Indiana Prep Hockey: Flying Under the Radar

Culver Military Academy has a rich hockey tradition, winning 20 state titles in the program's 32 years of existence. In spite of the Eagles' continued success this past season, senior Chris Darnell has been flying under the radar of most scouts. He has done this despite being ranked No. 150 by NHL Central Scouting and playing for the Indiana Ice of the USHL. McKeen's correspondent Kevin Hopson provides an in-depth look at Darnell.

As the old saying goes, it is not always what you know but who you know. When Chris Darnell lived in Georgia, he played under Gus Saponari, who is the father of current USNTDP-U18 member Vinny Saponari. He also played alongside Vinny as a member of the Atlanta Fire. Having seen Chris play, Gus told Culver contact John Liles, whose son plays for the Colorado Avalanche, that the school should look at him. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Darnell is a sound skater who is light on his feet. He possesses exceptional straight-ahead speed and agility and enjoys an extra gear, which allows him to blow by opponents and win sprint races to the puck. As a result, he transitions extremely well and can gain some serious momentum once he gets his feet moving.

Culver coach Al Clark, who founded the hockey program in 1976 and has won 70 percent of his games during his 32-year run, agrees with this assessment. When asked about what sticks out the most when he thinks of Darnell, his answer was "speed."

"Chris has a gear different from everyone else," Clark said.

Darnell is also blessed with flexible hands and astute vision on the ice, as he can deke defenders 1-on-1 and make a quality-centering pass.

"Chris has the potential to make plays that no one else on the ice can," Clark said. "He usually does so at least a couple times a game. When he does, people sit up and take notice. If he can do so a little more consistently, he can be a special player."

However, one of Darnell's downfalls is that he fails to take full advantage of his strengths. For example, he tends to underutilize his speed, as he only exploits his quickness in certain situations. He is more successful at beating opponents when he uses his combination of speed and puck protection skills (long reach/solid frame) to get by them, as opposed to relying purely on his stickhandling abilities. As a result, employing his skating game on a more consistent basis would likely prove beneficial.

"I don't think he realizes how good he could be if he used his speed more effectively to challenge," Clark said. "However, I believe he is beginning to understand this, and he is getting better at it."

Indiana Ice coach Charlie Skjodt also sees the potential in Darnell. The Ice acquired Darnell in February and played him in 10 regular season games (10-1-1-2). As to why Indiana acquired him, Skjodt's answer was straightforward.

"We like big strong players," Skjodt said. "He has all the skills to play at the next level…strong skater, athletic and loads of potential."

By playing Darnell in 10 games (10-game minimum rule), the Ice are able to keep him on their roster for next year. Otherwise, he would be made available to all teams in the off-season draft and the Ice would have to waste a pick just to get him back.

"Our scouts saw Chris and, being that he played in our state, we knew we could get him down here for practice and some games," Skjodt said. "By doing so, we were able to save a high draft pick."

Skjodt is obviously around NHL-caliber talent on a regular basis. For instance, Ice defenseman John Carlson is a likely first-round pick in this year's NHL Entry Draft. As a result, Skjodt knows what it takes to play at the next level.

When asked if he believes Darnell has the ability to make it to the NHL, Skjodt said, "Yes, I do." He will get exposure this year to all of the college scouts and many NHL scouts. You cannot determine someone's ability to play at that level until you see what he does at the USHL level. As a result, next year will be a very important year for him in regard to his future in hockey."

Scouting Report:

Christopher Darnell (2008), RW, Culver Academy/Indiana Ice (USHL)

A sound skater who is light on his feet .. possesses exceptional straight-ahead speed and agility .. enjoys an extra gear, which allows him to blow by opponents and win sprint races to the puck .. tends to underutilize his quickness, however, as he only takes advantage of it in certain situations .. transitions extremely well, as he can gain some serious momentum once he gets his feet moving .. owns flexible hands and astute vision on the ice, as he can deke defenders 1-on-1 and make a quality centering pass .. needs to display more consistency with the stick, as he can lose the puck when trying to outmaneuver defenders .. by utilizing his speed and protecting the puck with his long reach/frame (6-2, 185), he is much more effective at beating opponents .. once his team gets set up in the attacking zone, he likes to plant himself in front of the net, where he can deflect shots and scrap for rebounds .. will also work in the high slot area, where he loves to unleash his heavy, one-timing slapshot .. areas for improvement are physical play, activity away from the puck and backchecking .. can see limited time on the PK but will not put forth the same type of effort at even strength .. prefers to hover at the blueline and await an outlet pass in an attempt to create a quality breakaway opportunity .. also lacks a physical presence on the forecheck .. can pressure with his speed but shows little confidence in finishing his checks and battling along the boards .. could do a better job of pursuing the puck as well .. overall, a talented winger who is still an unfinished product .. has the potential to be great but needs to become a more complete player and fully utilize his strengths.