Global Hockey News

(CHL) Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League on Tuesday announced the final results of the 2010 CHL Import Draft.

The two rounds included a total of 71 players selected from 15 different countries.

The Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League used the first overall pick to select 18-year-old Slovakian-born defenceman Martin Marincin, a second round pick of the Edmonton Oilers, 46th overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.  The Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League had the second overall pick and selected 16-year-old Russian forward Nail Yakupov, before the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Mooseheads selected 16-year-old Martin Frk of the Czech Republic with the third overall pick.  Both Yakupov and Frk are eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

The draft also featured two players that competed for Team Russia at the 2009 SUBWAY Super Series including Maxim Kitsyn who was selected by the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and Igor Bobkov who was selected by the London Knights.  Kitsyn scored four goals in six games of the series, while Bobkov was named Player of the Game twice in goal.

Each team in the CHL is permitted to carry two European Import players each season.  These players are selected annually at the Import Draft, with the order of selection rotating through each of the three leagues in the CHL using an inverse order of their final regular season standings from the 2009-10 season.

Draft Picks by Country:
Russia – 17
Czech Republic – 12
Slovakia – 11
Sweden – 6
Germany – 5
Switzerland – 5
Finland – 3
Latvia – 3
Belarus – 2
Denmark – 2
Austria – 1
England – 1
Hungary – 1
Norway – 1
Slovenia – 1

Draft Picks by Position:
Forward – 46
Defence – 19
Goaltender – 6

Draft Picks by NHL Status:
2010 Drafted – 7
2011 Eligible – 61
2012 Eligible – 3

Last season, Stanislav Galiev was selected first overall in the 2009 CHL Import Draft by the Saint John Sea Dogs before being chosen with the 86th pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals.  The Portland Winterhawks used the second overall pick to select Nino Niederreiter, the first European-born player selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and the highest Swiss-born player ever to be drafted when he was chosen fifth overall by the New York Islanders.  Alexander Burmistrov of the Barrie Colts was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers eighth overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft after being selected 12th overall in the 2009 CHL Import Draft.

The 2010 CHL Import Draft results along with a six-year historical recap of the draft which can be viewed at http://chl.ca/importDraft.php.

By Thandiwe Vela, Edmonton Journal

Red-and-white fireworks lit up the sky above Commonwealth Stadium as thousands gathered to celebrate Canada’s national sport and military heroes Monday evening.

Four months after winning Olympic gold on home soil, Canada’s men’s and women’s hockey teams received their rings as they paraded before throngs of fans of all ages, waving Canadian flags and sporting Team Canada jerseys.

The nationally televised event — For the Love of Country and For the Love of Hockey — was also a celebration of the men and women of the Canadian Forces.

“Our men’s and women’s teams were heroes on the 25th and 28th of February, but our military are heroes every day,” president of Hockey Canada Bob Nicholson said.

“The theme was heroes of Canada, and we have heroes on the ice and heroes who protect us overseas,” added event chairman Doug Goss, who estimated about 10,000 people attended the event.

In a reversal of roles, Team Canada captains Scott Niedermayer and Hayley Wickenheiser rolled into the stadium in light armoured military vehicles while Edmonton-based Master Cpl. Colin Johnston looked on, wearing a Team Canada jersey.

“Hockey is Canada’s game, so these people are heroes because they bring up the morale of the whole country,” Johnston said.

“All the individuals being recognized deserve our deepest thanks for contributing so much to the betterment of Canada’s quality of life — both by strengthening our spirit and by standing up for what we value as Canadians,” said Lindsay Blackett, Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. “In February 2010, we stood together as a nation and cheered our athletes on to victory. Today is yet another fantastic opportunity to build our nationalistic pride and continue to celebrate.”

Hundreds of Canadian flags, big and small waved across the stadium, but the biggest of all was David Ash’s — the very six-by-12-foot flag taken by Team Canada’s Corey Perry to wave around the rink after Team Canada’s men’s hockey win.

“You never get tired of that,” Ash said, watching a replay of Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal on the big screen. Families gathered around Ash posing for pictures with the giant flag and “He shoots he scores,” “She shoots she scores” signs.

Jennifer Wolf, 31 walked away from the event with a Team Canada photograph autographed by 13 members of the men’s and women’s teams.

“It’s incredible — I never thought I would get so many signatures,” Wolf said. “They make us all proud.”

