IN MEMORIAM: E. J. McGUIRE, 1952 – 2011
Our last interview with the Central Scouting VP
E. J. McGuire, VP of the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau, passed away on Thursday at age 58. Knowing E. J. going back to a season with the Flyers in 1986-87, I’m sure one of the best ways to honor him would be to debate the upcoming draft. In this interview with Point Blank from late November, he set the stage for the top picks. When there was a Big Three (since changed), E. J. insisted on adding Gabriel Landeskog to the conversation. He was right. Listen to the passion in this great man’s voice. He will be missed. Comments on E.J. and the draft are encouraged.
29 Responses to IN MEMORIAM: E. J. McGUIRE, 1952 – 2011
Our last interview with the Central Scouting VP
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Vinny says:
RIP EJ!
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Kaszycki's Krew says:
God Bless EJ
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Blaine says:
i was shocked and saddened with the news. The NHL has lost a great man. RIP
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nyislanders93 says:
Really enjoyed all of EJ’s work with the NHL Entry Draft in recent years. For a fan base that has recently only had the top prospects to look forward to instead of the playoffs, I think Islander fans especially appreciated EJ’s insight. Given the limited times to actually watch prospects, I always looked to see EJ’s thoughts on prospects before forming my own opinion.
RIP EJ -
RG from LI says:
thanks CB for “introducing” us to EJ… prayers go out to his family…
after seeing Skinner this year I think we can all agree that if you’re lucky enough to get a top 10 — anything can happen… that said, a higher spot is always better but I dont think the drop-off is so stark — top 10 is nice, top 5 is better.
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Islanderfan19 says:
RIP EJ and god bless his family
EJ was such a great person and had such great passion for this game -
Sammlo says:
R.I.P EJ
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nyi fan 16 says:
I was shocked when I heard about this..what a shame. Great insight, he will be missed. God Bless.
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Ethan K says:
R.I.P. EJ Mcguire, always fun to listen to his insights.
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Very sad to hear about EJ McGuire. I’ve always been a dedicated follower of the NHL Drafts and watching the Junior aged Prospects and nothing was better than getting to hear an interview w/ EJ McGuire and hearing him talk about the new Top Ranked Prospects. He was always excited to talk about the kids and he was always a great interview. He will be missed… It seems Nugent-Hopkins is starting to separate himself from the pack. Ryan Strome and especially Jonathan Huberdeau have really elevated themselves. Craig Button rated Huberdeau 3rd overall. I think Couturier is a little bit underrated as most Scouts do not have him in the Top 5 anymore. I guess Huberdeau, Strome, Landeskog and RNH have more offensive flair and passion for the game than Couturier. Couturier led the QMJHL in Plus Minus in the regular season and PostSeason so far. I can’t imagine that Snow would reach for Murphy or Dougie Hamilton(who some have rated as low 15th overall). Larsson is having an injury riddled season and his offensive numbers are nowhere near as good as teammates and former 1st rd picks Tim Erixon & David Rundblad, though Larsson has a better plus/minus. Ryan Strome seems to be a tougher Tim Connolly. If we draft Couturier we would finally have one of those 6’4 Franchise Centers that we’ve never had. Imagine J.T. being complemented by two potential Selke Trophy winners in Couturier and Franz Nielson? Or the heart and soul player of Landeskog w/ Kyle Okposo? Or Ryan Strome’s amazing skills w/ Michael Grabner? A Franchise Forward like Huberdeau who could be the best player in the draft? Or Adam Larsson joining Hamonic, AMac, DeHaan, Donavan, B.Kessel. Or a Offensive Defenseman like Ryan Murphy that could bring back the excitement of the Bryan Berard days. Even Matt Puempel could be another Jeff Skinner type who the Scouts who have underrated as a Pure Goal Scorer. This is a terrific Draft, right thru the first 3 rounds. The Islanders will get a very good prospect at #34 and at #50 too. If we win the Lottery Tuesday, this next 2 months will be amazing! I can’t wait. It’s just a shame that I won’t be able to hear E.J’s voice the next two months.
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Andre says:
RIP EJ. May god bless his soul and may god bless his family. A great person with such great passion and knowledge for the game. Absolutely loved his work. His passing was absolutely shocking to me. Could not believe it.
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16 expiring says:
Condolences to the McGuire family
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Walt says:
RIP EJ, I enjoyed your observations.
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Yippy Yappe Uwe says:
I was terribly saddened to hear of EJ’s passing. His insights and passion for the game and scouting may never find another equal. I always enjoyed listening to his thoughts over the past three years. When EJ spoke, everyone listened. My thoughts go out to his family.
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Ari (Not Haanpaa) says:
Quite sorry to hear this news. His insights will be missed by many a hockey fan, but more importantly condolences to his friends and family.
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Irish Isle says:
RIP EJ
My condolences to his entire family
I was saddened to read the news of his passing as I had no idea he was sick. It was a great privelage to listen to his passion in discussing prospects for upcoming draft. He was truly a lucky man to have a job he loved so much.
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JT says:
So sad. He was great at his job and a superb interview, He’ll be missed.
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Jzimm says:
I hate hearing about stuff like this. And moreover, the timing is just bad. To me, his passing was completely unexpected. If I had one wish for him, I wish that he could have at least seen the fruits of his labor.
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John T. - Halifax, NS says:
This guy was awesome. He’s going to be missed.
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jimisles says:
If you really followed the NHL, then you knew Mr. EJ McGuire. It’s not easy to follow the many prospects across the globe. Always looked forward to his insight of the up and coming…..
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eric says:
RIP E.J. will be missed by many
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ISLANDER68NY says:
TO THE McGUIRE FAMILY. SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.GOD BLESS.
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1) Loved his passion for the game. He will be missed by all of us who feel similarly about the sport of hockey!!
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Alex Kinkead says:
The end of the interview was sad to me. Was that the last time you spoke to him?
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Dmoney says:
Great interview and bitter sweet. He was such a smart and interesting man to listen too. Great job as always CB!!!!!
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RIP to EJ and condolences to his family…
Love the passion in his voice and the knowledge he shared.I need to watch videos on all these guys, every one sounds good to me. I just want to see which one of them really fits as an “islander”.
Great video… -
anthony c says:
He was a great hockey mind. I always looked forward to his analysis on the top prospects. He never seemed to under sell or over sell the players. Draft time won’t be the same without him. R.I.P EJ.
E.J. was awesome at what he did. I always watched his central scouting videos on youtube and he had the best talent analysis of each prospect. On a different note I still want Coutourier (HES 6’4!!!!!)