Dobson took long road to become top NHL prospect

Every Thursday, NHL.com will look ahead to the 2018 NHL Draft with an in-depth profile on one of its top prospects.
Noah Dobson, a defenseman for Acadie-Bathurst of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, honed his hockey and social skills on the road less traveled to becoming one of the top players at his position in the 2018 NHL Draft.

It isn't often a projected high-end Canadian prospect opts for Salzburg, Austria, to play for the Under-18 and U-20 teams at the Red Bull Academy, but Dobson did as a 15-year-old under former NHL coach Pierre Page in 2015-16.
He received word of the opportunity after getting a call from former NHL forward Brian Savage, who moved his family to Salzburg after his son was recruited by the Red Bull Academy.
"He called and said he'd bring me and my dad over to see the place and if we were comfortable with it, we could stay and if not, head back home (to Summerside, Prince Edward Island)," Dobson said. "It was a hockey player's Disney World. It was tough leaving home but when we got there, it was a state of the art facility.
"For the English-speaking players, we took online courses and had our own teacher with us in the classroom but lived right at the facility. The rink was two minutes from our room. That season in Austria was an unbelievable experience."
The Academy offers two international-size rinks, a skating and training center and dorms. The team plays games in the Czech Republic, Finland and Switzerland.
"I think moving away from home and living on a different continent, seeing parts of the world and culture most 15-year-olds don't get to see, was really cool," Dobson said.

Acadie-Bathurst coach Mario Pouliot said playing hockey overseas and being away from home for a year proved Dobson's commitment to becoming the best he can be.
"That's the difference between him and other prospects; Noah takes the actions needed to becoming a pro," Pouliot said. "I think his decision to go to Austria to improve his hockey was the first step in the right direction to kind of get ready to play junior."
Dobson (6-foot-3, 180 pounds), 18, was selected by Acadie-Bathurst with the No. 6 pick at the 2016 QMJHL entry draft. He's No. 5 in NHL Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 22-23.
The right-handed shot ranked second among QMJHL defensemen with 69 points (17 goals, 52 assists) in 67 regular-season games. He had 13 playoff points (three goals, 10 assists) in 20 games to help the Titan to the league championship, and has seven points (two goals, five assists) and a plus-3 rating in three games of the Memorial Cup tournament.
The Memorial Cup semifinal is Friday and the championship is Sunday.
"From winning a gold medal at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka until now, his game has just taken off and he plays with a lot of confidence," said Troy Dumville of NHL Central Scouting. "He's a good skater, moves the puck well, and jumps in and contributes on the offense."

Dobson ranked third on the Titan with 11 power-play goals and first with 276 shots on goal during his second QMJHL season. He averages between 25-27 minutes a game, plays on the top power-play unit, and depending on the opponent, will skate with either the first or second penalty-killing unit.
His most improved area is his offensive game.
"Last season he was kind of taking care of his defensive duty and he was a plus-34 player as a 16-year-old," Pouliot said. "He was matched against top players in the playoffs last year, playing against Pierre-Luc Dubois (Columbus Blue Jackets) and he did really well. This year he's showing his offensive side of the game. He's good at breaking out, controlling the puck and jumping in on the rush at the right moment."
Dobson is used primarily at the right point, but can play left as he did in the early stages of last season. Pouliot sees a lot of Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson in his star defenseman.
"Last year I wasn't as big and strong as I am now, so it's about having a good stick and active feet," Dobson said. "I think when going up against good players, you have to take away time and space and always have good angles. It was good for me to take that on last year at 16."
Dobson, an assistant captain at Acadie-Bathurst this season, is looking forward to the draft.
"I think coming into your draft year there's a lot of hype and talk about where players will go, but I try not to put too much expectations on it," Dobson said. "It's all out of your control. I think I've been happy with the season. I really built it on the experience I learned last year and I'm playing with more confidence, so that's helped me."