Arjun, 5, wore a Canadian flag as a cape, beaming after catching a glimpse of Crosby on the field. He was just excited as he waited in line, with his uncle Rohit Sharma, to crawl into a military tank and pose for pictures with soldiers.

“What they do is worth more than hockey rings,” Sharma said. “They give us the freedom to win gold.”

By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

LOS ANGELES — When he was 11, maybe 12, Tom Kuehnhackl was rooting around in his basement in Germany when he found a DVD.

“It had my dad on it, and it said he was one of the greatest hockey players in all of Europe,” Kuehnhackl said. “I was surprised about that. I had no idea. He played for the German national team, but he also played in the Czech Republic, Switzerland.”

Erich Kuehnhackl, now a vice president of the German national hockey team, played in three Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1976, 10 world championships and was part of four German pro league championships. He is in the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.

He never played in the NHL, but his son will have a shot to do that.

Tom Keuhnhackl, a 6-foot-2, 172-pound right winger, was selected Saturday by the Penguins in the fourth round of the NHL draft.

He had hoped to play in North America last season but was obligated by contract to remain with the Landshut Cannibals, getting 12 goals and 21 points in 38 games. He expects to join Windsor of the junior Ontario Hockey League this coming season.

Keuhnhackl might not have known early on that his father was a star, but he knew he had hockey in his blood, and he first strapped on skates at 2. Since then, he has endured friends who don’t understand why he is interested in a sport other than soccer.

“Germany, everybody is around soccer,” said Kuehnhackl, who speaks nearly flawless English. “That’s it. Nobody cares about hockey.”

So, while so many people he knows in Germany were glued to the World Cup soccer matches, he was sitting anxiously in Staples Center waiting to hear his name. When it was the Penguins who called it, Kuehnhackl was ecstatic.

“There’s a lot I know about the Penguins, especially the best players maybe in the world, like [Sidney] Crosby, [Evgeni] Malkin. On defense, [Sergei] Gonchar, Kris Letang. Goalie, [Marc-Andre] Fleury,” he said, his eyes wide. “Oh, my God. Just awesome players.

“I had no idea [who would pick me], but it’s great to be picked by the Penguins.”

It was an eye-opening weekend for the 18-year-old, who was dazzled by Los Angeles and pleasantly surprised by the full house at the arena Friday evening for the first round of the draft.

Kuehnhackl had been to the United States once before, in 2004, while on vacation with his parents. He got to see a Stanley Cup final game between Tampa Bay and Calgary.

“It was an awesome feeling to be in [an NHL] rink,” he said.

The rinks here are smaller than the international-sized ice surface he is used to, but he is looking forward to making that transition.

“Everybody’s going faster, playing physically. I can use my body for that,” Kuehnhackl said.

“I’m a big player and I like to protect the puck, get the puck to the goal, create scoring chances. I see the open guy. I think I’m a good skater.”

Jay Heinbuck, the Penguins’ director of amateur scouting, said Kuehnhackl was spotted in a couple of European tournaments and targeted as a prospect.

Kuehnhackl’s father was not able to make the trip to the draft, so Penguins general manager Ray Shero could not validate a memory he has from the late 1970s or early 1980s when his father, Fred, coached the New York Rangers.

Ray Shero believes as a youngster he might have met Erich Keuhnhackl.

“I want to say he came over to the Rangers’ training camp when my dad was there,” Shero said. “I asked [Tom] that. He wasn’t sure. I think he was, and I’m pretty sure if he was, I was there that day at training camp.”

He never could have imagined a few decades later that he would be giving the German player’s son a crack at the NHL.

Associated Press Sports

ATLANTA (AP) -Craig Ramsay is the fifth coach in Atlanta Thrashers’ history.

General manager Rick Dudley says the 59-year-old Ramsay has been hired as the team’s coach. He replaces John Anderson.

Ramsay was an assistant with the Boston Bruins from 2007-10. The Bruins advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2009 and 2010.

Ramsay previously served as an interim head coach for Philadelphia in 2000 and Buffalo in the 1986-87 season.

He also has worked as an assistant with Tampa Bay, Ottawa and Florida.

Ramsay played 14 seasons with Buffalo from 1971-85.

(CP) LAS VEGAS — It’s a good thing Henrik Sedin doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight.

The Vancouver Canucks forward capped a breakthrough season by winning the Hart Trophy at the NHL’s awards show Wednesday night, but had to watch as Alex Ovechkin accepted the Ted Lindsay Award.

