The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman is ranked 25th in the Central Scouting final rankings. He figures to be chosen near the bottom of Round One when the draft takes place June 22 and 23 in Columbus, Ohio.
"He's a good young player who skates well and is offensively gifted," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "There's a pretty good chance he'll go in the first round."
The Flyers pick second overall and later at 23d. Cohen said he had been told he was slotted somewhere late in the round.
"They say they like how I played, but you never know what happens in the draft," Cohen said. "We'll see what happens. I'd love to be a Flyer."
If genes mean anything, chances are he'll be in the NHL somewhere. Cohen's cousin is Eagles receiver Jeremy Bloom, who often works out with him.
"I saw what my cousin was doing when I was younger and I knew he was just an unbelievable athlete," Cohen said. "I just hope that I can someday be as good an athlete as him."
Cohen's father recognized that his son had hockey talent. He just wasn't sure how to get the most out of it. So, when Cohen was 9, his father sent him to one of Roger Neilson's hockey camps in Toronto.
Neilson, an innovative coach, guided many NHL teams, including the Flyers.
"Roger told my dad that I would amount to something as a hockey player if I played up, in a more competitive environment," Cohen said. "That was important."
Cohen played at Radnor High School in ninth grade and part of the 10th before moving temporarily to Syracuse, N.Y., to play in the Ontario Provincial Junior A League. He spent 11th grade and most of his senior year with the under-17 team of the U.S. National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
