Oktotoks defenceman on NHL scouts’ radar
Bernard-Docker’s stock could soar with strong performance in AJHL final
Brad Robson scouted NHL draft hopefuls for two-plus decades.
He knows exactly what the talent trackers are looking for.
He understands exactly why they’re smitten with Okotoks Oilers stud Jacob Bernard-Docker, who was feted as the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s top defenceman this season and is now trying to lead his troupe to the Inter Pipeline Cup as provincial Junior A champions.
“The first thing that stands out is his skating, his quickness, his agility,” said Robson, an amateur scout for the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars from 1987-2008, later a management sort for the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, and now in his third season as president of hockey and business operations for the AJHL’s Oilers.
“At 6-foot-1 and maybe 185 pounds, he has really good balance on contact, when he’s battling in the defensive zone. And then he has such composure and high hockey IQ. He’s a very smart hockey player. He reads the play so well. It seems like when the game is in progress, Jacob seems to be about five seconds ahead of the play with his anticipation and vision.
“And then his character, too. This kid is so humble. He’s a special person, both on and off the ice. I’ve talked to every NHL team about Jacob and a couple other players on our team, and they all say: ‘Well, what’s the negative? What’s the negative?’ I don’t know. There’s so much upside to this young man.”
The Oilers disappointed a sellout crowd Friday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the North Division-winning Spruce Grove Saints in the opening game of the AJHL’s Inter Pipeline Cup championship series.
Certainly, there would have been a few clipboards scattered throughout the stands.
According to some projections, Bernard-Docker could be picked as early as the second round of the 2018 NHL draft.
The 17-year-old defenceman from Canmore, listed at No. 62 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting ’s mid-term rankings, could continue to boost his stock with a stellar showing in the best-of-seven showdown with the Saints. Game 2 goes Saturday at Pason Centennial Arena in Okotoks (7 p.m.).
“I hope I leave an impression that I’m a guy that’s willing to do anything to win,” Bernard-Docker said. “I hope I’m leaving a mark that says I’m a competitive guy that’s willing to do anything for a teammate and willing to do anything for the team to win.”
A silky smooth skater who models his game after Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, BernardDocker was voted by the AJHL’s bench bosses and GMs as winner of the W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy, a nod to the most outstanding defenceman on the 16team circuit. He was also among the four finalists for the most dedicated player award.
As the youngest rearguard on the roster, he helped Team CanadaWest to a gold medal triumph at the 2017 World Junior A Challenge in mid-December.
He has committed to join one of the NCAA’s powerhouse hockey programs — the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks — next fall.
“The way he regiments his workouts, his nutrition, his practice habits, I don’t think it’s any secret why he’s such a good player, just by the way he approaches the game,” said Oilers captain Carter Huber, who will also skate for the Fighting Hawks next season.
“I mean, I’m 21 years old now and he’s the guy I’ll go up to after practice and look for some drills to help me out and things like that. His knowledge of the game and his passion is second to none. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it before.”
Added Oilers head coach Tyler Deis: “There’s no magic story about Jacob. He’s just a perfect kid. He just works extremely hard, and he knows what he wants.”
What he wants right now is to get his hands on the AJHL’s Inter Pipeline Cup. He’ll worry about his draft stock later.
“As an athlete, you just try to do your best and the rest will take care of itself,” Bernard-Docker said. “Throughout the year, I’ve worked hard, and you just hope for the best. And whatever happens, happens. Whether I get drafted or I don’t, I’m still going to be the same hockey player, the same person.”
There’s no magic story about Jacob. He’s just a perfect kid. He just works extremely hard, and he knows what he wants.