Neutral Zone, LLC launches first-of-its-kind amateur hockey scouting website
Site covers top NCAA & CHL prospects from throughout North America
Neutral Zone, LLC today announced the launch of its new website, https://neutralzone.net, a first-of-its-kind amateur hockey scouting and ranking site that identifies, ranks and profiles the top National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Canadian Hockey League (CHL) prospects from throughout the United States and Canada.
Founded in 2015 by Vermont-based businessman Steve Wilk, and former NCAA coach and USHR (U.S. Hockey Report) scout Brendan Collins, Neutral Zone leverages top quality, unbiased scouts to profile players and track their progress over the course of their amateur careers.
“We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our website and are excited about what the site, as well as our scouting services, will bring to the hockey world,” said Collins, Director of Scouting. “There is an amazing lack of quality, neutral and credible information on North America’s top amateur hockey prospects, and we believe that Neutral Zone will fill this void. Ultimately, coaches, scouts, agents, players, parents and fans will all be able to turn to https://neutralzone.net for the latest on players and teams, at various levels, that they might be interested in following.”
Neutral Zone’s scouting staff is made up of nearly 30 experienced scouts based across the U.S. and Canada who work to discover and evaluate the best players in their respective regions. These scouts come from diverse, high-level hockey backgrounds, most of which include playing or coaching, or both, at the NCAA, CIS, major junior or professional levels.
In addition to in-house scouts, Neutral Zone contracts with scouts representing teams within the NHL, WHL, OHL, QMJHL and USHL. As a result, nearly every geographical region in the United States and Canada – including many non-traditional hockey markets, are covered by Neutral Zone evaluators.
“We invested a lot of time and resources into building a world class scouting staff,” said Collins. “We’re fortunate to have scouts from deep and diverse hockey backgrounds that enable us to provide scouting reports, player evaluations, rankings and feature stories that are accurate and informative. The end result is exclusive, valuable information that can be very hard to find elsewhere.”
Neutral Zone staff are currently covering the following leagues: New England Prep School, Minnesota High School, Massachusetts High School, Wisconsin High School, T1EHL, HPHL , AYHL, USHL, NAHL, BCHL, MJHL, SJHL, AJHL, OJHL, NOJHL, GOJHL, CCHL, USPHL, EHL, GTHL, OMHA, Alliance, Upper Midwest Elite League, Independent Schools, MPHL and CISAA with many more to follow.
The site’s four main sections, player profiles, player rankings, team rankings and news, include information for a mix of audiences.
- Coaches and scouts have access to an unmatched database of scouting reports and player profiles on over 3,500 North American prospects between the ages of 14 and 20, as well as star ratings and the latest reports from league games and showcase events. Lastly, Neutral Zone scouts are available to subscribing coaches and scouts for consultation on specific players as our evaluations are still in the process of being uploaded to the site.
- Players and parents are able to see how neutral, unbiased scouts evaluate amateur prospects and rank players of each age group, and can keep up on the latest scouting reports. Prospects are also able to complete profile questionnaire forms to provide coaches and scouts with direct, instantaneous access to information such as academic performance records, future goals or plans, upcoming tournaments or showcase schedules, and contact information for current or past coaches, along with other important information.
- Fans and alumni can track their favorite players or teams through Neutral Zone’s in-depth coverage including current statistics, scouting reports, prospect rankings, NCAA recruiting class rankings and Ontario Hockey League draft grades, among other features.
Additionally, the news section features special interest articles, game and tournament recaps, player commitments, and unparalleled analytics and research to help answer some of the greatest hockey questions asked by players, parents, fans and coaches alike.
“While the website itself is an ongoing work in progress that will continue to evolve and improve, we’re pleased by the advancements we’ve made in a short period of time, and are ultra-confident in the quality of our staff,” said Collins. “We hope that folks will make Neutral Zone their one-stop shop for the latest on North America’s top amateur hockey prospects moving forward.”
To purchase a subscription or learn more about Neutral Zone, visit https://neutralzone.net. Any inquiries from coaches, scouts, media or other hockey-related professionals may be directed to Brendan Collins, Director of Scouting, at bcollins@nz2.wpengine.com or via phone at 802-558-2283.
