 2017, including Casey Mittelstadt (eighth overall) to Buffalo - a Green Bay Gamblers alumnus.
The Pens have seen first-hand the strength of the league with Jake Guentzel (Sioux City), who has become a legitimate star in the NHL and set a league record (tied) for playoff points by a rookie with 21 in 2017.
"The growth of the league and increase in the level of play over the years has been noticed by NHL teams," Karmanos said. "You can see that by the amount of draft picks, which is pretty incredible if you compare it to 10 years ago. NHL teams are paying attention to USHL talent."
The Penguins, being the host city, will have their scouting staff taking in every game.
"I think it's a great opportunity for the scouts to see all the players at one tournament," said Penguins director of amateur scouting Patrik Allvin. "You see these events in Finland. I think the players will enjoy it as well. I am looking forward to seeing the players in a competitive environment."
USA Hockey's National Development Team, which participates in USHL regular-season play, will feature a crop of potential first-round picks in 2019, including the projected consensus No. 1-overall selection Jack Hughes. In fact, eight players on the USNTDP are being projected as possible first-round selections, per TSN Draft Centre.
UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the official practice facility of the five-time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, hosted the USHL in the previous two years, though it featured exhibition play. Due to the popularity of the event and via requests from scouts, the stakes were raised with regular-season games replacing the exhibition slate.
"I think it's a nice change this year that they're actual regular-season games as opposed to preseason games, it makes it better from a scouting point of view," Karmanos said. "The players that are playing this weekend are the players that will be on USHL rosters this season. It was great last year, but it'll be even better this year."
The USHL Fall Classic will also showcase some homegrown prospects as seven Pittsburgh-area players will take part. Bridgeville's Liam Walsh (Cedar Rapids), Erie's Jacob Kucharski (Des Moines), Coraopolis' Matt Weber (Fargo and Penguins Elite alumnus), Butler's Paul Maust (Green Bay), Fox Chapel's Chad Veltri (Sioux Falls), North Huntington's Austen Swankler (Waterloo) and Pittsburgh's Roman Kraemer (Youngstown and Robert Morris commit).
In addition to the USHL games, an elite invitation youth hockey tournament will be held featuring the top 16 teams in each of four age groups - 14-and-under, 15-and-under, 16-and-under and 18-and-under.
"The USHL is a great path for players to take," Allvin said. "There isn't one way to the NHL, some players might need more time, which is why the USHL is a good preparation league. The league is very competitive with good skills."
