Does anyone know if this is a normal thing, to have so many scouts working part time?
I had 2 offers to scout for ISS and McKeens back in the day when I covered the Habs for HF. Most scouts are part time, the money is shit. I think ISS was saying I'd get around 100 or 200 bucks a month, free tickets to games, plus a food voucher, and I don't remember if they said money for gas as well or not (this was over 15 years ago when they first started) and McKeens wasn't going to pay me at all (they only were interested in me due to Grant talking me up I believe)
So I talked to some people that worked for HF writing but also were scouting and they said it's not what it's cracked up to be. You are part time, never knowing if you are going to be back the next year or not. Low pay, bad food, bad hockey as you are most often out on a Friday/Saturday night in Jan/Feb going to see some kid that might get drafted in the 5th round. If that kid does get drafted and does well, with your name on the reports you'll likely get a bigger role but if not you might be out of a job depending on how the team does, what turnover they have in management.
I don't know what's changed though as I lost touch with all my contacts and spend less time every year relating to hockey.
so basically the scouts for Minnesota High School, BC, New England and Ontario are changing. They will be replaced which will make us at or near the top of league again for the amount of scouts.
Not many great gems found in those areas except for Ontario and that is heavily scouted by several guys including Timmins. Not to say we can't have more.
Hockey Operations
You have to keep in mind at what age they started scouting them, so the part time guys could be looking more at the kids at 15, 16, before they hit the NCAA, CHL.