For rising hockey prospect Tanner Dickinson, June is setting up to be a memorable month.
The Perrysburg native had been invited to the prestigious NHL combine. Only the top 100 prospects in North America and Europe are invited to the league's annual workout and interview session each year.
Dickinson, an 18-year-old forward, saw his first season in the Ontario Hockey League cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. Weeks later, Dickinson found out that the NHL would not be holding its annual combine.
“I was really excited for it,” Dickinson said. “I thought it would be a really cool experience.”
Dickinson has represented the United States in several international competitions. The 5-foot-11 and 154-pound center is currently ranked No. 64 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Dickinson is still hoping to hear his name called in the upcoming NHL draft, which was originally scheduled to be held June 26-27 in Montreal. But along with the NHL season, the league's draft also was put on hold due to the ongoing concerns over coronavirus. The date, location, and format of the NHL draft have still not been finalized. Although it will likely still take place in June.
Like many aspiring hockey players, being selected in the draft would truly be a dream come true, second only to actually playing in the NHL. More than 20 NHL clubs have been in contact with Dickinson.
“That would be awesome,” Dickinson said. “It's something I've been working my whole life for. That is a goal. Whether it happens or not, I'm still training and staying focused.”
Dickinson is among three local prospects that could be selected in this year's NHL draft. Maumee native Ben Schoen and Sylvania's Mitch Miller also could hear their names called.
Local trainer Dan Jones, who has worked with the trio of prospects, said it would be a banner day.
“With that group, it's an elite crop of players,” Jones said. “To be included among the top hockey players in the world is beyond special. Talk about a dream come true. You are talking about the very, very few.”
Jones said he has been contacted by 22 NHL teams regarding Dickinson. He said three teams, the St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Islanders, have made the most frequent inquiries about the rising forward.
“They really like his skill set,” Jones said. “They like his hockey IQ. He is crafty. He has great vision on the ice. He makes plays and has the ability to control the puck. Tanner has it all.”
The NHL Central Scouting service projects Dickinson to be a second or third round candidate.
“Tanner will be drafted without question,” Jones said. “He's elite. I can tell you that.”
Dickinson played last season for the Soo Greyhounds, an OHL team based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He produced 40 points in 64 games with nine goals and 31 assists in the elite, major junior league.
“It was going really well,” he said. “I learned quite a bit. I played with and against a lot of guys who will play in the NHL. It's good to see where you are at. It's really fast with a lot of skill. I thought I fit in well.”
The OHL season was canceled on March 18 due to the coronavirus.
“It sucked,” he said. “We wanted to keep playing. It's not something I dwell on. I just got started on next season. I think I can make a bigger impact next year. Throughout the season I became more confident and got a lot of good experience.”
Dickinson said he also had been preparing for the NHL combine. Since 2015, more than 500 draft-eligible players have attended the combine.
“The NHL's annual scouting combine is one of the most valuable experiences in a young prospects draft year,” said Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting.
Much like the more widely known NFL combine, the NHL event consists of player interviews, medical assessments, and physical fitness tests.
“It would have been awesome to be there,” Dickinson said.
The NHL draft may still take place in early June.
Dickinson already has gone through the draft process once. In 2018, he was the No. 137 pick in the United States Hockey League draft. Dickinson played one season for Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL.
Dickinson also played for Team USA in the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Slovakia last summer. He has been playing at an elite level since he was 13, first with travel teams based in Michigan.
“He has lived and breathed hockey his whole life,” Jones said. “He's a Perrysburg kid that has never played locally. He has forgone his social activities to chase a dream.”
Dickinson lived with a billet family in Ontario while playing for the Greyhounds. He took online classes through the University of Toledo. He earned his high school diploma in December. He is now back home in Perrysburg and taking online courses in business administration through Arizona State University.
Dickinson said his strengths are his skating ability and knowledge of the game.
“[Scouts] say they are happy with my compete level and my first touch in the offensive zone,” he said. “They say I make plays with the puck.”
Jones said Dickinson is coachable and committed to his craft.
“He has great work ethic and tenacity,” Jones said.
Dickinson has put on 10 pounds since he returned from Canada.
“As far as working with him for years, Tanner is not as loud or as outgoing. Tanner is a quiet riot,” Jones said. “It's been incredible to watch him mature physically and emotionally.”
Dickinson said he is focused on returning to play for the Greyhounds for the next two seasons.
“I just keep training as hard as I can every day,” he said. “It's up to me to put the work in.”
Jones said he is sure the hard work will pay off for Dickinson, who would become the first player from northwest Ohio to be drafted since Josh Unice. The goaltender from Holland was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round (86th overall) of the 2007 NHL draft. Unice was the highest drafted player from the Toledo area since local legend Bryan Smolinski was a first-round pick in 1990.
“I don't think he even realizes how special this is to be drafted with the best people in the world,” Jones said. “It's beyond special.”
First Published May 13, 2020, 10:25 p.m.
