Cougars to select 12th in CHL Import Draft

“It’s been really difficult because nobody really knows what’s going to happen,” shared Cougars Head Coach and General Manager Mark Lamb.

“The Europeans for the most part are up and running. Everything’s going over there. We’re not going over here to get a kid to come and draft a kid and have them commit to you when they could be playing over there. So it’s hard.”

With the Cougars lone selection last year in the Import Draft they selected Filip Koffer and in his first year in the WHL as an 18-year-old, Koffer had 9 goals and 15 assists. However, when it comes to this year’s draft, the team is sifting through a number of different ideas for their pick.

“You might take a swing at the fences and try and get a high-end player and then recruit him after or you take a player that has committed to coming over. We are kind of talking about that right now. We are sitting 12th and some of these players on your list get picked and then you have to change your direction pretty quick,” added Lamb.

Another challenge for the Cats and the rest of the CHL when it comes to the Import Draft is the fact there hasn’t been an NHL Draft. In a typical year, the Import Draft would follow the NHL’s draft.

“After the NHL draft you see a lot of these Euro players and they will use the advice of the NHL teams,” explained Lamb.

“It makes it a little easier if you draft a player who was drafted in the NHL, to find a landing spot for them.”

At the end of the day, the Cougars are hopeful they can add a player who can jump into their line-up and make an immediate impact despite the difficulties of preparing for the draft this year.

“It’s always a crapshoot. The Import draft is always a crapshoot, but the way the world is working right now makes it a bit harder.”

by Jeromy Corrigan

Cougars to select 12th in CHL Import Draft

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