From Combine Nerves to Draft Day Dreams: Bears Reflect on NHL Draft Journeys

June 27, 2025

As the hockey world gears up for this weekend's NHL Draft, two Hershey Bears players, Aaron Ness and Matt Strome, took a moment to reminisce about their own paths through the combine and onto the draft stage, with Ness drafted in 2008 and Strome in 2017. Their experiences offer a glimpse into the excitement, nerves, and eye-opening moments that define a young player's entry into professional hockey.

The Gauntlet of the Combine

Both Ness and Strome highlighted the NHL Scouting Combine as a particularly challenging, yet formative experience, as NHL management and scouts gathered to witness some of the top draft hopefuls go through a range of physical, medical, and psychological testing. Teams would also use the opportunity to conduct interviews with players. The event can be daunting to anyone, especially a teenager.

That was the case for Ness in 2008, when the combine was held at Westin Bristol Place in Toronto. The Minnesota native flew to Toronto by himself and was roomed with a few players.

"At least you were able to bounce things off of each other a little bit because everyone's fresh to it and I think you have certain expectations and ideas of what it's going to be," Ness said. "But until you get there and start answering these questions in front of some pretty important people, it's an important time, and possibly the start of your future, your career. So it was a stressful couple days, but it's a lot of fun looking back on it."

Making a good impression was front and center on Ness' mind.

"You're just so nervous because you want your numbers to be good," Ness recounted. "You want to show some teams what you can do."

Although Ness was a highly decorated defenseman coming out of Roseau High School and a commitment to attend the University of Minnesota, his motivation to impress could be understood, as that year The Hockey News had the defenseman ranked 43rd on its list of prospects in its annual Draft Preview issue, while International Scouting Service had him ranked 24th. A concern raised was size, as one scout was quoted in The Hockey News as saying "He's really good, but he's tiny and you can't change that," but there was also no denying his skillset, as the publication noted, "5-foot-10 defensemen aren't as out of fashion in the NHL as they once were and Ness' skills package is too overwhelming to ignore. Some say he's the most naturally gifted prospect in Minnesota."

As a smaller player at the time, Ness was focused on doing "everything I could to stick out" amidst a sea of great players who were "bigger, stronger, and faster than you're used to growing up." The combine was a two-day whirlwind of physical testing and interviews, which Ness described as "pretty eye-opening for me of what the next level was going to be like.

"The one I was most scared of was the Wingate and the VO2 Max bike tests. I know I tried to prepare and plan the best I could for those, but until you're on that bike doing it in front of those people and the scouts and the owners, and whoever else is watching you as you test, it's a pretty nerve-wracking experience. I was glad it was over."

In 2017, Strome was coming off a breakout second season in the major junior ranks as the leading scorer of the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League and had the privilege of going through the experience of the combine and draft with his Hamilton Bulldogs teammate and best friend MacKenzie Entwistle (eventually taken in the third round by the Arizona Coyotes with the 69th pick). Strome also would not have to travel far from his native Ontario, as the combine was held in Buffalo at the Sabres' Harborcenter complex.

The combine in many ways served as a reunion of sorts for Strome with many of the players he had competed against in the OHL and the Canadian Hockey League's Top Prospects game, an opportunity that he relished. Still, there were some similarities to Ness' experience, namely the dreaded bike tests.

"That's one of those things where it's the only thing you can think about leading up to it, and then once you're done, it's just such a big sigh of relief," said Strome.

Beyond the physical demands, both players faced a barrage of interviews with NHL team personnel. Ness recalled some unusual questions asked of him and his fellow potential draftees, such as if he was an animal, what animal would he be - Ness believed his answer was a lion. Given the speculation of where he was going to be selected in the draft, Ness estimated he interviewed with 26 teams, noting that some meetings went over their allotted time, causing him to be late for subsequent appointments. He suspects there may have been some gamesmanship at play by some NHL clubs.

