To [America's Showcase]:

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Pittsburgh America's Hockey Showcase. As the General Manager of the Eugene Generals Tier III junior hockey club, an Associate Coach in Chief of the Pacific District, and a 20 year coach that has attended various events throughout the county, I want to express my gratitude to all who made the event possible. It was truly and impressive event.

I had already had the pleasure in past years to attend the showcase as a coach. At that time, I was impressed with the organization, logistics, competition, professionalism, and friendliness of all the staff. This year, I had the opportunity to see the event from the Scout's perspective and was equally impressed, if not more so, with the Showcase. This opportunity to see the event from both perspectives allowed me to see, from the whole, what an truly first class event this is. Below are my observations as a scout from the 2013 Showcase.

Professionalism and Courtesy

The Showcase was professionally staffed from the initial contact at the front door. Signage was clearly marked, and the process for check-in was welcoming and warm. I was presented with a Name Tag (after providing the staff member with proper credentials) that gave access to the entire facility. In addition I was presented with an impressive array of scouting materials.

Furthermore, the Showcase provided high quality meals and snacks. Given the format of the showcase (two games on two sheets), this extra attention to fill my personal need of food and drink further allowed me to maximize my time on task. It also, of course, has the added value of making me feeling welcomed and invited.

Scouting Material

Without a doubt, the scouting materials provided at this camp ranks among the top that I have received at any other event. Organized, professional, and complete, the scouting package allowed me to immediately evaluate players for viability (where the players wants to play), current hockey career, and academic quality. Broken up by teams, and well presented, I wish all events would have scouting materials like these. In the recent weeks, I can also attest to their accuracy.

Scout Access

Scouts were provided private viewing areas separated from the public. In addition to limiting interactions with curious parents, it allowed team representatives to meet and discuss current events in the hockey world, share thoughts and players, and conduct additional business.

Scouts were also allowed access to any player without bias. It seems the intention of the showcase to allow every scout, and therefore any team, the opportunity to view, evaluate, and then contact any player and then allow the player to contemplate all the available choices and make an informed decision. There was no bias towards any one region, league, or affiliation. My experience in this regard was top notch.

Clear and Concise Signage

Each team's locker room was well marked. Signs indicating locker room assignments was routinely updated and accurate. Bench signage is a stroke of pure genius. Jersey numbers and colors allow for easy identification of players. This logistical thought and implementation is also first class and generally unique to this event. Again, this really made scouting easy and efficient.

Facility

This is truly a fist class facility. Clean. Easy to access. Great viewing angles. On time. Located close to the airport with great accommodations. Parking is easy. Facility clearly designed with public access and use in mind. Great facility for scouting. Having the frozen four there was a nice bonus this year.

As a long time coach and scout, I'm impressed with this event. It is my hope that hockey in general gives each player the opportunity to develop his skills, hone his character, and hopefully showcase those talents to a wide range of interested parties. It is a critical part to the player development process. The America's Hockey Showcase exceeds my expectation in every regard. Thank you to so much to all who made this event the success that it is.