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Thread: Import Draft

  1. #1
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    Default Import Draft

    from reginapats.com

    Import Draft A Success


    June 28, 2006

    Regina Saskatchewan: The Regina Pats hockey club, are pleased to announce this afternoon the selection of left winger Niko Snellman from Tampere, Finland 41st overall in the CHL Import Draft today.

    Snellman was selected by the Nashville Predators in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft Saturday in the 4th round 105th overall.

    Niko played last season with the Ilves Tampere of the Ilves Jr A league. The 17 year old stands 6’1 and weighs in at 190 pounds and shoots left. Last season Snellman hit the back of the net for 4 goals and added 4 assists for a total of 8 points in 23 games. He also added 74 penalty minutes to his resume.

    The Pats are hoping that he is going to be a large impact player to their roster in the upcoming season and to the near future with his size and strength.

    Pats General Manager Brent Parker – “ Niko is physical winger with good size and a North American style to his game. We feel that he will be a good fit to our hockey club and we are excited to see him in a Pats uniform this fall.”

    The Halifax Mooseheads had the first selection in today’s draft and selected Czech winger Jacub Voracek with the 1st overall selection while the Chilliwack Bruins had the first pick among WHL teams and selected RW Oskar Moller out of Sweden

    The CHL Import Draft will continue the rest of the day.

    Pats GM Brent Parker will be available at the Pats Office this afternoon for any questions.

    For more information contact: Josh Bes – 522-5604 / 537-0228

  2. #2
    Number_4 Guest

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    a bit more info from nashvillepredators.com

    Next Nashville selected Niko Snellman, plucking the 6-1, 191-pound Finn in the fourth round. "His best asset is his physical play," Predators European scout Janne Kekalainen said of Snellman. "He hits extremely hard and extremely well. He's got great, great passion for the game and determination. He's got good skills and good hockey sense too. He didn't produce a lot this year, but I don't see that as a problem in the future because he can play with good players. He can pass the puck and he can make decisions. He needs to improve his skating ability a bit, but I'm pretty sure that it will come in the future."

    Kekalainen, who has had Snellman on his radar since October, said not many other scouts saw the youngster during the Finnish Junior "B" championship. At the event, Snellman played a key role in his team's run to the title. "The first game I saw him in, he was just unbelievable," Kekalainen said. "He made great passes for guys. They just had to put in empty netters. Also he made some punishing hits and in a fashion that not many people can do. That just convinced me thoroughly about him."

  3. #3
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    from reginapats.com via the LeaderPost
    Pats hope for Finnishing touch


    June 29, 2006

    Greg Harder, The Leader-Post

    The Regina Pats are eager to give Finnish power forward Niko Snellman a crash course on Canadian hockey.

    He has already passed the entrance exam.

    "He's not a shrinking violet that's for sure," offered Pats GM Brent Parker after using the 41st pick in Wednesday's CHL import draft to choose the 18-year-old left winger, whom the Nashville Predators selected in the fourth round (105th overall) of last weekend's NHL entry draft.

    The 6-foot-1, 191-pounder isn't your run-of-the-mill European.

    "Snellman is a wrecking ball," Predators assistant GM Paul Fenton told Nashvillecitypaper.com following the NHL draft. "When people see him coming on the ice, they go the other way. He doesn't have the speed of a Jordin Tootoo, but he drives through people like Jordin does."

    This is the first time the Pats have drafted a player from Finland, a country which is known for producing grittier, Canadian-style skaters. The Pats believe Snellman's physical tools could help ease his transition to the North American game.

    "We had pretty good success last year taking a guy who some people didn't think would score because he was not a prototypical European player," noted Parker, who selected Czech sniper Petr Kalus third overall in the 2005 draft. "That has to be a big part of your selection process is finding guys who are going to adapt to the game the way it's played over here."

    Prior to the NHL draft, Snellman was the 93rd-ranked skater in Europe according to NHL Central Scouting. In 23 games last season, he posted four goals, four assists and 74 penalty minutes in the Finnish junior league.

    Snellman also played for Team Finland at the 2004 Viking Cup junior A tournament in Alberta, where he recorded zero points but led all players with 32 penalty minutes.

    "His best asset is his physical play," Predators European scout Janne Kekalainen reported on the Predators Web site. "He hits extremely hard and extremely well. He's got great, great passion for the game and determination. He's got good skills and good hockey sense too. He didn't produce a lot this year, but I don't see that as a problem in the future because he can play with good players. He can pass the puck and he can make decisions. He needs to improve his skating ability a bit, but I'm pretty sure that it will come in the future."

    The Predators had an eye on Snellman for some time.

    "The first game I saw him in, he was just unbelievable," Kekalainen added. "He made great passes for guys. They just had to put in empty netters. Also he made some punishing hits and in a fashion that not many people can do. That just convinced me thoroughly about him."

    Parker doesn't anticipate any trouble bringing Snellman to North America, noting that he has talked to the player's agent and the transfer papers are already in transit.