They’ll go down as co-MVPs — the Hart is voted on by the media, while the Lindsay is selected by the players.

“I don’t mind at all,” said Sedin. “When they called my name for the Hart, it was surreal.”

The humble Swede has spoken repeatedly about how he never fashioned himself as one of the elite players, but there he was accepting the final award of the evening after a season where he led the league in scoring with 112 points. He edged Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby for the Hart.

It was the second straight year the league staged its award show in Las Vegas and this one came off much better than the first. Host Jay Mohr had the audience in stitches during his opening monologue — taking shots at the Phoenix Coyotes and Boston Bruins, among others — and Anaheim Ducks teammates Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan were shown in a hilarious taped skit making light of the fact they faced one another in the Olympic final.

Meanwhile, a couple of Buffalo Sabres teammates went home happy.

Ryan Miller won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender while defenceman Tyler Myers took the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. They were also both humbled.

The party continued for Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith, who added even more hardware to his collection — winning the Norris Trophy as the league’s top blue-liner. His season also included an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup.

Among the other award winners: Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes won the Jack Adams Award as top coach; Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings won his third consecutive Selke Trophy as top defensive forward; and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis won the Lady Byng Trophy as the league’s most gentlemanly player.

By: Chris Johnston, The Canadian Press

All eyes will be on Steve Tambellini.

The scouts haven’t been able to decide between Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin this season but the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers is going to have to when the first round of the NHL draft is held Friday night in Los Angeles.

Tambellini doesn’t plan on making up his mind until just hours before stepping on the stage at Staples Center. He wants to be absolutely certain that he makes a move that will help turn the fortunes of the franchise.

“It’s such an important step for us to have the ability to take the first overall pick, especially where we are with our cycle of development,” Tambellini said after winning the draft lottery. “We’re more into a reshaping, a rebuilding mode right now. Everybody’s clear about that. This will be a wonderful building block to add on to some of the other draft choices we have in place now.

“(I’m) very, very excited for us and the city of Edmonton.”

Tambellini has given no indication that he’s interested in trading the selection, saying only that he’d politely listen to offers because it’s his job.

Barring something unforeseen, he’s almost certain to make the first ever No. 1 selection in Oilers history — choosing between two players that are both considered ready to jump straight into the NHL.

Hall and Seguin have each made a visit to Edmonton in recent weeks and both say they love the idea of playing in a Canadian city. It’s been a refreshing change for Oilers fans who have watched free agents spurn the team in recent years because they were unwilling to move to the Alberta capital.

The impending arrival of a highly coveted young player has sent a surge of excitement through a city that saw its team stumble to 30th place in the standings. Many see this draft as a turning point.

“This is a huge opportunity for this organization going forward,” said Tambellini. “I think it perfectly fits the moment of where we are as a hockey team (and) as an organization.”

The Oilers are already making moves. Pat Quinn was shifted from coach to adviser Tuesday, with associate coach Tom Renney taking over behind the bench.

Hall and Seguin have been compared all season, when they tied for the Ontario Hockey League scoring lead with 106 points. They each took a turn at No. 1 in rankings by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau, with Seguin finishing atop final list.

However, one scout recently told The Canadian Press that the Oilers would be “crazy” not to take Hall because of his pedigree. He was twice named MVP at the Memorial Cup while capturing back-to-back championships with the Windsor Spitfires.

Much of the debate between the top prospects has surrounded the position they play — Seguin at centre for the Plymouth Whalers and Hall on the wing in Windsor. Even though the Oilers seem to have a more pressing need at centre, the scout said it would be foolish to draft based on the current roster.

He figures a top prospect needs two or three years of seasoning before turning into an impact player and expects the team’s personnel to change over that time.

The man most interested in seeing what the Oilers decide is Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, who holds the No. 2 selection. He has a preference between Hall and Seguin but doesn’t control his own destiny.

“I would say, right now as of today, we have one guy over the other,” Chiarelli said this week on a conference call. “It’s very, very close.”

Beyond the Big Two, there are plenty of other intriguing prospects in a fairly deep draft class. Defencemen Eric Gudbranson, Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley were ranked Nos. 4-6 among North American skaters while Finnish centre Mikael Granlund is the top-rated European after a successful season in his country’s top pro league.

