Hurricanes Pick 46th in CHL Import Draft

The Canadian Hockey League will host it's 2010 Import Draft on Tuesday, June 29th starting at 7am Alberta time.

The two-round draft will take place online and can be followed live as picks are made at http://chl.ca/importDraft.php. 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.

The WHL’s Prince George Cougars currently hold the number one selection in the 2010 CHL Import Draft followed by the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, and the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads.

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 86^th 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.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes would've had the 7th overall pick, but they traded that to Portland in the Luca Sbisa deal back in January which saw the 'Canes aquire Daniel Johnston and Jacob Berglund from the Winterhawks. The two clubs swapped Euro picks at the same time. The Hurricanes will choose 46th and 67th. There is a chance as well that Lethbridge could move up some spots as well if some teams decide not to select an import player.

Pat