Minnesota connection leads forward to Avs

WASILLA — Dave Boitz had a hunch that Berkley Scott could be a standout in the North American Hockey League.

Scott is big forward, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, with skill and the ability to put the puck in the net. He comes from a hockey hotbed, otherwise known as the state of Minnesota.

Actually, Scott hails from Boitz’ hometown of Anoka. So, who better to judge Scott’s potential?

And now, Scott is proving to the remainder of the league that Boitz just may be right.

Scott notched a hat trick during a 5-2 win over the Bismack Bobcats late last week, and has been named the NAHL West Division Player of the Week.

“He’s willing to do everything at both ends of the ice,” Boitz said of Scott, a player who the Alaska head coach has known and watched since Scott skated at the squirts level.

Boitz said Scott, who is among team leaders with six goals and three assists in nine games, has the tools, and a rare combination of size and skill.

“Usually a kid with that kind of size, his feet and hands aren’t so quick,” Boitz said. “But he’s got quick hands and feet. That’s normally not really common.”

Scott has already shown his knack for finding the net with those three goals last Friday, and another during a 4-2 win over Bismarck the following evening. But he also currently ranks second in the NAHL with a +8 plus-minus rating.

After capping his four-year career at Anoka High School last year, Scott took a leap into the United States Hockey League ranks. He skated with the Tri City Storm for 12 games and grabbed a pair of assists with the Tier I Junior A program.

After the 2008-09 season, coaches changes within the Tri City organization sent the Storm roster into a state of flux. But right about that time, Boitz selected Scott in the NAHL draft.

“I heard Tri City wasn’t going to take any returners,” Scott said. “I was lucky enough to get drafted by Alaska. I pretty much had no doubt in my mind that I was going to go play there.”

Scott said he was excited about the prospect to come to Alaska to play for a coaching he’s known for a big part of his life.

“I know the coach, know his expectations,” Scott said.

Scott said he actually had the potential of playing for Boitz two years ago, when Boitz was the head coach of the NAHL’s North Iowa Outlaws.

“I wanted to go there when I was in high school. It was pretty close to my hometown in Minnesota. But in Minnesota, high school hockey is a big thing,” Scott said. “So I stayed all four years.”

Boitz said Scott continues to be scouted by collegiate programs, and certainly has the potential to play at the Division I level.

“He’s been getting a ton of looks from colleges,” Boitz said.

With the obvious potential, Boitz said some growth and understanding could push Scott into the category of elite players in the USHL.

“The big thing for him is to understand how much talent he’s been blessed with,” Boitz said.

At the start of the season, Boitz matched Scott with NAHL veterans Kyle Pichler and Robb Haider on the team’s top line. Since, Scott has flourished.

He scored twice during a 2 minute and 14 second stretch during the first period of 5-2 win over the Bobcats. He completed the hat trick with 7:08 to play.

“I’ve got to give most of my credit to my linemates,” Scott said. “From our first practice, we had real good chemistry. We always know were each other are. We always find each other.”

That line of Scott, Pichler and Haider will look to continue to do damage as the Avs host Bobcats three times within the next five days.

Alaska and Bismarck start the series on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena, and meet again Sunday at 5 p.m. and Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Alaska improved to 7-1-1 with the two-game sweep of Bismarck last week. The Bobcats fell to 0-4-2 with the losses.

Even though Bismarck remains winless, Boitz said the Bobcats’ record may not accurately indicate how good of a team they are.

“I hope our guys don’t take them lightly because we swept them,” Boitz said.

Scott said he expects Bismarck to be hungry for a win in the series.

“They want to get back at us since we swept them at their home rink,” Scott said.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.