There are also some skilled Russian players for teams willing to take the risk. Very few players from that country have been selected in recent years because of the absence of a transfer agreement but one scout thinks forwards Kirill Kabanov, Alexander Burmistrov and Vladimir Tarasenko are among the most talented players in this draft class.

After Edmonton kicks off the draft, only three other Canadian teams will make selections in the first round — Ottawa (No. 16), Vancouver (No. 25) and Montreal (No. 27).

Toronto and Calgary will each have to wait until Saturday before stepping to the podium. The Leafs’ first-round pick belongs to Boston thanks to the Phil Kessel deal while Calgary’s opening-round pick is in the hands of the Phoenix Coyotes via the Olli Jokinen trade.

Of course, the draft order could change with a trade. There have already been a couple of big deals completed this off-season and many expect a lot more to be made before the free agency period opens on July 1.

“I’ve noticed there is significantly more talk (in the) last week than I’m used to in my years in management,” said Chiarelli, who acquired Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell from Florida on Tuesday. “There’s more activity. It may be you don’t get these draft-day blockbuster deals, but I think you’re going to see more deals this week.”

It will also be a week where the Taylor versus Tyler debate can finally be put to rest.

The uncertainty hasn’t seemed to bother the players much. They both know it won’t be a long wait before hearing their name called on Friday night.

“I won’t be waiting a whole heck of a time,” Hall said during his visit to Edmonton. “When I hear, ‘The Edmonton Oilers select …’ and when I hear the team, either the Windsor Spitfires or the Plymouth Whalers, then I’ll know where my hockey lies and that’ll be exciting.

“I feel for my family the most. I know it’s odd, but I’ll just be sitting there and they’ll be the ones biting the nails and crying.”

Many of the players who have been selected No. 1 in recent years have helped turn around struggling franchises. Marc-Andre Fleury (2003) and Sidney Crosby (2005) brought a Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh; Patrick Kane (2007) scored the overtime winner earlier this month to deliver a championship to Chicago; Alex Ovechkin (2004) single-handedly turned the Washington Capitals into one of the league’s glamour teams; and Steven Stamkos (2008) has brought hope to the Tampa Bay Lightning after scoring 51 goals in just his second season.

Tambellini can’t help but look at that group and smile at the prospect of what he may be getting.

“Where else can you attain those high-impact players?” said Tambellini. “If you look historically at the top end of the draft, those are players (where) you can argue who’s better from year to year, but most of them are impact players that play in the NHL for a long time.

“(At No. 1), you know you’re going to get a good player and it’s very important in this (salary-cap) system.”

By: Sports Network

It’s been almost two weeks since the Chicago Blackhawks were center stage of the hockey world, but on Friday night in Los Angeles, the Edmonton Oilers will get to take a turn in the spotlight.

The Oilers hold the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and will cash in that chip at Staples Center. All signs point to Edmonton nabbing Taylor Hall with the No. 1 selection and Boston taking Tyler Seguin with the second pick. After that, there’s not much certainty about how the rest of the draft will unfold.

The most intriguing unknown heading into every draft is how actively teams will pursue or entertain trades. Let’s face it, the majority of the players selected this weekend won’t be making any kind of impact for NHL teams over the next few years, but there is proven professional talent to be had at the draft.

That trade-market talent can wind up paying off big in next year’s playoffs. Just ask Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren, who pulled off a draft-day deal with Anaheim last year to land mammoth defenseman Chris Pronger.

Of course, Pronger was exceptional at the back end this spring in leading Philly to a Stanley Cup Finals berth, but there is a price to pay, as the Flyers, who are currently without a first-round pick in the 2010 draft, can attest to.

It’s hard to do anything other than make wild guesses about what kind of trades may happen this weekend, and it’s even more difficult to truly gauge what type of draft-eligible players are available. We know who the scouts think are the most talented kids at this stage, but at 17 and 18 years old, some players are just too raw to know anything definitive about them.

Still, last year’s draft provided impact players like John Tavares and Matt Duchene for the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche, respectively, and this summer’s crop likely has a few NHL-ready players for the taking.

