Make no mistake, West (6-foot-6, 208 pounds) is exceptionally talented at both. The 17-year-old right-handed shot ranked first in goals (27) and shots on goal (44), tied for first in game-winning goals (five), and was second in points (49) in 31 games as a junior this season.
“I’ve really concentrated on improving my game on the ice, especially this past year,” West said. “I know there’s a lot of skepticism of players coming out of high school, but there’s a lot of great players and great coaches who do a really good job of preparing their players.”
West is No. 50 on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm ranking of North American skaters; the highest-rated high school player on the list. He was elevated to an A rated skater on NHL Central Scouting’s players to watch list on March 17.
His college options for ice hockey include Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin and the University of Notre Dame, where Lee played (2010-13) for legendary coach Jeff Jackson, who retired following this season.
“Not only is he big but he can be physical and is smart with the puck,” said David Gregory, associate director of NHL Central Scouting. “He makes great decisions. The way he surveys the ice is a lot like he’s a quarterback out there. You can really see that. So that makes him super interesting.”
On the gridiron, West completed 178 of 244 passes for 2,592 yards, with 37 touchdowns and four interceptions. He finished with a 139.9 passer rating and is being recruited in football by Marshall University, Kent State University, Miami (Ohio) University and South Dakota State University.
He said he has no desire to be a multisport athlete in college, and that he has been able to transfer skills learned in each sport to build success in the other.
“In football, you have to be mentally strong because after an interception, you need to go back out there for the next drive,” West said. “It’s like in hockey but it just happens a little bit faster. I feel my mental game has gotten really stronger, especially for football when it comes to turnovers as a quarterback … a lot can go wrong.”
West can play all situations in hockey, including power play and penalty kill. He played right wing at Edina this season out of necessity, but also can play center.
“I enjoy taking draws and also making breakout passes so I like to get the puck and go,” he said.
