2016 NHL Draft: Big Finns Puljujarvi, Laine amongst top 2016 European prospects

by Chapin Landvogt
on
Jesse Puljujarvi - Finland; Dmitri Sokolov - Russia - 2016 NHL Draft

Photo: Karpat forward Jesse Puljujarvi (L) and Omsk forward Dmitri Sokolov (R) are among the top forwards out of Europe for the 2016 NHL Draft (courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images and Dennis Pajot/Getty Images)

 

 

The 2015 NHL Draft has come and gone. While most NHL teams and their fans are still pondering the possibilities of their new assets heading into the future, the next draft class from Europe is preparing itself for a big 2015-16 season, which at the moment has a number of extremely fascinating talents that scouts are very excited to see starting next month at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Bratislava, Slovakia and Breclav, Czech Republic. While some of these players may eventually wind up in North America as soon as this winter, fans may just see U.S. wunderkind Auston Matthews in a pro European jersey this winter, as well. Read more»

2015 NHL Draft: Hockey’s Future Staff Mock Draft

by HF Staff
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Match Marner - Lawson Crouse - Noah Hanifin - Jack Eichel - Connor McDavid - Dylan Strome - 2015 NHL Draft Top Prospects

Photo: 2015 NHL Draft prospects (front l-r) Mitch Marner and Lawson Crouse, and (back I-r) Noah Hanifin, Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, and Dylan Strome are players expected to be chosen at the top of the draft being held in Sunrise, FL on 6/26 & 27 (courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

 

 

Just like that, another year is over. The Chicago Blackhawks have won their third Stanley Cup in six years, elevating the team’s exciting roster to dynasty status. For the rest of the league, the 2015 NHL Draft now looms large on the calendar, taking place June 26th and 27th at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Read more»

2015 NHL Draft Preview: Napravnik top German prospect, others from Norway, Denmark, and Austria

by Chapin Landvogt
on
Kai Wissman - Eisbaeren Berlin - Deutsche Eishockey Liga

Photo: Eisbaeren Berlin forward and 2015 prospect Kai Wissmann worked his way up through various levels of German hockey in 2014-15 to earn a 10-game audition with Berlin of the DEL (courtesy of Marco Leipold/City-Press via Getty Images)

 

 

For a draft that has been as anticipated and bantered about in such high tones as the 2015 NHL Draft, players and talents coming from countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Norway, much less areas such as Northern Italy, have understandably gotten lost in the pack. This is also a bit more complicated when players from these countries have spent their season in better leagues in countries such as those in Finland, Germany, Russia, and Sweden, technically being ranked for the draft as members of those nations. Read more»

(Video) 2015 U18 World Championship: Rudolfs Balcers, Latvia

by Chapin Landvogt
on
Rudolfs Balcers - Team Latvia - 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship

Photo: Stavanger Oilers forward Rudolfs Balcers has competed in Norway since the 2011-12 season, and he is currently competing in Norway’s top league (courtesy of Chapin Landvogt)

 

 

Although they are tied with Switzerland for the bottom position in Group B at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship, Team Latvia’s performance at this tournament has not been without its good points. The team has generally been competitive in each of their games, and they did manage to produce six goals against Canada. Read more»

2015 NHL Draft: McDavid, Eichel locked into top slots, Strome just behind in ISS Hockey’s April rankings

by ISS
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Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome - Erie Otters

Photo: Erie Otters forwards Connor McDavid (R) and Dylan Strome (L) are ranked #1 and #3 respectively in the ISS Hockey April rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft (courtesy of Aaron Bel/OHL Images and Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

 

There are no surprises at the very top of ISS Hockey’s April rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft, but there was some movement outside the top two positions. Read more»
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