Flin Flon Bombers rookie forward Vincent Nardone has been bumping up attendance at the team’s games.
Last week in Melfort there were six National Hockey League scouts and a scout from an NCAA Division I school in attendance, Flin Flon head coach Mike Reagan said.
In October, Nardone was named to the NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list – as a possible fourth-, fifth- or sixth-round pick in the 2019 NHL draft. Scouts are coming to see Nardone and are also getting to view the talents of other Bombers.
“He’s definitely brings the scouts to our games,” Reagan said. “I think he is really developing. He has got 10 goals already on the season. If you get that out of a rookie in a complete year, you are happy. He is on pace to get close to 30 goals.”
“I think what helps him is there are so many other threats in our lineup. It’s hard to focus on him. It’s pick your poison a little bit right now.”
Since the start of the season, eight NCAA Division I coaches have talked to him, Nardone said. He visited the Northern Michigan University campus in Marquette earlier this season. This week Nardone is slated to visit the University of Nebraska Omaha.
He said the attention from NHL and NCAA scouts means a lot to him.
“I work so hard to ameliorate myself in hockey and to one day play in the NCAA and in the NHL,” he said. “Everything that happens right now just makes me realize that I need to continue to work hard during practice, games and off the ice.”
When asked about how he is dealing with the attention he is receiving, Nardone said, “I decided to come play here because Mike told me that we had a really good team and probably the best of the league, so every game I just try to help the team as much as possible to win as many game as possible, so I try to just not think about this attention.”
Nardone is from Rosemere, Que., an off-island suburb of Montreal. The Bombers recruited him via the connection Reagan built that also delivered Chrystopher Collin and Donavan Houle-Villeneuve.
Nardone played midget hockey in the Montreal area last season.
“Last year on my midget AAA team I was one of the oldest players, so physically I had the same size as almost all the players on the team. When I arrived here, I was one of the youngest on the team,” he said. “The SJHL is a very physical league so I had to learn to use my speed more than in midget AAA to dodge the players and make my plays.”
Nardone has certainly had success doing that. On the season, the 5-foot-10, 150-pounder has 10 goals and 15 points in 19 games.
“He’s quick. He’s creative. He is averaging a goal every two games right now,” Reagan said,
As well, Nardone has been a good fit with the Bombers off-ice.
“He’s a high energy guy. He brings that character and charisma into the locker room, which is good. You need different characters in the locker room,” Reagan said.
Nardone is having fun playing in Flin Flon.
“I really enjoy the crowd every game,” he said. “We are really lucky to have fans like we have in junior.”
