Plans In Place For 2013 CHL Import Draft
Tomorrow the Moose Jaw Warriors will look overseas when they take part in the 2013 CHL Import Draft. This draft has teams from WHL, OHL, and QMJHL alternating picks of European born players. In the first round the Warriors own the 19th overall pick, they will also select 79th overall.
Preparations for the Import Draft are extremely different than that of the Bantam Draft, which was held in Calgary earlier this year. In comparison, when scouting for the Bantam Draft they’re able to see players in person and on more than one occasion, however for the Import Draft they rely heavier on player agents and other relationships.
“We’re continually getting calls and emails with player profiles and bios on players who are interested on coming over to North America to play,” said Warriors General Manager Alan Millar. “People might think you look at the NHL Draft, see who gets drafted and then take the best players but there’s a number of issues like release fee’s and contractional issues in Europe. You really need to go through those lists and find who’s interested and who’s available to come over.”
“The agents are a big player in this. You’re working with people that you have relationships with and trust, not only on the level of can they play and are they any good, but also the ability to get them over here and that’s certainly a big part of the process,” added Millar.
This past Sunday several European born players were selected in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in New Jersey, and Millar says that can impact how team’s select on Wednesday.
“The Import Draft is after the NHL Draft for a reason. A big part of that is that NHL teams are drafting Europeans and working with them and their agents on that they (NHL teams) may want them to come to North America and may want them in the CHL. The days following the NHL Draft there could be a lot of dialogue in terms of guys who may have just got drafted and who are potentially coming over,” he said. “You have to be cognoscente that the top end of the draft is eligible to go straight to the NHL. If they’re drafted out of Europe they’re eligible to play in the American Hockey League. You could draft a superstar and never see them.”
Millar admits that in past year’s preparations for this draft he has spent time overseas scouting players at the World Under 18 Championships, but says this year many teams found it hard to attend this year’s event in Sochi, Russia for many reasons. With that being said, he says that with strong relationships with agents and other contacts along with today’s technology seeing these players in action has become easier.
“Agents are providing more than just paper work, they’re also supplying some video. We’re able to watch some video and we have the ability to see some scouting reports, which is through connections,” Millar said. “It really is a draft that you have to trust other people. The NHL scouting fraternity and player agents, there’s no ways around it, they’re key players in this process.”
The Moose Jaw Warriors have selected players from a number of countries, most recently Fredrik Tiffels from Germany and Nikita Zagradski from Russia in 2012, and Switzerland’s Eric Arnold in 2011. Millar explains that each country has its own hoops to jump through when it comes to recruiting their players.
“Certain countries like Sweden have an excellent professional and junior program. They’re elite players usually go through they’re junior programs and are playing at the elite level and sometimes playing at the elite level by 18 or 19. With a Swedish player there’s a great place for him to go back and play as compared to the CHL.”
“Russia is always difficult in terms of potential release fees, the KHL is there and can be a real good option for players potentially at 18 or 19,” he said. “There are different models, there are different development programs, and there are opportunities in other countries for the player to remain in. Some other countries, maybe Slovakia and the Czech Republic, seem to be more interested to come over because the development model in the CHL may be ahead of what they have at home.”
Moose Jaw was the youngest team in the Western Hockey League last year and has the opportunity to return the majority of their team. As players such as Brayden Point, Miles Warkentine, Brandon Potomak, and Bryson Gore and others continue to develop, Millar says it’s hard to determine whether having an impact import is a necessity or a bonus.
“That’s a great question. The WHL champion Portland Winterhawks had an impact with (Oliver) Bjorkstrand, but that was one player,” said Millar. “You go back to Edmonton (two years ago), they certainly had impact in terms of the European draft with their two players. The year previous to that the Kootenay Ice didn’t have any Europeans.”
“I think sometimes we put too much pressure on an import player coming over and we’re just assuming that he’s going to be great,” Millar went on to say. “We feel that we can get a good player at 19 (overall), because we’re picking a little higher this year than we have the last couple of years, but we may be rolling the dice a little at 79 (overall). I think it’s another avenue to be competitive, it’s another avenue to add to your list.”
Moose Jaw has intentions of selecting two players during the 2013 CHL Import Draft, if both are to come to the Friendly City Millar says it can add to the competitive nature of their upcoming training camp.
“The best 24 players here in the middle of September are the guys we’re going to run with. I think you have to bring import players in as part of the process and part of the competitive nature of training camp;” he said.
“If they’re not good enough then they’re not good enough, they’re not going to be on the roster because of the perceived impact that needs to come out of the import draft. We have a strong list and we believe adding two Europeans into the process have the chance to take our camp, which we feel is going to be very competitive, and take it to another step.”
