DOGS NOT EXPECTED TO PICK TODAY

The Canadian Hockey League Import Draft begins this morning at 10:00 am ADT as all 60 teams from across the country will select up to two players as the day goes on.

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 Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars currently hold the number one selection in the 2010 CHL Import Draft followed by the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Mooseheads.

Metro Halifax, in partnership with International Scouting Services, created a list of five of the top prospects expected to go early in this morning’s action. Martin Frk, Victor Rask, Nicklas Jensen, Joel Armia, and Sondre Olden are all listed as possible top five picks.

The Saint John Sea Dogs will likely not select in today’s draft with two impact imports already on their roster in Stanislav Galiev and Tomas Jurco. Teams can either trade their pick or choose not to use at all. With Saint John scheduled to make their first selection at 7:20 pm with the 54th overall pick, there likely will be no market for the pick. Thier second selection is 114th overall.

The Dogs were in the spotlight of last year’s event, selecting first and fourth overall.

It was announced in the Telegraph-Journal the same morning that the team would take Russian forward Stanislav Galiev with the first overall pick. The Sea Dogs would then select 16-year old Slovakian Tomas Jurco fourth overall.

Galiev recorded 15 goals and 45 assists in 67 regular season games and added another eight markers and 11 helpers in 21 playoff matches. Along with playing the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, the right winger was selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round of this past weekend’s NHL Entry Draft.

Jurco, already a top prospect for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, recorded a team rookie record 26 goals in 64 games while adding another 25 assists. In the post-season, Jurco scored seven goals and recorded 11 assists.

Despite both players having an impact last season, the majority of fans were confused  with the fact that Saint John did not take the highly touted Kirill Kabanov. The troubled Russian would be selected by Moncton with the seventh overall pick – beginning an epic soup opera that took place all year.

The Mooseheads are expected to take a skilled forward who can score goals with their first pick. The Herd finished dead last in the league last year and at the bottom of the circuit in goals scored.

Yahoo! Sports “Buzzing The Net” has several items to watch for today.

For pick-by-pick results, visit the CHL website.