Frequently Asked Questions

We are an independent hockey scouting service providing NHL Draft rankings, scouting reports, and draft publications. Since 2004, our goal has been to give fair player evaluations and deliver high-quality prospect insight for teams, media and fans.

HockeyProspect.com was founded by Mark Edwards in 2004. Mark coached at the Midget AAA and Junior A levels before launching the site to give prospects like Wayne Simmonds more exposure. Today, we've grown into a very trusted name in the hockey scouting community.

We publish:

• NHL Draft Rankings throughout the year.
• Detailed scouting reports on draft-eligible players worldwide.
• Our annual Draft Breakdown PDF (formerly the Black Book).
• Podcasts, Insider audio, and exclusive analysis for members.
• YouTube content

Our rankings are built through live scouting and video review across multiple leagues. Scouts file reports, and through many internal meetings we create rankings that reflect both a player's current ability and their long-term NHL projection.

Yes. We are completely independent of agents, teams, or outside interests. Our scouting reports and rankings are based solely on our evaluations.

We publish a free Top 32 NHL Draft ranking. Full rankings, goalie lists, extended reports, and complete draft coverage are available to members or through our Draft Breakdown publication in June.

You can purchase a membership directly on our website. Simply click JOIN, choose the INSIDERS plan, and complete checkout. Once subscribed, you'll have access to full rankings and more exclusive Insider content.

For many years, our flagship product was the NHL Draft Black Book. In 2025, we retired the Black Book and introduced the Draft Breakdown, a streamlined PDF featuring 200+ scouting reports and rankings. It delivers the same trusted insight in a cleaner, digital-only format.

We covered the OHL Draft through the 2023 season, took a break for 2024 and 2025, then returned for the 2026 draft. That coverage has now ended and will not continue in 2027.

Our scouts cover Canada, the U.S., and Europe, including:

• CHL (OHL, WHL, QMJHL)
• NCAA
• European junior and pro leagues
• Other leagues with draft-eligible players

We release multiple updates during the season, including early rankings, mid-season rankings, and final lists before the draft.

We've been scouting since 2004 as HockeyProspect.com, providing draft coverage for more than 20 years.

Yes. Our work is trusted by NHL teams, junior organizations and media outlets. Teams purchase our reports to supplement their internal scouting departments.

Our scouts can only evaluate what they see. It can take several viewings before our scouts complete evaluations for all the attributes we measure.

Our Draft Breakdown PDF can be purchased separately in June, but ongoing access to rankings, reports, and Insider features requires a membership.

Yes. Our official YouTube channel can be found at youtube.com/@ScoutingService. We share draft analysis, scouting discussions, player breakdowns, and other features that complement our website content.

We welcome applications from those interested in hockey scouting opportunities or hockey writing. Integrity, hockey knowledge, and the ability to file meaningful reports are key.

Our podcasts are available on YouTube and there are links from our Podcast page.

An Insider Membership gives you:

• Full NHL Draft Rankings
• Extended scouting reports
• Insider audio

You can reach us via the Contact Page on our website. There, you'll find a form to submit your name, email, and message. For specific topics (writing, scouting, memberships), we also list direct contact options.

It's simple: NHL teams respect us. We've been independently scouting since 2004, without outside influence. Our reports are known for honesty, detail, and consistency. Our track record includes players who were overlooked elsewhere but went on to become successful NHLers.

We have had many people ask us this going back over the past 15 years. We have begun to work on a scouts training course. Unfortunately, we've only had a few weeks each July over multiple years to work on it. We hope to complete it soon.

No. The NHL Draft Breakdown is not included with our Insider membership and must be purchased separately in June.