One-on-one with Russ Cohen

On the new face-off rules:

Russ:

I'm not loving it, and it seems like some players are very confused. That's why we're seeing some of the players getting thrown into the penalty box. However, there were a lot of players cheating over the years, and it became an accepted practice. Bobby Clarke cheated on a ton of face-offs, as well as Mark Messier after him. This is forcing players to use better technique to win a draw rather than brute force. We do hear some analytic backlash regarding face-offs. This new rule has done one good thing — it has emphasized how important face-offs can be, especially late in periods and late in the game.

Randy:

I hate the rule. It slows down the games down. I simply want the linesmen to drop the puck. Let's get on with the game!

On finding prospects:

Russ:

A lot of times, it's luck. I'm not a scout and don't have the pressure of filing critical reports about players. I do have a reputation that I take very seriously, and that's why I do take pride in finding players and want to do a better job when I miss. Goalies are very hard. I first look at their play on the ice. Most have the same style these days, so I look to see if they're confident and does that rub off on his teammates. Then I like to talk to them and see what makes them tick. How do they break down the action? Or are they reactionary? Neither is the right answer, but it just helps me create a baseline to work off of.

Randy:

Well, you sure know your stuff, Russ. You have called a lot of prospects right on. I can usually call a person on his skating and shot, and that is about it.  I love your work. You are one of the best in the business.

Russ:

I literally have over ten years of files of every NHL team's best prospects. Those lists are at least 20 deep, and I update them almost daily. I do like to have new information based on live viewings (preferable) or on video (watching full games over highlights). Players continue to grow physically and get stronger and mature. A lot of times, I'm looking beyond the score in games to see what a player can or can't do. I look behind the play and see some things you don't see on television. When watching something online or on television, I may watch a game 2-3 times if I can. If I used just pre-draft information on all my player profiles, they would become stale. I save the best information for my radio show, Hockey Prospect Radio on Sirius XM Saturdays 8 - 10 AM and on every TSN station (check your local guide). I also give out a fair amount on my website www.sportsology.com and the HockeyBuzz cast that I'm a part of every weekday from 1 - 2 PM. I write for a few websites and I've authored eight books, with my new one on the way. People can find me on Amazon.com. That's my latest book, but you can just click on my name to see the rest.

Randy:

I like to thank Russ for helping me out with this opportunity. Rarely do I get a chance to meet one of the best. A terrific follow on Twitter. Ten years of documents; I cannot even imagine being that organized.