LEWISTON – The Lewiston Maineiacs will add one more key member to the training camp fold this afternoon at the 2005 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
Each team in the Canadian Hockey League, made up of three separate junior leagues, is allowed to carry two players from other continents on their roster. Many of them are from Europe. The Maineiacs, of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, currently hold the 24th overall pick in the draft, the eighth pick among QMJHL teams.
This might be one of the last years that teams across Canada and the U.S. will have access to two European players at a time. In a move the CHL claims to be for the betterment of Canadian hockey, teams soon will be allowed just one European player each.
“There are 60 teams now that are allowed two players,” said Maineiacs coach and general manager Clem Jodoin. “That’s 120 players that are on teams that are not Canadian players. What the league wants to do is develop more North American players, because that’s what the league was for to begin with, so we only have maybe one year, maybe two of that left.”
In order to draft foreign players, the CHL pays $2,000 to the federation of the country from which a player is selected. For example, if 35 players are drafted from Slovakia (the country that gave the Maineiacs all four European players in their brief history), the CHL pays the Slovakian hockey federation $70,000. This can be in addition to any money commanded by the players or their agents for playing in the leagues.
“Since this is done through the CHL, you have to go through them,” said Jodoin. “You have to pay that fee for the player.”
As for the player the Maineiacs currently have their eye on, Jodoin remained tight-lipped. He did, however, identify the type of player the team was looking for.
“We still need to score some goals,” said Jodoin. “We’re looking at a young player that can score some goals.”
The Maineiacs lost the bulk of their scoring this offseason, with Alexandre Picard likely to play in at least the American Hockey League, and with the trade of Alex Bourret to Shawinigan.
“We have our eye on a player right now that we hope will be there when we pick,” said Jodoin. “There has to be a Plan A, B, C and D, but I can’t say anything more about it, yet.”
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