Here’s a closer look at some of the best players available this weekend in southern California:

TAYLOR HALL – LW – Windsor (OHL)

Hall is quite simply the player with the best chance of becoming an elite scorer at the NHL level, and he fills the Oilers’ desperate need for a top- line sniper. Edmonton’s leading goal-scorer over the last three seasons has averaged just 26 goals per season. Enter Hall, who poured in 57 goals in 76 games, including the playoffs, for Windsor last year. He has the type of world-class speed that could make him an extremely dangerous offensive player in the NHL. Also, the Calgary native has shown the ability to play his best hockey at playoff time, winning the Stafford Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Memorial Cup for the triumphant Spitfires in both 2009 and ‘10. All told, Hall amassed 76 points (35 goals, 41 assists) in 44 postseason games during his career with Windsor, which is now likely over since there is nothing left for Hall to accomplish at the junior level. The Oilers were dead last in the NHL in points last year and the franchise has missed the postseason in each of the last four years, so Edmonton clearly needs a lot more than Hall to turn things around. But, it’s a good place to start and the speedy youngster should make the hockey played at Rexall Place a bit more interesting next year.

TYLER SEGUIN – C – Plymouth (OHL)

Hall is a pretty sure thing at No. 1, and that’s despite the fact that Seguin is the top-rated North American skater by Central Scouting, the NHL’s official scouting bureau. Seguin, a Brampton, Ontario native, is a pure centerman who has drawn comparisons to the likes of Steve Yzerman, but Hall trumps the Plymouth star for sheer offensive firepower due to his quickness. Seguin may not be a pure burner like Hall, but he did score the most goals in the OHL during the regular season last year, hitting the net 48 times in 63 games. Boston is the likely destination for Seguin, as the Bruins are picking second this year due to their pre-season trade of Phil Kessel to Toronto. The Bruins made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals this spring, where they infamously blew a 3-0 series lead to Philadelphia. Boston’s biggest need is scoring, and with 173 points in 124 career regular-season games with Plymouth, Seguin is an excellent way to address the lack of offense in Beantown.

ERIK GUDBRANSON – D – Kingston (OHL)

If the Oilers and Bruins snatch up Hall and Seguin as everybody expects them to, consensus opinion agrees the Florida Panthers will try to land a defenseman to replace Jay Bouwmeester at No. 3. The Panthers dealt Bouwmeester to Calgary at last year’s draft and Gudbranson appears to be the best draft- eligible blueliner out there. At 6-4, 195 pounds, Gudbranson has a suitable frame to be a dominant NHL defenseman and, according to scouts, he has just about everything else too, including poise, offensive ability, a booming slapshot and the desire to mix it up physically with the opposition. The Ontario native missed a large portion of the 2009-10 season due to a bout of mononucleosis, but still managed to record 23 points and 68 penalty minutes in 41 games for Kingston in 2009-10. Gudbranson is still likely a few years away from contributing at the NHL level, but projects as a No. 1 defenseman if he is developed properly.

CAM FOWLER – D – Windsor (OHL)

Just as Hall and Seguin are basically considered to be 1A and 1B at this year’s draft, Gudbranson and Fowler share the same dynamic as the top-two defensive prospects available this summer. Fowler is slightly smaller than Gudbranson at 6-2, but is said to possess even better offensive skills and is considered to be one of the strongest skating prospects overall at this year’s draft. The Windsor, Ontario native holds dual citizenship from Canada and the United States, but has chosen to play for the U.S. internationally and helped Team USA win gold at the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships. Fowler should at least be an asset on the power play at the NHL level, and could possibly develop into a solid two-way defenseman.

BRETT CONNOLLY – RW – Prince George (WHL)

Connolly is worth keeping an eye on this year, even though his 2009-10 campaign was basically ruined by injuries. After posting 30 goals and 60 points to win the WHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2008-09, Connolly managed to skate in just 16 games for Prince George this past season. He did notch 10 goals and 19 points in his limited role with the Cougars, but the hip injury that sidelined Connolly for most of the 2009-10 campaign could scare some teams off come Friday night. Then again, it’s also very possible that he could go in the top-five. Connolly’s exceptional 2008-09 season, when he became the first 16-year-old to score 30 goals in the WHL since Patrick Marleau did it in 1995-96, and his natural leadership ability make him a safe top-10 bet, even with the injury concerns.

NINO NIEDERREITER – RW – Portland (WHL)

This Swiss winger effectively announced himself to the hockey world at the 2010 World Junior Championships, recording 10 points in seven games with Team Switzerland and making the all-tournament team. Niederreiter also turned in a strong season as a WHL rookie in 2009-10, posting a team-high 36 goals in 65 games for the Portland Winterhawks. His size and playmaking skills are Niederreiter’s best assets, but he plays a strong overall offensive game and is a tireless competitor.

