BY PATRICK KING
sportsnet.ca
Scouts looking for the draft's next gem might find it in the prospect named the golden nugget.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is trying to dispel the notion that the 2011 National Hockey League draft class is a weak group. The Red Deer Rebels forward is near the top of his class and isn't buying into the lack of hype surrounding next summer's draft.
"I don't really believe (it's a weak draft class)," Nugent-Hopkins said. "We have quite a lot of 1993-born players that are really talented."
Like the two previous drafts, there's no consensus on the top prospect early this season. Nugent-Hopkins, dubbed the golden nugget by teammates in Red Deer, is just one of many players being bandied about as the potential top pick.
The Rebels forward is taking a different approach than Drummondville's Sean Couturier, also considered among the group vying for the first-overall pick. Couturier's agent has informed the media that his player won't be doing interviews until around Christmas.
Nugent-Hopkins, however, relishes the opportunity.
"I enjoy doing the media interviews," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I think that will help me out a little bit because I don't think I'm as well known as Sean might be after the year he had last year."
There's no doubt scouts are already familiar with him. The first-overall pick in the 2008 Western Hockey League bantam draft has lived up to the hype in his first season in the WHL.
Jesse Wallin, his head coach in Red Deer, said the top prospect not only met those lofty expectations of being the first pick, but thrived in his first season.
"It's tough to make an impact at this level at that age and not only did he make an impact, but I think he established himself as one of the top players in the league -- even at that age," Wallin said.
Nugent-Hopkins carried that production over to his second season, but it hasn't been completely rosy. The playmaking forward is taking some ribbing from his teammates as he has just three goals this season, an area of his game he would like to improve.
"The goals haven't come so easily so far," he admitted. "I kind of just want to relax myself and not get frustrated (but) it's frustrating not scoring."
That frustration isn't shared by his coach.
"You'd be concerned if he wasn't getting opportunities," Wallin said. "He's got an unbelievable shot, an unbelievable release and I think his production is there."
It hasn't been for a lack of trying. Nugent-Hopkins not only has the skill, but the drive to be successful and improve daily. Wallin said he often has to kick his budding superstar off the ice after practice.
"He approaches practice with a sense of purpose," Wallin said. "He realizes he has a certain ability level and I don't think he takes that for granted.
"He's driven to be a top, top player."
The product of Burnaby, B.C. grew up idolizing top players. Although he says he hasn't modeled his game after anyone else's, his two favourites were Paul Kariya and Jason Spezza. Spezza is the main reason why the Ottawa Senators are his favourite team.
Nugent-Hopkins has always envisioned himself one day playing in the NHL, a goal he's on the fast-track of reaching.
He added some bulk to his frame in the off-season to better prepare him for the physical toll this season would have on his body. Although he still has plenty of room to fill out his frame, a teammate sees that working in his favour come draft time.
"As a scout I would look at that and be pretty excited about it," Adam Kambeitz said. "He still has a lot more development (physically) and he can dominate the game -- like he does right now with just that size. You can just tell by looking at him he's still got a boy's body and has so much more maturing to do."
His smaller stature hasn't held him back as his head and feet have more than compensated for the brawn he has yet to build up.
"He's very strong on his feet and his awareness on the ice is so good," Wallin said. "He doesn't put himself in dangerous situations and he's very evasive. He seems to have a very good sense of what's going on around him and doesn't put himself very often in a position where he is about to get hit."
Nugent-Hopkins is hoping he can end the Ontario Hockey League's streak of first-overall picks. The last four NHL drafts have seen an OHL player picked first, which brings a sense of civic pride towards his league.
"I think the WHL is kind of underrated that way, but we have a lot of high talent in this league," he said.
In Nugent-Hopkins, the WHL has a golden nugget.
