Interesting Import Draft

The CHL's import draft has come and gone and this year it was interesting for a number of reasons.  In the past the CHL's so called 'big boys'  have moved to the top of the list because the have nots haven't been able to convince certain players to play for them.  Goaltenders aren't always high on the list either, but both of those things changed.

Tuesday Night Recap: Can the Oilers fast track their rebuild?

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Tuesday night we covered pretty much all levels of hockey from the Canada Games to the NHL and in between. We also discussed whether or not the Oilers can put their rebuild in fast forward and introduced you to a hulking Dman who still has some growth left in him.

Yukon Klipper

A chance meeting at a rink last year led to Prince George Assistant General Manager and head scout Wade Klippenstein flying north to Whitehorse, Yukon this past weekend.

While scouting for the Cougars last year, Klippenstein got chatting with a fellow who was involved with Team Yukon for the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax this coming February. Once it was discovered that scouting hockey is what Klippenstein did for a living one thing lead to another and Klippenstein found himself on a plane north several months later.

This past weekend the former Quebec Nordique draft pick helped evaluate hockey players that will represent their territory in Halifax.

"It was a pleasure to be part of the selection process for Team Yukon, a truly unique experience that combined community and athletics. Their is nothing quite like northern hospitality" Klippenstein told TPS, and he should know. The Dauphin, Manitoba product spent 3 years as a player with the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks of the CCHA, and returned to the NCAA team in 2004 for another 3 year stint on the coaching staff.

Klippenstein will no doubt be keeping an eye on some of the players he watched over the weekend, and the fine folks of Whitehorse will get another visit from the WHL this February when Vancouver and Kamloops play a regular season game in the Yukon capital as part of CBC's Hockey Day in Canada.

It's official, Camrose to host 2011 RBC

As TPS first told you just over a month ago, the Camrose Kodiaks will host the 2011 Royal Bank Cup.

The official release from the AJHL can be found here.

So what is PEI's loss, is Camrose' gain. Looking forward to the event. By the way, this year's tourney will take place in Dauphin, Manitoba. No truth to the rumour that Wade Klippenstein will drop the ceremonial puck on opening night.

Cougars Go National

Posted By Allan Bristowe

6 players trying to make the Prince George Cougars will have their stories told to Canada. Rat Production Company out of Montreal will follow 6 players who will be anywhere between the age of 16 and 20 through Cougars training camp this weekend. The show will be called "The Rookies" and the production company will even travel down to Everett next weekend with the team for an exhibition tournament. The stories will be picked up again at the Cougars home opener on September 18th to see if the players made the team. The players, coaches and scouts will be mic'd and the camera crew will go in-depth with each player and possible their families too. In March after the Olympics Rogers Sportsnet will air 6, 30 minute features on each player. The Cougars weren't the first choice as the Rat Production Company had hoped to do the feature on the Guelph Storm in Ontario and then the Brandon Wheat Kings, but they both fell through.

In other Cougar news with Wade Klippenstein taking over the reigns as the Head Scout there are some changes to the scouting staff. Most notably missing is former GM of the Cougars and Saskatoon Blades Daryl Lubiniecki who is no longer with the Cats. A new face is former NHL tough guy and Brandon Wheat King Jeff Odgers.