ManiacCaneiac
05-03-2007, 07:39 AM
Scouts seek big payback
By Trevor Kenney
May 3, 2007, 17:31
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For months on end they drive through snowstorms and shiver in poorly-lit rinks across western Canada, taking time away from family and friends. On draft day, they get their chance to shine.
The Western Hockey League’s annual bantam draft goes today in Calgary and it’s the time for the league’s various scouts and general managers to step into the limelight and show their stuff. Players get to flex their practice muscle in games but for a scouting staff, this is their stage.
“Big time,” Lethbridge Hurricanes general manager Roy Stasiuk responds when asked if he and his staff get excited about the draft.
“There’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation that goes into the draft. Draft day is our payback, it’s a great day to kind of say here’s our game seven, we’re going into overtime and now let’s go show the world what we can do.”
This year’s draft is even more important to the Hurricanes because not only do they pick in the top-10 (sixth overall), they also have a selection at 18, from their pre-season trade with the Tri-City Americans. In what has been termed an average draft year, Stasiuk says that’s huge.
“I’m really happy we have those two first-round picks because I believe they’ll play an integral part in our franchise two years down the road and it’s nice to get those guys early because (the talent) does drop off,” he says.
The ’Canes prepare for the draft by ranking the top 66 players, three rounds worth of selections. It’s a method that speaks to their preparedness and guards against making panic decisions as the draft begins to unfold. It also takes away guess work, something Stasiuk avoids as he shies away from trying to read the minds of his rival GMs.
“I really don’t waste a lot of time doing that. Why get into mind reading because on draft day something can change where (a team) moves up and that throws your plans right out the window,” he says.
“Stay true to your book, stay true to your ratings. If you sway from those too much, especially in the first round, you’re going to get yourself into trouble.”
He agrees that the consensus number one pick is Luke Moffat, a dual-citizenship centre out of Phoenix who has yet to guarantee he’s coming to play in the WHL. Lethbridge’s Bradley Ross is a bona fide top-five selection, while defenceman Erik Fleming out of Airdrie, forward Kevin Sundher of Burnaby Winter Club, his teammate defenceman Alex Theriau, Winnipeg Sharks forward Charles Inglis (the nephew of former NHLer Bill Inglis), Oakbank, Manitoba’s Quinton Howden and Medicine Hat defenceman Ryan Aasman are all names likely to garner high selections.
Throw in Strathcona defenceman Mark Pysyk (a perfect fit for the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings at number three), Lethbridge sniper Mark Reners and Spruce Grove forward Mackenzie Royer and there is no shortage of talent up top.
Of course Stasiuk wasn’t tipping his hand at who the Hurricanes were looking at but various scouts from around the league had their say on some of the potential top picks.
After Moffatt and Ross, neither of which will likely fall to Lethbridge, a trio of defencemen emerge.
Pysyk is likely to go to Edmonton, leaving Fleming, Theriau and Aasman in the mix.
One scout says of Aasman, “He’s not overly big but a quality skater who jumps into the rush. You could probably relate him to a Kris Russell kind of player.”
Theriau, who comes from the Burnaby team that won Westerns, is called, “A small version of Chris Pronger, he just does everything well,” the scout says. “He commands, he runs the power play, he’s got tremendous vision, makes a great first pass and never gets caught out of position. Some guys just have it and he’s got it.”
The word on Pysyk, as told to Sun Media, is, “He’s got good offensive skills. He does a good job running the power play and has a good shot from the point”.
Pressed a little more on who the ’Canes think they might nab, Stasiuk was understandably cryptic.
“The guy we think is (our) number one is the guy we’ll have rated number one.”
The draft begins at 9 a.m. and can be followed on www.whl.ca
© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com
By Trevor Kenney
May 3, 2007, 17:31
Email this article
Printer friendly page
For months on end they drive through snowstorms and shiver in poorly-lit rinks across western Canada, taking time away from family and friends. On draft day, they get their chance to shine.
The Western Hockey League’s annual bantam draft goes today in Calgary and it’s the time for the league’s various scouts and general managers to step into the limelight and show their stuff. Players get to flex their practice muscle in games but for a scouting staff, this is their stage.
“Big time,” Lethbridge Hurricanes general manager Roy Stasiuk responds when asked if he and his staff get excited about the draft.
“There’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation that goes into the draft. Draft day is our payback, it’s a great day to kind of say here’s our game seven, we’re going into overtime and now let’s go show the world what we can do.”
This year’s draft is even more important to the Hurricanes because not only do they pick in the top-10 (sixth overall), they also have a selection at 18, from their pre-season trade with the Tri-City Americans. In what has been termed an average draft year, Stasiuk says that’s huge.
“I’m really happy we have those two first-round picks because I believe they’ll play an integral part in our franchise two years down the road and it’s nice to get those guys early because (the talent) does drop off,” he says.
The ’Canes prepare for the draft by ranking the top 66 players, three rounds worth of selections. It’s a method that speaks to their preparedness and guards against making panic decisions as the draft begins to unfold. It also takes away guess work, something Stasiuk avoids as he shies away from trying to read the minds of his rival GMs.
“I really don’t waste a lot of time doing that. Why get into mind reading because on draft day something can change where (a team) moves up and that throws your plans right out the window,” he says.
“Stay true to your book, stay true to your ratings. If you sway from those too much, especially in the first round, you’re going to get yourself into trouble.”
He agrees that the consensus number one pick is Luke Moffat, a dual-citizenship centre out of Phoenix who has yet to guarantee he’s coming to play in the WHL. Lethbridge’s Bradley Ross is a bona fide top-five selection, while defenceman Erik Fleming out of Airdrie, forward Kevin Sundher of Burnaby Winter Club, his teammate defenceman Alex Theriau, Winnipeg Sharks forward Charles Inglis (the nephew of former NHLer Bill Inglis), Oakbank, Manitoba’s Quinton Howden and Medicine Hat defenceman Ryan Aasman are all names likely to garner high selections.
Throw in Strathcona defenceman Mark Pysyk (a perfect fit for the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings at number three), Lethbridge sniper Mark Reners and Spruce Grove forward Mackenzie Royer and there is no shortage of talent up top.
Of course Stasiuk wasn’t tipping his hand at who the Hurricanes were looking at but various scouts from around the league had their say on some of the potential top picks.
After Moffatt and Ross, neither of which will likely fall to Lethbridge, a trio of defencemen emerge.
Pysyk is likely to go to Edmonton, leaving Fleming, Theriau and Aasman in the mix.
One scout says of Aasman, “He’s not overly big but a quality skater who jumps into the rush. You could probably relate him to a Kris Russell kind of player.”
Theriau, who comes from the Burnaby team that won Westerns, is called, “A small version of Chris Pronger, he just does everything well,” the scout says. “He commands, he runs the power play, he’s got tremendous vision, makes a great first pass and never gets caught out of position. Some guys just have it and he’s got it.”
The word on Pysyk, as told to Sun Media, is, “He’s got good offensive skills. He does a good job running the power play and has a good shot from the point”.
Pressed a little more on who the ’Canes think they might nab, Stasiuk was understandably cryptic.
“The guy we think is (our) number one is the guy we’ll have rated number one.”
The draft begins at 9 a.m. and can be followed on www.whl.ca
© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com