WHL Tri-City Americans

Americans draft Russian

June 26, 2008 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


KENNEWICK, WA - Tri-City Americans Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that the club has selected 18-year-old defenseman Bogdan Kiselevich with their first pick (60th overall) in the Canadian Hockey League's annual Import Draft.

The 6'0", 195-pound defenseman, a native of Cherepovets, Russia, played for Russia Severstal this past season. Kiselevich took home Best Defenseman and First-Team All-Star honors at the 2007 Mac's AAA Midget Hockey Tournament, while leading Russia Severstal to the tournament title this past December. In April, Kiselevich was also named to Team Russia's roster for the 2008 U18 World Junior Championship.

"Bogdan is a very skilled d-man who skates hard," explained Tory. "The fact that he was captain of his team that won the Mac's Tournament at Christmas and named to Russia's U18 roster speaks to his abilities. We look forward to him competing for a spot on our club."

"With an abundance of forwards on our roster, we felt compelled to focus on defense with this pick," Tory continued. "(Kiselevich) gives us a top prospect and depth on the blue line. You can never have enough defenseman, especially after the situation we faced last year when we started the season short on the back end due to injury."

The Americans then passed with their second round (120th overall) pick in the Draft, with the expected return of 19-year-old forward Petr Stoklasa. In his rookie season with the club, Stoklasa appeared in 68 games while registering six goals and 21 points.

"Petr had a great season last year and we look forward to seeing his growth at camp," finished Tory.

Tory has been in contact with Bogdan and he is committed to coming to North America and playing in the Western Hockey League. He is excited to attend Americans main training camp, scheduled for August 24 through August 28 in Kennewick.

Check out the Tri-City Americans Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from June 26, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central