UPDATE: It looks as though the Ice have traded the 43rd pick in the CHL Import Draft to the Brandon Wheat Kings, who also hold the 59th pick in the first round. No word on what was coming the other way.
If you're a die-hard watching the CHL Import Draft today online and wondering what will come down the pipe for the Kootenay Ice when they pick at the number 43 spot at 2:30PM Mountain Time, don't bother.
The Ice have announced this morning that the club will not partake in the annual call of European talent to the CHL. “Although we have been fortunate in the past with the CHL Import Draft we feel that in this day and age it is becoming very hard to attract the top European players," Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth said in a release. "Our team is eligible to return 19 players and there is no guarantee if we selected a player today that he would be able to play in our top six forwards or top four defensemen.”
Somewhere Don Cherry is dancing a jig.
From the heady days of Jaroslav Svoboda, Zdenek Blatny (by trade), Marek Svatos, Martin Sagat and Tomas Plihal to the disapointments of Roman Polak (only because he left after one season, only to become an everyday player with the St Louis Blues later on), Lucas Bohunicky, Marek Curilla, Ales Frieb and Petr Senkerik; the days of Europeans inhabiting the Kootenays - at least to play junior hockey, it seems, - would be over.
Looking down the draft list at CHL.ca today only the Ice, along with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL who have their compliment of imports, are not partaking. Is it a trend? Is it a cost issue? The fact that European players can play pro closer to home in the KHL or other leagues? I suspect it's a bit of all those things. Import players are expensive. Costs associated with them coming over are high if releases from federations or teams have to be paid, and at that a team doesn't have any guarantees of the player even coming never mind panning out as an everyday player.
The reasoning, though drastic, I understand but what should concern fans is that now the playing field has shifted somewhat - though some would argue it's never been that equal anyway.
The Import Draft during it's heyday was more like the Bantam Draft in that most, if not all, of the top 40 or so European prospects wanted to play in the NHL. To get there the best route was the CHL. With 60 CHL teams tipping the scales and the best import players not wanting to come over, the landscape has shifted considerably. At best the draft was a crap shoot and at worst it was a cattle call controlled solely by player agents. Lately teams with extensive resources - if you're Calgary or Edmonton, owned by the NHL's Flames and Oilers, respectively, with European Scouting Staffs - digging up nuggets or getting extensive looks at potential players was much easier than just trusting a player agent with an obvious agenda. Owners like Ron Toigo in Vancouver or Tom Gaglardi in Kamloops with their deeper pockets and resources could come in handy when deciding on which prospect would fit. Smaller centres like Kootenay and Swift Current et al were at the mercy of the agents, paying for a product sight unseen.
At any rate the lack of participation by the Ice in the import draft could signal the end of an era in junior hockey that began some 20 years ago or it could signal the beginning of a larger two-tiered system where the bigger centre 'haves' use their ability to attract what's left of the European market for impact hockey players and the 'have-nots' don't even bother. Let's hope it's not the start of the latter.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Back from the ether...
Some notes, thoughts, opinions and general comments after a long break.....
Should the City of Cranbrook send Flames GM Darryl Sutter a tax bill? It's municipal tax time here in the Key City and, if the NHL Draft is any indication, Sutter spent more time here than he did anywhere else this past season. Two members of the Ice -F Max Reinhart (3rd round, 64th overall) and D Joe Leach (We'll drop the Joey now that he's NHL stock - nine picks later at 73rd overall) went to the Flames while F Drew Czweronka went farther north to the Oilers in the 6th round (166th overall). It was a good NHL draft-day for the 2007 Ice Bantam Draft class as forward Brendan O'Donnell of Winnipeg went at the 156-spot to Tampa Bay. O'Donnell, who played for the Winnipeg South Blues in the MJHL this past season, is committed to North Dakota this season.
Some thoughts.... Reinhart was a no-brainer though many though he went high in the draft. He's the prototypical modern player; good size, excellent skater with speed to burn and smart at both ends of the ice. Leach was also an expected pick. His size and ability in his own end as a shut-down guy, on top of his offensive up-side that will no doubt show this season, made him a player that was no surprise to go, though again many though it was high in the draft. Czerwonka took me by surprise somewhat. His size and toughness wasn't in question. You can't teach either. But some questioned his ability to skate at the NHL level. But if you're looking for template, one told me Czerwonka reminds him of another Oiler pick, Brad Winchester or current Oiler Dustin Penner. Not bad company...
