Euro Draft Is a farce IMO

[Swando]

For you long time Giant fans you will remember our last great Euro pic being Micheal Repik. Almost 10 years ago. We had Mario Bliznak that we drafted as well but he was a defensive specialist with minimal scoring but great player in our Mem Cup drive. He did get drafted in a late round by the Canucks. I think Repik went to Florida in the 4th round but never made it as of yet.

I talked to Scott Bonner a few years back about the Euro draft and he explained that it is all based on the agents that the players have. What I derived from this is..IMO If an agent thinks his client will have a better chance of putting up big scoring numbers in a certain WHL city ( and making (he) himself more $ in the NHL draft situation down the road) he will basically tell other teams not to draft him as his client (player) will not report!! In other words Players Agents control the Euro draft
---------------------
Are these connected???

Remember how Portland got penalized losing several of their 1st round draft picks because of extra cell phones given to Captains and a few flights to parents. I don't know this for sure but look at these players that have been on Portland since the new owner bought the Hawks and what Portland has turned into.. Make your own decision.

1. Sven Bartchi 2 years WHL(179 points) Calgary Flames draft
2. Nino Niederrierter - 2 yrs 130 points - 5th over all NHL selection NYI
3. Bjorkstrand -3 years 300 points? 3rd rd Columbus
4. Cederholm - Canuck draft pick
5 Sbisa - Canuck player Obtained by trading their other Euro pick

Do you not think that these agents pockets aren't being padded? I have no doubt and the WHL does not want to even go there imo. 1 dynamic player let alone 2 on a team can make a big difference. I saw what Portland was like for years prior to the ownership change and WHAM - they have been in the WHL final 5 years straight. I give Bonner and Giants credit for playing by the rules but this is BS ( excuse me...if I am incorrect)

PS: if you want to look deeper into the Winterhawk player signings start by looking at Seth Jones.. Everett could not sign him as a 1st round pick(US based team) but retained his rights and traded his rights to Portland 2 years later. Again - He signs with Portland and wham. Another top 5 NHL draft choice!! 4th overall by Nashville

Ironically it was Jones signing with Portland was the year that Portland got penalized and lost their 1st round draft picks for 5? years. Over a cell phone and a few unregistered family flights to see their son play?? Give me a break.

Just some feelings I have wanted to share for a long time.

[SectionNDeserter]

In other words Players Agents control the Euro draftAbsolutely, and to a lesser extent, the bantam draft.


Do you not think that these agents pockets aren't being padded?I think you may have a case for Portland, to some extent (though some of the players you mention were relative unknowns before coming to the CHL). However, the agent would make most of their money from the series of NHL contracts that the player would ultimately get, so it is in that agent's best interest to get their client to a team that they are not only going to get drafted from, but spend as little time as possible in the CHL on.


PS: if you want to look deeper into the Winterhawk player signings start by looking at Seth Jones..*cough* Kevin Connauton *cough*

[Giantsfan]

When you are an elite team players wanna play for your team. Do you believe the Giants would have gotten Rabbit or McArdle if they weren't hosting the Mem Cup? The Euros that Portland have/had are amazing, weather it be favortism or not.

[dondo]

Yes When I learned this I was rather p*ssed off and more-so because it is a CHL-wide problem which no-one seems to be addressing.

It really is time for the league to step in and enforce rules such as players refusing to report after being drafted do not play for any other team until their rights are dealt with a healthy fine attached to the deal. That means that only the super-superstars will be able to try that route and the teams will be less inclined to pay a loss of 1st round picks game.

It is past time to take the power out of the agent's and parents' hands and allow the league(s) to develop parity through drafting. It is also time for O and Q teams to stop being allowed to "loan" star players to top (more often than not Memorial Cup hosting) teams for a season only to get them back for a bag of pucks the next year. We all know this happening and yet the leagues seem content to turn a blind eye.

In the euro-draft in particular this way of doing business has gone beyond ridiculous and is so blatant it is laughable. I wouldn't be surprised that kick-backs and bribes riddle all three leagues and even the punishment given to Portland won't deter some the teams from trying to even the playing field through "perks" for parents and agents.

Frankly it makes me sick how much of a commodity these players have become and how transparent the situation has gotten without real strong hard-fast rules being put into place.