"I don't know whether teams were going at each other or doing it on purpose, but it was interesting," Ness said. "Walking into a meeting late, when you had a 20 or 30 minute time slot that ended up going over. I think some teams were probably upset on that end."

Strome observed that the various interviews he conducted varied in terms of intent and tone - "Some were good, and some were easy, and then it felt like others, they kind of wanted to test you how you kind of reacted under pressure."

Strome remembered his interview with the Philadelphia Flyers' management group, where the team's general manager and assistant general manager were seated on either side of him at a long rectangular table, leaning forward.

"It was just such a different experience," Strome said. "But, obviously being [eventually] drafted by Philly, I think I made somewhat of a good impression in that one."

The Dream Realized: Draft Day

For both players, hearing their name called on draft day was a moment of immense relief and joy. Ness was taken by the New York Islanders on the second day of the 2008 Draft with the 40th overall pick with his immediate family - his mom, dad, and sister - in attendance. Ness recalled "just being so excited and just thankful for your parents, honestly, for what they've done over those times and those years of your life." 

Unlike the first round of the draft which is conducted exclusively on the first night, the remaining six rounds are all held on the second day. Rather than making their way up to the stage, selections are ushered to their respective team's table on the arena floor.

After being drafted, Ness went directly to New York's draft table, meeting approximately 50 representatives from the organization, an experience he found overwhelming. The rest of the day after being drafted involved a flurry of photos and media requests. The celebration for Ness and his family was a quiet, intimate dinner where they reflected on their collective efforts and sacrifice to reach that point.

"I think everyone was just really excited, because you kind of have a path now and possibly which way you're going to go, what team you're going to hopefully play for one day," Ness said. "And it was just kind of discussing next steps and now the fun part begins, and trying to prove yourself and ultimately try to crack an NHL roster."

Strome, (ranked 47th by The Hockey News; 55th by International Scouting Service) had the benefit of having two older brothers, Ryan and Dylan, having both gone through the draft process, and used them as sounding boards in the months leading up the day.

"They didn't have to wait too long on draft night, but to have their experience going into different interviews or dinners with teams throughout the year to kind of ask them kind of how I should portray myself and how you want to just pretty much come off as a person.

"I was a little stressed out, but once you hear your name called, it doesn't matter how long it took. That's all I remember. It was such a surreal moment, and my parents and grandparents, aunt and uncle were there, so it was unbelievable. My brother Dylan just jumped up like he had just won the Stanley Cup. That's something I'll remember forever."

After being drafted by the Flyers with the 106th pick in the fourth round, Philadelphia also had the 107th pick and used it to select Russian forward Maksim Sushko. The pair made their way down to the Flyers' draft table at roughly the same time, which made the hectic scene a little more relaxed for Strome.

"It wasn't just like everybody staring at me and right around me. But it was definitely very intimidating walking down to shake all the scouts' hands because they just used a draft pick on you."

After being welcomed into the Flyers organization, Strome had several media obligations to fulfill and then met with Philadelphia's development staff, who invited him to the team's development camp.

"I probably was able to enjoy everything for about two and a half hours," Strome said. "Then they came and talked to me and it's kind of like, okay, time to get back to work."

The Journey Continues

While the immediate aftermath of the draft is filled with excitement and new beginnings, the memories of draft day do fade into the background as players progress in their careers. Ness noted that early in a player's professional career, there's more discussion about draft experiences with teammates who have gone through similar processes. However, "as I've gotten older and kind of got a few years down the road from it," conversations about the draft become less frequent, as players are now with teammates from various organizations and backgrounds. Still, the draft remains a special memory, and as Ness concluded, "every year, you know, it comes back...some memories flood in and, you know, guys just chatting about, you know, their experiences, and it's a pretty cool time and something pretty fun to be able to talk about."

As this year's draft hopefuls prepare to hear their names called, the reflections of players like Ness and Strome serve as a powerful reminder of the unforgettable journey from combine drills to the realization of an NHL dream.

Written by Jesse Liebman, Bears media specialist. NHL Scouting Combine and NHL Draft photos courtesy of Getty Images.