nivek_wahs
05-17-2006, 01:39 AM
from reginapats.com
American draft a first for league
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, May 16, 2006
The Regina Pats are eying some cross-border bargains.
The shopping excursion begins today when the WHL holds its first-ever American player draft via conference call. Each of the league's 21 teams will have an opportunity to select from a pool of 65 players (age 14-17) which auditioned during a prospects camp last weekend in Anaheim.
Each team has been allocated an extra spot on its 50-player protected list to accommodate at least one selection. Any subsequent additions would require a club to make room on its existing list.
The Pats are slated to pick 14th, although their position could improve because some teams may opt out of the draft. The expansion Chilliwack Bruins have the No. 1 pick.
"I'd say there's a better than average chance that we will draft somebody," said Pats GM Brent Parker. "It just depends on what the teams in front of us do. If there's anything there for us we'll take a peek, but I don't think we'll draft someone just for the sake of drafting them either."
The prospects camp was held in partnership with the NHL's Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who made their practice facility available for workouts. Ducks GM Brian Burke is a co-owner of the new Chilliwack franchise.
Anaheim was an obvious locale for the camp based upon the increased number of players being harvested from the Golden State. There were more than a dozen Californians affiliated with WHL teams in 2005-06, including goaltender Joey Perricone of the Moose Jaw Warriors and forward Tim Kraus and defenceman Jonathan Blum of the league-champion Vancouver Giants.
"Any way you slice it, whether we pick or not, I think it really behooves us as a league to have a presence in (the U.S.)," Parker said. "There are a lot of hockey players down there. If you look at our league now, they have a presence and they're not just jersey fillers, they're guys who can play.
"I think we all saw the boom in hockey down there when Gretzky was there," he added. "I think there's a real possibility it's going to continue, some of it aided by what's going on in the NHL right now ... with the potential for an Anaheim-San Jose conference final."
It's a sign of the times that WHL teams are going that extra mile in search of players. With the league expanding to 22 teams when Edmonton joins the fold in 2007-08, some observers expect the current talent pool to be stretched to the limit.
That's part of the reason why Parker and director of scouting Todd Ripplinger have already planned a scouting trip for next season which will take them through less-travelled hockey markets in the southern U.S., including Arizona and California.
"We have to expand our horizons," the GM added. "If that means we have to find a way to get into the U.S. market, so be it. I think it's good for our league as a whole. The more of these kids we can get to our camps and get them exposed to our league, the better off we're going to be."
American draft a first for league
Greg Harder, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, May 16, 2006
The Regina Pats are eying some cross-border bargains.
The shopping excursion begins today when the WHL holds its first-ever American player draft via conference call. Each of the league's 21 teams will have an opportunity to select from a pool of 65 players (age 14-17) which auditioned during a prospects camp last weekend in Anaheim.
Each team has been allocated an extra spot on its 50-player protected list to accommodate at least one selection. Any subsequent additions would require a club to make room on its existing list.
The Pats are slated to pick 14th, although their position could improve because some teams may opt out of the draft. The expansion Chilliwack Bruins have the No. 1 pick.
"I'd say there's a better than average chance that we will draft somebody," said Pats GM Brent Parker. "It just depends on what the teams in front of us do. If there's anything there for us we'll take a peek, but I don't think we'll draft someone just for the sake of drafting them either."
The prospects camp was held in partnership with the NHL's Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who made their practice facility available for workouts. Ducks GM Brian Burke is a co-owner of the new Chilliwack franchise.
Anaheim was an obvious locale for the camp based upon the increased number of players being harvested from the Golden State. There were more than a dozen Californians affiliated with WHL teams in 2005-06, including goaltender Joey Perricone of the Moose Jaw Warriors and forward Tim Kraus and defenceman Jonathan Blum of the league-champion Vancouver Giants.
"Any way you slice it, whether we pick or not, I think it really behooves us as a league to have a presence in (the U.S.)," Parker said. "There are a lot of hockey players down there. If you look at our league now, they have a presence and they're not just jersey fillers, they're guys who can play.
"I think we all saw the boom in hockey down there when Gretzky was there," he added. "I think there's a real possibility it's going to continue, some of it aided by what's going on in the NHL right now ... with the potential for an Anaheim-San Jose conference final."
It's a sign of the times that WHL teams are going that extra mile in search of players. With the league expanding to 22 teams when Edmonton joins the fold in 2007-08, some observers expect the current talent pool to be stretched to the limit.
That's part of the reason why Parker and director of scouting Todd Ripplinger have already planned a scouting trip for next season which will take them through less-travelled hockey markets in the southern U.S., including Arizona and California.
"We have to expand our horizons," the GM added. "If that means we have to find a way to get into the U.S. market, so be it. I think it's good for our league as a whole. The more of these kids we can get to our camps and get them exposed to our league, the better off we're going to be."