I have always hated Lindros because he and his Dad felt that he should choose where he played and he refused to report for teams all up the rungs. He pulled that crap in bantam and the CHL level and the NHL and frankly if you won't report you don't play for anyone - leagues should maintain that rule imo and enforce it.

The problem is that this crap has become normal and commonplace and should never have been allowed in the first place and the Lindros debacle should have been nipped in the bud early.

Funnily enough it all backfired. Lindros enabled the Nordiques to put together a cup winning team for Colorado when Philly traded everything for him, only to get a whiny, damaged, ego-centric piece of sh*te.

So what is a team to do? Play by the rules laid out for the league or the "real" rules condoned by practice? Sadly I don't see it changing any time soon, so most of the teams will slide just over the edge of the rules and hope they don't get caught.

[dondo]

Absolutely, and to a lesser extent, the bantam draft.

*cough* Kevin Connauton *cough*

Connaughton was a draft pick of the Canucks playing in a US College. The Canucks had his rights as did the Giants who listed him. I think the Canucks wanted him to play closer to home and in a better league. I'm not sure if that means that no other team had a chance on him and maybe it was insider trading of a sort, but no worse than any other team.

Also Bliznak was already a Canucks draft pick when we drafted him as a euro. I am sure there are a few local teams at a higher level who are creating a relationship with their Junior counterparts to combine resources. The Oilers and Flames spring to mind as the ownership group both own their Junior counterparts in the city.

With the limit of agents controlling the european players fates and the lack of resources that Major Junior have to dedicate to scouting in Europe, some sort of a deal like that makes sense, but then it also makes sense that if a team has fore-knowledge of a player and drafts them, but the agent has "promised" them to another team then the league needs to step in to uphold the pick and not the bargain made in the backroom.

Teams lose draft picks all the time due to positioning. This is what is supposed to happen to maintain some league parity. Unfortunately whether the teams just don't want the headache or the agents are actually being allowed to dictate where their player will go - the current practice is to allow the agents and their relationship with the franchise to direct who goes where and it is wrong.

There is a difference between utilising a higher level franchise's resources to assist in your picks and having to be held hostage to a greedy agent with their hand out.

[SectionNDeserter]

I think the Canucks wanted him to play closer to home and in a better league. I'm not sure if that means that no other team had a chance on him and maybe it was insider trading of a sort, but no worse than any other team.Yeah, that was sort of the point I was making to Swando. :D


the agents and their relationship with the franchise to direct who goes where and it is wrong.Agents are really ruining hockey, at all levels. The fact that Mike Barnett was mentioned as a name that could have been inducted into the HHOF this year, made me sick to my stomach.

[scrunt]

It really is time for the league to step in and enforce rules such as players refusing to report after being drafted do not play for any other team until their rights are dealt with a healthy fine attached to the deal. That means that only the super-superstars will be able to try that route and the teams will be less inclined to pay a loss of 1st round picks game.

It is past time to take the power out of the agent's and parents' hands and allow the league(s) to develop parity through drafting.

That is only possible for leagues have a monopoly at that particular level. In the case of the CHL, there are numerous alternatives (even if you believe some are inferior for player development, they all have perceived merits). The NHL is now facing the same problem -- teams are not even bothering to draft Russians anymore because they know they might end up with a wasted pick. CHL teams face the same competition but from Junior A, USHL, NCAA, and European junior leagues.

Fighting corruption is a massively expensive endeavor that requires widespread cooperation from parties with differing interests. Why would a European development league agree to refuse a player from that country to play in their league once that player is drafted by a CHL team? Why would players/families agree to enforce full compliance from their agent when the players believe that they stand to benefit the most? Most will just though integrity and honesty, but unless compliance is voluntarily universal or there is a monopoly situation, the corruption will be there.

[Giantsfan]

Kevin Connauton decided to play for Western Michigan University after being drafted by the Canucks. Previous to that he was in the AJHL.

The Canucks wanted him to play for the Giants so they could keep an eye on his progression. Not sure exactly how he was acquired by the Giants if he was a listed player or not. He was so good that he set a record for points by a dman. His wrist shot was that of an NHL'er.