NHL draft combine

The NHL draft combine, also called the NHL scouting combine, is an annual event for prospective players of the National Hockey League (NHL). Prior to the NHL entry draft, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, which manages the event, invites about 100 prospects to the combine. At the combine, prospects participate in medical testing, fitness testing, and interviews. The combine is hosted in Buffalo, New York; it previously took place near Toronto.

The combine has seen many changes since it was first held in 1994, especially to its physical fitness tests. Psychological testing began in 2007. The combine has further changed throughout the 2020s. In 2020 and 2021, it was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2022, Russian prospects in Russia have not been invited due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Many teams see interviews as especially important for assessing players; teams and prospects alike prepare for the interview process, which may include psychological assessment. Outside of the combine, teams may request that prospects complete further testing or interviews. Teams are not allowed to test prospects prior to the combine; the Arizona Coyotes were sanctioned in 2020 for doing so.

The combine has no on-ice testing, a decision that has been criticized by some researchers, fans, and team staff. Researchers and teams have varying assessments of the combine's effectiveness in identifying successful NHL players, noting variation by player position and the specific usefulness of the VO2 max test and the Wingate test.