Buffalo defenseman Jake McCabe followed a similar path to that of the potential NHL draft pick.
By Jourdon LaBarber / Sabres.com
Ty Emberson’s path to the NHL Draft began in his hometown of Eau Claire, WI., where he played high school hockey through the 2015-16 season. From there he graduated to the U.S. National Team Development Program, and next season he’ll begin his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin.
Sound familiar? Emberson’s path resembles that of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe, a fellow Eau Claire native who played three seasons with the Badgers and won gold as captain of Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Championship.
“He’s one of the guys I looked up to and talked to before I went to the National Team Development Program,” Emberson said last week at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. “We kind of had the same path. I talked to him about what it’s like. Hopefully I’ll end up in the NHL with him.”
Emberson, a right-shot defenseman, is ranked No. 42 among North American-based skaters by NHL Central Scouting Services. He was listed at No. 57 in the midterm rankings, but his stock rose during a season in which he scored 27 points (4+23) in 61 games for the U.S. National U-18 Team.
Emberson credited his two years with the USNTDP in Ann Arbor, which pitted him against some of the nation’s premier college teams in addition to junior and international competition, with aiding in his development.
“It was unbelievable,” the defenseman said. “The best two years of my life, by far. Just growing as a person and a player on and off the ice, being able to play college teams your second year, it’s an experience nobody can take away from you.”
Emberson is set to become a Badger, but he grew up dreaming of playing at the University of Minnesota. His grandfather, Denny Zacho, played hockey and baseball for the Gophers from 1964-67 and is in the university’s athletic hall of fame. It was Zacho who introduced Emberson to hockey at a young age.
Plans changed after his visit to Wisconsin, and Emberson said he instantly fell in love with the school upon touring the campus and meeting the coaches. Whether he continues to follow McCabe’s path after college remains to be seen, but there is a chance – Emberson interviewed with 20 teams at the combine, the Sabres among them.
“It was a really good impression,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a very high-class organization, and Buffalo loves it’s hockey.”