On the coaching front, well, it's been quiet. Quiet perhaps because the track record is so good that there's not a concern who steps into the shoes of the departed Mark Holick, with the only question of whether anyone can live up to the standard set by the new guy's predecessors. Names? Well, they're few and far between on the rumour front. Mr. Drinnan at Taking Note mentioned St Albert (AJHL) Saints head coach Steve Hamilton. Hamilton is the son of former Oiler Al Hamilton who played in the Oilers heyday back in the early 80's. There is some ties locally as Hamilton and current Ice assistant Scott Beattie were teammates at Northern Michigan in the early 90's. Hamilton is a teacher by trade and I'm also reading that he's been talked about as an assistant with the Oil Kings in Edmonton where he current lives and works so leaving that might be tough.
Another name bandied about is former Hurricane coach Michael Dyck. Dyck is currently a scout for the Vancouver Giants and was an assistant with Vancouver, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat over the years, as well as being Team Pacific's head coach last year at the World U-17 tourney in Timmins. Not much to go on with Dyck's name other than he's been one name thrown out there. Other than that it's been pretty quiet.
Ah, what else? Well, going down the list of one comment poster;
As far as I'm told G Todd Mathews will return in September unless a pro offer materializes. He had a good season and should be able to catch on with another WHL team if the Ice decide that Leiuwen is their guy this season. I don't expect that decision to made too fast though, too many questions remain. Yes, King, Boomer and Fraser are the obvious choices for 20's this season but I doubt Chynoweth will be hasty in his decisions until he has a coach in place and then they'll survey the landscape and see what's what.
Scoring. In June, yes, it might be a problem but in junior hockey things change fast. The loss of Sylvester will hurt but Reinhart and Ismond will pick up the slack on the top two lines. The Euro Draft goes this week and no doubt the club will add some scoring. Whether or not it's effective will be a question answered in November, not now. Trade-wise I wouldn't be looking too hard just yet until you know what you've got. Yes, a scoring forward is desired but everybody wants that. It's easier said than done. Do they give up futures? Not yet.
Neidermayer. Will he take a bigger role with the club now that he's retired? Not likely, at least not in the near future. He retired to get out of the hockey grind and for the time being it'll be family, family, family for him I have no doubt. Hockey will take a back seat for while, at least. I was once told that if hockey never panned out for him following his father's footsteps into medicine was always a possibility. Who knows? Maybe that's a possibility now, he only turns 37 this year.
On the rookie front I see room for two forwards, a d-man and a goaltender. On paper 2009 1st round pick (13th overall) F Colby Cave should have a shot after have a decent season in Alberta Major Midget last year but the strongest push should come from 17-year-old Adam Rossignol from Cloverdale, BC. He had a strong season in Junior B in the PIJHL and should be able to make the jump. In goal, if you accept the reasoning that either one of Mathews or Lieuwen will be in the starter's position this season but not both, 16-year-old Mackenzie Skapski of Abbotsford, will undoubtedly be the rookie back-up. Provided of course he's sufficiently recovered from the bus crash injuries he received that effectively ended his Midget season. On the blueline, a crowded blueline that any rookie will have a tough time cracking, PG product Micheal King would've fit nicely as a 17-year-old but he's committed to the BCHL's Westside Warriors with obvious NCAA aspirations. John Neibrandt, 18, Scott Helmkay, Dylan Schellenberg - both 17 - and Mike Simpson, 16, should all be considered.
And hey, the schedule is out, a little earlier too if memory serves. It's tenative but at this point not a lot of changes are going to be made.
That's it for now. I know the posts have been few and far between of late, due to a few factors - not writing as much paper-wise is definitely a factor as is life in general but I'll try to provide some comment as things come down the pipe now that the lazy days of summer are finally upon us.
Should the City of Cranbrook send Flames GM Darryl Sutter a tax bill? It's municipal tax time here in the Key City and, if the NHL Draft is any indication, Sutter spent more time here than he did anywhere else this past season. Two members of the Ice -F Max Reinhart (3rd round, 64th overall) and D Joe Leach (We'll drop the Joey now that he's NHL stock - nine picks later at 73rd overall) went to the Flames while F Drew Czweronka went farther north to the Oilers in the 6th round (166th overall). It was a good NHL draft-day for the 2007 Ice Bantam Draft class as forward Brendan O'Donnell of Winnipeg went at the 156-spot to Tampa Bay. O'Donnell, who played for the Winnipeg South Blues in the MJHL this past season, is committed to North Dakota this season.