    The Pats received information from a number of NHL sources which suggest Snellman could be an impact WHL player. Parker said one scout referred to him as "a beast."

    "We hope to play him with a good skilled centreman where he can go to the net hard and score those hard-nosed goals," added the Pats GM. "It's so hard to say (if he'll pan out). I hope he adapts when he gets over here. By all accounts his style of game is going to give him a chance to do that."

  4. #4
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    Iconwhl

    Myself im very excited about seeing a Finnish player in a Pats uniform this coming season...... i have always been a fan of finnish players... they play a simliar style as north america kids only they usually lack in size....this Snellman doesnt lack the size though hopfully he'll be able to be a good set up man for a guy like Bernhart....

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    the kid sounds like he can lay out some punishing hits...damn i like him already!

  6. #6
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    All I can say is...the new Trojovsky? I loved Trojovsky. Looking forward to Snellmans' arrival indeed. What will happen with the second Euro spot though. Of coarse we are all hoping it is filled by Kalus...but... :skeptical

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fight Guy
    All I can say is...the new Trojovsky? I loved Trojovsky. Looking forward to Snellmans' arrival indeed. What will happen with the second Euro spot though. Of coarse we are all hoping it is filled by Kalus...but... :skeptical
    Hey Fight Guy... I hope this answers your question...

    from reginapats.com via the LeaderPost
    Pats begin preparing for life after Kalus
    June 28, 2006

    Greg Harder, The Leader-Post

    The Regina Pats are going forward.

    With the anticipated departure of Czech sniper Petr Kalus to the pro ranks, the Pats are on the lookout for a capable replacement in today's CHL import draft.

    Regina is slated to pick 41st out of 59 CHL teams.

    "We'd like to get a forward," explained Pats GM Brent Parker, whose team also lost Russian left-winger Denis Tolpeko to graduation. "We'd like to hopefully add a little offence with losing Denis and Petr. That's some pop out of our lineup. We expect some of those younger guys to take a step forward but even based on that we'd like to take a forward."

    The Pats hit the jackpot last summer when they used the third overall pick in the draft to select Kalus, who led all WHL rookies with 36 goals. The downside to Kalus's success was that it likely shortened his stay in Regina.

    The 19-year-old signed a contract in the offseason with the Boston Bruins, who selected him in the second round of the 2005 NHL entry draft. Since Kalus was drafted before he became Pats' property, he is eligible to play in Boston's minor-league system as early as next season.

    His promotion appears imminent.

    "We've talked (to the Bruins)," noted Parker. "There's a chance (Kalus could be returned to Regina). It's limited, but there's a chance."

    The Pats plan to keep Kalus on their protected list in the unlikely event that Boston does send him back to junior. Since a team can only carry two Europeans, Regina is expected to pick just one player during today's draft.

    If Kalus remains with Boston, the Pats can go shopping for a second import at a later date.

    "Maybe somebody has an extra one . . . and we can make a deal," said Parker. "But in the meantime we're not prepared to run that risk (of leaving Kalus exposed).

    "I have a pretty good idea what our coaches and our fans would think if I didn't protect him and Boston decided to send him back."


    The task of replacing Kalus will be difficult with the 41st pick. Parker kicked some tires around the league in an attempt to move up in the draft, but he didn't find any takers.

    "We'll pick at that spot," he said, before breaking into a laugh. "We just might get into the B's in the Prague telephone directory instead of just the start of the A's."

    When it comes to the import draft, Plan A rarely come to fruition anyway.

    "The big thing for us right now is trying to find guys who are going to come over," added Parker. "There's no question when you're down that far that it's more of a longshot. There are a lot of top-end impact guys that people know about. There are some guys who aren't coming to our league for one reason or another or to our team for one reason or another. Every one of us has that challenge.

    "I think of a guy like Karel Mosovsky (whom Regina selected with the 71st pick of the 1998 draft). He was a very serviceable player for us who we picked late. But it's much more difficult to get those guys."

  8. #8
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    so here's a question - do you have to be down to two Euros by the start of the season, or is there a few weeks where players who are being tried out at the NHL level could slip back into the line-up at the Junior level?
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by dondo
    so here's a question - do you have to be down to two Euros by the start of the season, or is there a few weeks where players who are being tried out at the NHL level could slip back into the line-up at the Junior level?
    I was always under the impression that you could have 2 import players on your PPL at ANY time. ie: if you draft 2 and already have 1 on your list, you have to drop one.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by SectionNDeserter
    I was always under the impression that you could have 2 import players on your PPL at ANY time. ie: if you draft 2 and already have 1 on your list, you have to drop one.
    I believe that is true. The Pats were able to "carry" 3 Euros last year due to the fact that Martin Hanzal was on the teams "Suspended List." Which from what I understand takes a 50-man spot but doesn't count towards the teams Imports. That's why we (Pats) had Kalus, Tolpeko & Hanzal listed.

    But what do I know? :skeptical

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