Hurricanes Trade Import Draft Pick
June 26, 2008 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Lethbridge Hurricanes News Release
Lethbridge, AB - The CHL Import Draft kicked off this morning with the first overall selection by the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League. The Wolves used the pick to select Russian left winger Nikita Filatov from CSKA Moscow. Filatov was the top ranked European skater for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and was selected sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets last Friday in Ottawa.
This afternoon, Canes GM Roy Stasiuk announced that Lethbridge has traded their first round pick (54th overall) in the 2008 CHL Import Draft to the Kootenay Ice in exchange for Kootenay's 7th round pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. Lethbridge used their 2007 CHL Import Draft picks to select Finnish born goaltender Juha Metsola and Swiss born defenseman Luca Sbisa. After strong rookie seasons both are expected to return to Lethbridge and fill the Hurricanes two import spots for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.
Metsola (3) and Canes goaltender Michael Maniago (5) combined for a total of eight shutouts in 2007-2008 - a new club record. Metsola also set a Hurricanes regular season club record; posting a 1.98 GAA. He then followed this up with a 12-2 record through the first three rounds of the WHL Playoffs. Metsola's 0.927 save percentage and 1.80 goals against average in the month of April earned him the title of Eastern Conference Championship MVP. His three playoff shutouts tied him for the league lead with Chet Pickard of the Tri City Americans and Dustin Tokarski of the Spokane Chiefs.
Sbisa was drafted 19th overall in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. This capped an excellent rookie season in which he tallied 33 points (6A, 27A) in 62 regular season games. He was the recipient of the 2007-2008 Carl Trentini Memorial Award (awarded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes Rookie of the year) and represented his home country of Switzerland in the IIHF U-20 World Junior Hockey Championships. Sbisa led all WHL defensemen in playoff scoring with 15 points (3G, 12A) and was a proud member of Team Red at the 2008 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects game held in Edmonton on January 23rd.
Western Hockey League Stories from June 26, 2008
- Rebels Acquire Lazowski from Seattle - Red Deer Rebels
- Americans draft Russian - Tri-City Americans
- Hitmen select forward in draft - Calgary Hitmen
- Thunderbirds do some business in the front office - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Kelowna Rockets Select Lukas Matejka - Kelowna Rockets
- Giants Take Slovakia Forward With 2nd Pick In Import Draft - Vancouver Giants
- Americans Draft Russian in 2008 CHL Import Draft - Tri-City Americans
- Edmonton Oil Kings Select Czech Forward Robin Soudek At The CHL Import Draft - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Hurricanes Trade Import Draft Pick - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Ice select two Forwards in CHL Import Draft - Kootenay Ice
- Giants Select Russia Forward In CHL Import Draft - Vancouver Giants
- WHL & Hockey Manitoba to Join Forces - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Raiders select Revenko in Euro Draft - Prince Albert Raiders
- Brandon Wheat Kings Insider - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Broncos Select Oliver Jokel In CHL Import Draft - Swift Current Broncos
- Nugent-Hopkins Wins Prestigious Award - Red Deer Rebels
- Blazers Select Siska 30th Overall - Kamloops Blazers
- Kelowna Rockets Busy On Draft Day - Kelowna Rockets
- Pats Select Tomas Hricina 27th Overall in CHL Import Draft - Regina Pats
- Blades-Rockets Execute Trade - Saskatoon Blades
- WHL enters into Partnership with Hockey Manitoba - WHL
- Bruins Select Alexander Viklund in CHL Import Draft - Chilliwack Bruins
- Rebels Make Import Selection - Red Deer Rebels
- Blazers Select Bortnak 18th Overall - Kamloops Blazers
- Giants Take Part In CHL Import Draft - Vancouver Giants
- WHL Announces 2008 Exhibition Schedule - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Raiders Acquire 18 year-old center Jordan Hickmott - Prince Albert Raiders
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