Some thoughts.... Reinhart was a no-brainer though many though he went high in the draft. He's the prototypical modern player; good size, excellent skater with speed to burn and smart at both ends of the ice. Leach was also an expected pick. His size and ability in his own end as a shut-down guy, on top of his offensive up-side that will no doubt show this season, made him a player that was no surprise to go, though again many though it was high in the draft. Czerwonka took me by surprise somewhat. His size and toughness wasn't in question. You can't teach either. But some questioned his ability to skate at the NHL level. But if you're looking for template, one told me Czerwonka reminds him of another Oiler pick, Brad Winchester or current Oiler Dustin Penner. Not bad company...
On the coaching front, well, it's been quiet. Quiet perhaps because the track record is so good that there's not a concern who steps into the shoes of the departed Mark Holick, with the only question of whether anyone can live up to the standard set by the new guy's predecessors. Names? Well, they're few and far between on the rumour front. Mr. Drinnan at Taking Note mentioned St Albert (AJHL) Saints head coach Steve Hamilton. Hamilton is the son of former Oiler Al Hamilton who played in the Oilers heyday back in the early 80's. There is some ties locally as Hamilton and current Ice assistant Scott Beattie were teammates at Northern Michigan in the early 90's. Hamilton is a teacher by trade and I'm also reading that he's been talked about as an assistant with the Oil Kings in Edmonton where he current lives and works so leaving that might be tough.
Another name bandied about is former Hurricane coach Michael Dyck. Dyck is currently a scout for the Vancouver Giants and was an assistant with Vancouver, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat over the years, as well as being Team Pacific's head coach last year at the World U-17 tourney in Timmins. Not much to go on with Dyck's name other than he's been one name thrown out there. Other than that it's been pretty quiet.
Ah, what else? Well, going down the list of one comment poster;
As far as I'm told G Todd Mathews will return in September unless a pro offer materializes. He had a good season and should be able to catch on with another WHL team if the Ice decide that Leiuwen is their guy this season. I don't expect that decision to made too fast though, too many questions remain. Yes, King, Boomer and Fraser are the obvious choices for 20's this season but I doubt Chynoweth will be hasty in his decisions until he has a coach in place and then they'll survey the landscape and see what's what.
Scoring. In June, yes, it might be a problem but in junior hockey things change fast. The loss of Sylvester will hurt but Reinhart and Ismond will pick up the slack on the top two lines. The Euro Draft goes this week and no doubt the club will add some scoring. Whether or not it's effective will be a question answered in November, not now. Trade-wise I wouldn't be looking too hard just yet until you know what you've got. Yes, a scoring forward is desired but everybody wants that. It's easier said than done. Do they give up futures? Not yet.
Neidermayer. Will he take a bigger role with the club now that he's retired? Not likely, at least not in the near future. He retired to get out of the hockey grind and for the time being it'll be family, family, family for him I have no doubt. Hockey will take a back seat for while, at least. I was once told that if hockey never panned out for him following his father's footsteps into medicine was always a possibility. Who knows? Maybe that's a possibility now, he only turns 37 this year.
On the rookie front I see room for two forwards, a d-man and a goaltender. On paper 2009 1st round pick (13th overall) F Colby Cave should have a shot after have a decent season in Alberta Major Midget last year but the strongest push should come from 17-year-old Adam Rossignol from Cloverdale, BC. He had a strong season in Junior B in the PIJHL and should be able to make the jump. In goal, if you accept the reasoning that either one of Mathews or Lieuwen will be in the starter's position this season but not both, 16-year-old Mackenzie Skapski of Abbotsford, will undoubtedly be the rookie back-up. Provided of course he's sufficiently recovered from the bus crash injuries he received that effectively ended his Midget season. On the blueline, a crowded blueline that any rookie will have a tough time cracking, PG product Micheal King would've fit nicely as a 17-year-old but he's committed to the BCHL's Westside Warriors with obvious NCAA aspirations. John Neibrandt, 18, Scott Helmkay, Dylan Schellenberg - both 17 - and Mike Simpson, 16, should all be considered.
And hey, the schedule is out, a little earlier too if memory serves. It's tenative but at this point not a lot of changes are going to be made.
That's it for now. I know the posts have been few and far between of late, due to a few factors - not writing as much paper-wise is definitely a factor as is life in general but I'll try to provide some comment as things come down the pipe now that the lazy days of summer are finally upon us.
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