Hockey has been a part of Scott Bell’s life for decades, taking him from his playing days at Simley High School, Sioux City of the United States Hockey League and the University of Minnesota, to the coaching ranks at several Division III schools, including St. Paul’s Hamline University and Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

Bell’s hockey saga is currently in the scouting phase as an amateur scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins, evaluating numerous players in preparation for the annual National Hockey League Draft each summer.

Bell typically sees over 200 hockey games per year in his scouting duties, and debunks the myth that NHL teams draft based on player size above all else.

“We have the debate all the time about the size of a player,” Bell said in an email. “Most people think of a player’s height when you reference size, but there is more to the evaluation. If he is a player, it doesn’t matter how tall he is.”

Bell also dispels the notion that the dozens and dozens of websites and media outlets that rank players does not factor into any of the Penguins’ draft decisions.

“We collect data from everywhere, but we are focused on our needs and our needs alone,” Bell said. “No outside media outlet has any influence on who we draft.”

The Penguins 2016 draft picks included: goaltender Filip Gustavsson from Lulea HF of the SHL; left-winger Kasper Bjorkqvist of SM-Liiga’s Espoo Blues; defenseman Connor Hall of the Kitchener Rangers (OHL); Ryan Jones of Lincoln (USHL); Niclas Almari of Jokerit Helsinki (SM-Liiga) and Joseph Masonius of the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“We have a mandate to find players (who) have the best chance to play in the NHL and be an asset to our organization,” Bell explained.

Bell added that players from all levels are required to meet team-specific requirements, regardless of their previous level of play.

“The bar is always set high for all players,” Bell said. “It is no different for high school, college, or juniors. If you are a player we will find you.”