¬ Chris Kreider was puzzled when he saw so many of his former youth hockey coaches at his games last winter.

"I asked my mom why they were there," said Kreider, who completed his junior season with an area-high 30 goals in 26 games at Phillips last winter. "And she said, 'They're here looking at you.'"

Many of Kreider's former coaches double as area scouts for NHL clubs, and they were at Phillips to evaluate him as a pro prospect.

A late bloomer, Kreider didn't realize they were there for him.

Most scouts believe Kreider will go in the first round in the NHL Draft Friday in Montreal.

"I saw some of the guys who were scouts who used to be my coaches," said Kreider, who wasn't projected as a high pick until his game took off this year.

"And then I started seeing more guys that looked like them more and more and it was all surreal. It's strange knowing that they are there to watch your every move, basically. It's exciting but at the same time, it's a little nerve-wracking."

Kreider is ranked No. 14 among North American skaters by the NHL's Central Scouting Service.

At last month's NHL combine, he was among a group of players that met with NHL general managers and was put through a rigorous testing regimen.

"You feel a little bit like a piece of meat," said Kreider. "You walk into a room and sometimes there are just all these faces staring at you. They're paying attention to how tall you are, how fast you are, how strong you are. It was refreshing talking to some of the teams because you feel like they're finally looking at you as a person and player instead of just a machine."

The 18-year-old Boxford resident has already talked with some NHL teams, and will meet with more this week when he travels to Montreal with his family.

"Hearing your name being called at the draft is something you think about since you're a kid," said Kreider, who played for the Masconomet youth programs and also played 10 years with the Valley Junior Warriors. "It will be nothing short of a dream come true."

As for the hype, it hasn't fazed him.

"I haven't thought about it too much, not yet," said the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Kreider. "I'm sure being up there during all the events this week, I'll start to think about it more. But between school, hockey, lacrosse and everything else, it hasn't been on my mind much.

"Besides, it's all projections. I'll be thrilled no matter where I go."¬ 

Scouts agree, this kid's alright

NHL Central Scouting player evaluator Gary Eggleston has observed a lot of players during his 21-year career as a scout. Kreider, for countless reasons, stands out.

"Chris is an excellent skater with explosive speed and acceleration," said Eggleston, who lives in Wakefield. "His short-distance speed is exceptional. He sees the play ahead of time and knows what he's going to do with the puck as soon as he gets it. He is an excellent passer and playmaker.

Not only a threat on offense, Kreider's two-way play with speed makes him a threat on the back check and in shorthanded situations, which is rare for top-flight scorers.

"His foot speed, combined with his anticipation and quick stick, gives him the ability to create turnovers and gain puck possession," Eggleston said. "He is a constant threat to develop breakaways on the penalty-killing unit. He has both an excellent wrist and slap shot, which he disguises well and releases quickly. He can score goals in a number of ways."¬ 

Leaving Phillips a year early

Kreider thought he was going to take his game to new heights at Boston College in the fall of 2010.

But Kreider will be playing in Hockey East this upcoming season.

The only problem was that he had just completed what was, academically, his junior year at Phillips. He attended Masconomet for two years, then repeated his sophomore year at Phillips in 2007-08.

He needed another year to graduate from Phillips. So, he left Phillips after the spring semester and enrolled in two classes at Masconomet this summer. By doing so, he'll graduate from Masco in August and will immediately enroll at Boston College.

"I'm excited, I'm ready for it," said Kreider. "It worked out in the end. I'm still on a high just being recruited by a Division 1 school."

Phillips head coach Dean Boylan spoke glowingly of Kreider.

"The scouts who see him know what type of tremendous skills he has and he obviously has great physical strength, but he's an absolutely great character kid," Boylan said. "He's a great kid off the ice, a presence in the locker room and a young man who is forever looking to get better. Character is important to me and Chris is at the top."¬ 

Other locals look to hear their names

Merrimack College's Joe Cannata, Kyle Bigos and Stephane Da Costa are all eligible for the draft this weekend.

While they most likely won go Friday, they could go Saturday during rounds 2-7.

Bigos likely has the best chance of getting picked, some scouts believe as high as the second round. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound defenseman wrapped his junior career in May by being named the MVP of the Royal Bank Cup (Canada's junior hockey national championship). Several have indicated that the New Jersey Devils are high on him.

Cannata projects as a fifth-to-seventh-round selection. Cannata finished his freshman season at Merrimack with a 2.25 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. He is also the highest-ranked collegiate goaltender in the draft and No. 9 goalie overall.

The Vancouver Canucks have expressed interest and have a precedent of drafting Hockey East netminders, selecting former Phillips star Cory Schneider out of BC in the first round four years ago.¬ 

E-mail Mike McMahon at mmcmahon@eagletribune.com.