Joey Blacquiere - Scout

I scout for a team called the Lewiston MAINEiacs, who play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, one of Canada's premier junior hockey loops.

As a scout, my responsibilities include looking within the Maritime  Hockey League for talented young hockey players who want to play for Lewiston.  We are looking for players who will be with our team for three to four years depending on when they were born.   Junior hockey players graduate at age 20, so our ideal prospect will be 16 or 17 years old – old enough to handle the physical and emotional  punishment of a long hockey season, and young enough to be with the team for several years.

 There are a number of ideal qualities in a young hockey player.  First and foremost is an ability to skate.  A good stride is crucial to any hockey player's future.  Other qualities include quick hands, the ability to give and receive a pass, a hard, accurate shot, and the ability to mesh well with teammates.  At the junior hockey level, players have to be able to play a physical game and give and take hard hits.

Another key quality for any junior hockey player is size.  We will look more closely at a player we feel is large enough to withstand the punishment of a long hockey season.  So players taller than six feet and weighing more than 200 pounds will attract our eyes first.

I enjoy being a scout because I have always enjoyed hockey.  It has been a passion of mine since childhood.  As a scout, I sit in the best seats in the house- the Press Box-and watch the players on the ice differently than an average fan does.  I love looking at a hockey player and imagining where he will fit into the hockey world in three or four years.

In the future, I hope that some day the players who I recommend to the MAINEiacs will make it into the  N H L  or to the Canadian Junior Hockey Team.   I would love to be able to say I had a hand in the drafting of such talented players.