The wee wannabes were, apparently, keeping a close watch on the Stanley Cup playoffs.
That became crystal-clear to Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving during one-on-one interviews with any undersized prospect at the 2015 NHL Draft combine earlier this month in Buffalo.
"With the kids, one of the questions we always ask them is, 'Who does your game translate to?' " Treliving said. "Two years ago, none of them knew who Tyler Johnson was. Well, anybody who was 5-foot-11 or under at the combine, it was, 'I'm the next Tyler Johnson.' "
Any team would love to employ the next Tyler Johnson, especially after watching the 5-foot-8 centre rack up 23 points this spring for the Tampa Bay Lightning and capture the NHL's playoff goal-scoring crown with 13 snipes in the second season.