Caden Price gearing down only to ramp up for NHL Combine

“Whoever has faith in me.”

How is that for a mature, intelligent answer?

Impressive, which should only aid the Saskatoon product when NHL scouts ask him a series of questions during the NHL Combine in Buffalo, New York (June 4th to June 10th) in advance of the entry draft in Nashville Tennessee on June 28th and 29th.

“When it comes to the physical testing, [at the Combine] I like the vertical jump. The broad jump, those are the two I could do good at”, Price looking cautiously at the long list of physical testing. “The Wingate and the VO2 Max are the ones I am not looking forward to. I have never done the VO2 Max.”

The VO2 Max test, which lasts approximately 10 minutes, measures how much oxygen capacity each player possesses.

The Wingate is an aerobic test where players are put on a stationary bike (with resistance) and have 30 seconds to pedal as fast as they can.

Meantime, in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings on April 18th, Price’s stock dipped from 30th to 47th among North American skaters.

“I saw myself drop a little bit, but at the end of the day they [NHL Central Scouting] isn’t picking players”, Price acutely assessing the situation. “It really motivated me to go out and showcase myself with those rankings being released just before the U18 tournament.”

Named to the Team Canada roster following the Rockets opening round playoff series loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds, Price and teammate Andrew Cristall helped the nation beat Slovakia to earn a bronze medal.

“To be honest, going to the U18s, I felt pretty good”, Price admitted after not playing at 100 percent health down the stretch. “Anytime you go to an event like that, especially representing Canada, you want to be one of the top dogs. After we lost out in the semis, the mentality was, we are not going to get the gold medal, but we are going to leave here with something around our neck to remember this experience.”

Price had an assist in the bronze medal game, which was decided in overtime.

“The ice surface [in Europe] being bigger was probably the biggest difference I had to adjust to,” Price added. “I found defending and pinning guys in the corners was hard, especially with it being a fast game. I am hard on myself, but I thought I played well.”

The U18s allowed Price to compare himself with other players within his own age group.

“Some guys in my age group weren’t there because they were in the [CHL] playoffs, but it did allow me to compare myself with the best from other countries in my draft class.”

What’s next for Price, who played in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup for Canada last August, dressed in 69 games (regular season/playoffs) for the Kelowna Rockets, and then dressed in an additional nine games with Canada at the U18s?

“I am going to enjoy my family back home and chill out”, Price knows that time away from the ice will help him both physically and mentally. “I haven’t been back there [Saskatoon] since Christmas. That said, I will be back in the gym next week doing off-ice stuff and getting ready for the combine.”

Among those who will give Price a sloppy kiss when he arrives home is his five-year-old family dog named Bella.

The Shih Tzu will have missed the teenager as much as Price has missed his four-legged friend.

by Regan Bartel

Caden Price gearing down only to ramp up for NHL Combine

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