MIKAEL GRANLUND – C/W – HIFK (Finland)

The top-rated European skater by NHL Central Scouting, Granlund is somewhat of a risky pick. He is undersized at 5-10, 180 pounds and is not an especially impressive skater. However, where the Finnish forward does excel is with his innate ability to create scoring chances for his teammates. He played at the top level of Finnish professional hockey in 2009-10 and was named Rookie of the Year in the SM-Liiga, leading all rookies with 40 points (13 g, 27 a) in 43 games. Granlund was described as a “Saku Koivu clone” by Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting, but draft experts are divided about whether he will be picked in the top-five or last into the 20s.

VLADIMIR TARASENKO – RW – Sibir (KHL)

Unlike Granlund, this Russian winger has the size to step into the NHL right away and has spent the last two seasons skating in the KHL — the world’s best professional league outside of the NHL. He had a solid sophomore season in the KHL in 2009-10, posting 13 goals and 24 points in 42 games for HC Sibir Novosibirsk — one year after finishing second in voting for the league’s Rookie of the Year. He also turned many heads for Team Russia at the 2009 World Under-18 Championships, posting 15 points (8 g, 7 a) in seven games for the silver-medal winners. Tarasenko boasts an all-around offensive game, and has a an excellent hockey pedigree as his father, Andrei, who also coaches HC Sibir, had a long hockey-playing career and represented the Russians at the 1994 Winter Olympics. He could go somewhere between picks 5-to-10 and won’t last into the 20s.

EMERSON ETEM – RW – Medicine Hat (WHL)

Etem gets to return home for the draft and the Long Beach, California native is expected to get picked on the first night, but the lack of an extensive junior pedigree will likely drop him to the latter stages of the first round. Etem was a WHL rookie with Medicine Hat in 2009-10 and he notched 65 points (37 goals, 28 assists) in 72 games, leading all WHL rookies in goals. He also comes from an athletic family, though the rest of the Etems are known for their work on unfrozen water. Etem’s mother, Patricia, rowed for the U.S. at the 1984 Summer Olympics and his father, Rick, rowed for the Naval Academy in college. Etem has great speed and soft hands, skills that help him get to the net and score from in close.

DEREK FORBORT – D – U.S. NTDP

A player who keeps rocketing up mock drafts, Forbort’s combination of size and skating ability are making him a hot commodity. The Duluth, Minnesota native has been listed at 6-5, 198 pounds and knows how to use that size for positioning and to cut off passing lanes. In the fall he’ll be headed to the University of North Dakota, where he will likely add more bulk to his big frame and further develop as a two-way player.

CALVIN PICKARD – G – Seattle (WHL)

As is normally the case at the NHL draft, there are no can’t-miss goaltending prospects available. Netminders traditionally take much longer to develop, and, at 17 or 18 years of age, they are generally still too young to warrant using an early pick to get one. In fact, Pickard could be the lone goalie selected in the first round on Friday. The Winnipeg native is not a particularly big goaltender, but scouts love his positioning. Pickard played for a poor WHL team in Seattle last year and showed that he could handle a heavy workload, posting a .914 save percentage in 62 games for the Thunderbirds in 2009-10. Pickard can walk in his older brother’s footsteps if he’s the first goaltender to be picked at this year’s draft. Nashville made Chet Pickard the first goalie to be selected when it grabbed him with the 19th overall pick at the 2008 draft.

Canwest News Service

A day after the St. Louis Blues acquired their new No. 1 goaltender, they hired a new goaltending mentor.

The National Hockey League club announced Friday former National Hockey League stopper and Canadian Olympian Corey Hirsch has been hired as the team’s goalie coach.

A Memorial Cup winner with the Kamloops Blazers in 1992, Hirsch played for 14 professional seasons with the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars, along with several seasons in the American Hockey League and International Hockey League.

He’ll work with all the Blues’ goaltenders — including Jaroslav Halak, who was acquired Thursday from Montreal — along with players with the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Peoria, Ill., and the team’s top prospects.

“Corey has tremendous knowledge and experience of the goaltending position,” said Blues president John Davidson.

“He has a lot to bring to the organization and all of our goaltenders will benefit having Corey on board.”

Hirsch has been with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for the past two seasons, including this past year in scouting and player development.

He was the Leafs’ goaltending consultant in 2008-09.

