2002 NHL Entry Draft

JAY BOUWMEESTER

FLORIDA • ROUND: 1 OVERALL: 3

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Previous Team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

Pre-Draft Rankings

NHL Central Scouting: 1  Midterm Rank: 1

The Hockey News: 1    Red Line Report: 1

Vital Statistics

Position: D • Height: 6-3½ • Weight: 206 • Shoots: Left
Birthdate: Sept. 27, 1983 • Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta

Pre-Draft Notes

Central Scouting Report: Jay is one of the fastest skaters in junior hockey ... possesses very quick acceleration and has the ability to control the flow of the game with his speed and change of pace ... has excellent agility and plays an exceptional transition game ... is very confident with the puck and has very strong passing and puck-handling skills ... an intelligent player and a good decision maker ... has excellent hockey sense and anticipation ... has impressive size and strength ... does not play a punishing game, but effectively takes the man and finishes his checks ... has an excellent slap shot, especially on one-time shots ... a highly conditioned athlete who logs a lot of ice time ... a well-disciplined player and a tough competitor.

THN Draft Preview: The lanky defenseman has been part of inner hockey circles for three years, ever since he joined Wayne Gretzky, Eric Lindros, and Jason Spezza on the list of 16-year-olds who played in the World Juniors. Trouble is, some scouts say they see the same things now as three years ago. Jay Bouwmeester is an effortless skater who can go end to end and make jaws drop. His acceleration is second to none and he understands how to use his speed in generating a transition game. Scouts want to see a mean streak. He does not play a punishing style, and there's concern whether he can handle foes being in his face game in, game out.

Red Line Report: Huge and ultra-mobile defenseman is the class of this year's draft crop and perhaps the best defenseman to come out in the last 10 years. Has great skating ability and excellent agility and uses it effectively at both ends of the ice. Has excellent vision and passing skills and is able to feather passes through traffic and at top speed. Has a hard, accurate shot and is an outstanding power-play quarterback, who makes great decisions in puck distribution. Superb natural hockey sense, and mature way beyond his years. Has flawlessly dealt with the pressure of having his every move scrutinized and analyzed for the last three years. Impossible to beat wide due to speed and footwork. Keeps shoulders square to puckhandlers and long reach makes him tough to beat in 1-on-1 situations. Has shown a willingness to get physical, but needs to continue to work on being stronger on the puck and in his physical play. Can go end-to-end at will, and we'd like to see him do it more often.
Projection: No. 1 defenseman and perennial All-Star. Style compares to Nicklas Lidstrom.

Pre-Draft Quotes

He's a man among boys. He's one of those players who comes down the road once in a lifetime for most people. ... He's not just going to be another NHL player. He'll be exceptional because he wants to be as good as he can be. He's very level-headed, and he's got his priorities straight.

-- Bob Loucks, Head Coach, Medicine Hat Tigers

The kid's a jewel. Since he was 15 or 16, scouts have been drooling over Jay. He's a pretty unique individual. His skating is so good and he's such an intelligent player. He's such a teachable player ... because he understands the game so well.

-- Brent Sutter, Head Coach, Red Deer Rebels

I'd pay the money every day just to see him play.

-- Barry Trapp, Chief Scout, Canadian Hockey

He's no Paul Coffey, but he might be a Bret Hedican at best. He'll give you 10, 15 solid NHL seasons, but they will not be spectacular. We want to see him at a higher level.

-- Anonymous NHL Scout, Hockey News Draft Preview

If this was a deep draft, he probably woudn't be the top guy because there are holes in his game. But whoever takes him will get a good player.

-- Anonymous NHL Scout, Hockey News Draft Preview