For many, being a part of an NHL front office is a dream. Making personnel decisions day after day, scouting players, and negotiating with other general managers are seen as the top responsibilities. What many don’t see is a lifestyle full of long days, movement across countries, and constant communication with higher-ups.

With the NHL Draft slated to commence on June 27, Trainwreck Sports had an exclusive one-on-one interview with ex-Sabres scout Nik Fattey regarding his time in Buffalo. Fattey was an amateur and professional scout in the organization from 2005 to 2014 and was part of a group that hired general manager Kevyn Adams.

Hayek: On a day-to-day basis, what did your scouting role entail?

Fattey: So there was a time when I was hired where the Sabres were the forefront of the analytics and video movement. So my role was to go into the office at 9 a.m., and I’d watch hockey all day, whether that was NHL, college, or whatever it might be. Then at night, we typically attended games, whether that was junior games when I was an amateur scout, or NHL and AHL games when I was a pro scout. Most days were 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Hayek: On scouting trips, are expenses covered by the organization? 

Fattey: Yes, you work for the organization, so it’s covered whether that’s a junior game or a professional game.

Hayek: How often would you return to Buffalo for meetings with the rest of the front office?

Fattey: You’re pretty much always in contact with the front office. Most of the time, we did a weekly call with everybody. However, there were big meetings that everyone came together for, such as preseason meetings, midseason meetings around the World Juniors, and then you come together before the draft. Those big meetings typically lasted a day or two, and it’s just everyone working on their prospect list and refining where and what prospects they want to see. 

Hayek: During these meetings, are there disagreements over prospects?

Fattey: I wouldn’t say disagreements, but more so advocating for players that you like or the team needs. In amateur scouting, you might watch a guy all year, love him, and spend a lot of time advocating for him, and then he may get drafted a pick before you. Regarding disagreements with other voices, you must advocate for your bosses (chief scout and general manager), and it can become a bit competitive. You need to know your stuff when it comes to analytics and video. Experience and communication are key, but it’s all about having your team’s list right.  

Hayek: Who decides what region and what players you scout?

Fattey: Well, it starts with an area or region. In amateur scouting, for example, many teams will have a guy covering the Ontario Hockey League and another guy covering the Western Hockey League, along with guys in Europe. Typically, the director of scouting, the general manager, and even ownership will guide where and who is scouted. During the first half of the year, you just try to know the players in your region as much as possible. In the second half of the year, you identify 20-30 players to management, and they will get their eyes on them to see if they see what I see. So the first half of the year, I might start the year in Ontario, and the second half of the year, I’d be in the Western Hockey League, scouting another scout’s players. So it’s a crossover.  In pro scouting, you’d be assigned pro teams (NHL and AHL) in regions. Typically, as trade deadlines approached, crossover in pro scouting also occurred. 

Hayek: When scouting players, what specifically did you look for?
Fattey: There’s always the physical attributes of height and weight, along with a player’s age. So you kind of build your list before seeing players step on the ice. Then there’s stats. If a guy is notorious for scoring goals and isn’t scoring, then that is a red flag. Honestly, though, hockey sense is the most important to me. There’s no such thing as a perfect player; everyone will fail at some point. So, smart, hard-working hockey players are traits I’d look for.

Hayek: When evaluating a player, what was more valued, the eye test or analytics?

Fattey: Every situation is different, but our scouting department was one of the league’s first when it came to video analytics.  It can’t all be the eye test or analytics; it has to be both. 

Hayek: If a pro scout scouted an NHL player in person, how much of a tell was that their organization was interested in trading for that player?

Fattey: It’s not a tell. Most teams have scouts at every game, it’s just not always reported. If there’s a GM at a game, that may be a different story.

Hayek: Do scouts compare notes with other scouts on players?

Fattey: That’s something that definitely does happen. It’s like playing poker. You’re not necessarily tipping your hand to other teams’ scouts on players you’re interested in, but if you ask about a guy, you might learn another team’s hand or how they view a player, and you learn stuff along the way. The other scouts are also your colleagues, and you see them almost every day. It’s not some secret sauce; scouts will talk to other scouts and ask for opinions.

Hayek: There are rankings when it comes to late round picks, but how much of a shot in the dark is a sixth or seventh round pick?

Fattey: It’s a targeted shot in the dark. You know your guys in the later rounds, and organizations oftentimes know who they are selecting in the late rounds based on their boards.

Hayek: How involved was Terry Pegula in day-to-day operations during your time?

Fattey: The owner works with the GM everywhere. One of the main jobs of a general manager is to maintain a healthy relationship between the front office staff and ownership. When Terry took over the team, our resources increased tremendously. We had more scouts, better coverage, training, and equipment. 

Hayek: How and how often do teams use insiders to intentionally leak information?

Fattey: There are always certain people whom you suspect leaked the information. It’s a small community, and people talk. When you say something to somebody, it’s because you are typically getting a bit of information in return.