Mike Wilkinson and Robert Snell / The Detroit News

Sergei Fedorov’s hockey career has taken him from Russia to Detroit, California, Ohio and Washington, but he can’t seem to skate away from his money problems.

They continued for the Detroit Red Wings great Thursday, when a bank filed notices of foreclosure against him for two sprawling million-dollar homes in Bloomfield Hills.

The PrivateBank and Trust Co. says Fedorov owes more than $2 million on both. He also owes more than $51,000 in property taxes on them, according to the Oakland County Treasurer’s Office.

Fedorov bought the 4,200-square-foot home on Huntingwood Lane for $1.25 million in 1999. He owes nearly $1.2 million, and it’s for sale for $990,000. The house, built in 1991, has four bedrooms, a sun room with Jacuzzi, a basement with a gym and a dry sauna, according to real estate websites. He also owes $915,623 for a 5,300-square-foot, six-bedroom home on Tiverton, according to legal notices published in the Detroit Legal News. He acquired that home from his parents, Viktor and Nataliya Fedorov, in 2003. It’s unclear how much he paid for it, but it is assessed at greater than $1 million, according to city tax records.

Media reports indicate the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., successor to the Michigan-based Citizens State Bank, has sought foreclosure on a Miami Beach condo that Fedorov bought from his former wife, Anna Kournikova, for $1.63 million in 2003.

Hockey association turns back attempt to join Russian league

By The Prague Post

HC Lev Hradec Králové’s revolutionary challenge to become a part of the expanding Russian Continental Hockey League (KHL) ended in vain after the Czech Ice Hockey Association (ČSLH) failed to authorize the proposed move.

A unanimous 11-0 decision of the ČSLH executive board in early June dashed Hradec Králové’s hopes to become the first Czech team to join the KHL. The league was founded in 2008 as a Russian response to North America’s National Hockey League (NHL). Today, 20 KHL participants are based in Russia with the remaining four located in Belarus, Latvia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

“We decided to rule against Hradec Králové’s involvement in the KHL because it could harm other Czech teams, and also our association does not have any agreements with the KHL,” said ČSLH General Secretary Martin Urban.

HC Lev Hradec Králové’s KHL challenge is creating turmoil. Last year, then Extraliga champion HC Karlovy Vary admitted it was eyeing the KHL and said it was negotiating with the Russian league’s management. Hradec Králové came much closer to joining the Russian league this year. The club had been developing its bid throughout the year and underwent several audits by KHL officials. After examining the Czech club’s infrastructure, KHL management issued in May a preliminary agreement allowing Hradec Králové to join the KHL next season.

Despite competing in the Czech Republic’s second division, Hradec Králové secured sponsorship of some 350 million Kč to finance the jump to the Russian league. In contrast, the richest Extraliga clubs’ seasonal budgets reach only some 150 million Kč in sponsorship.

In order to boost the chance of being approved by the ČSLH, Hradec Králové even offered to play some home games in Prague and Brno.

Two of the country’s most celebrated hockey players are currently competing in the KHL. Forward Jaromír Jágr plays for Avangard Omsk, and veteran goalie Dominik Hašek agreed in early June to join Spartak Moscow. Hradec Králové spokesman Zdeněk Šesták said games against Avangard and Spartak were slated to take place in major Czech towns. “It would be an attractive opportunity for many Czech hockey fans to see some world-class hockey,” Šesták said.

But representatives of Czech hockey clubs fear Hradec Králové could threaten their position.

“Hradec Králové’s participation in the KHL would cause an exodus of players,” said HC Sparta Praha General Manager Petr Bříza. “And if Hradec went on and lured Extraliga players to boost its team, it would initiate salary inflation in the Extraliga.”

Šesták said none of Hradec sponsors was among Extraliga clubs’ sponsors.

HC Chomutov General Manager Milan Vacke said fans’ focus on Hradec Králové’s KHL games could overshadow the Extraliga. As a result, Vacke said, commercial sponsors could lose interest in supporting the top-flight Czech hockey league.

KHL boss Alexander Medvedev said the ČSLH decision harmed Czech hockey and it prevents new would-be sponsors from investing their money. Medvedev said Hradec Králové fulfilled KHL’s criteria but the Russian management is not willing to admit any foreign team whose participation is not supported by their national hockey association.

Urban said the Czech association was ready to consider participation of a Czech team in the KHL in the future.

“We aren’t saying ‘no’ forever,” Urban said.