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CHL bans import goalies


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the following is an article from Damien Cox on the CHL's decision to ban import goalies due to the lack of "elite" goaltenders canada is producing. if you ask me this is a completely stupid protectionist policy that will not fix canada's problem.. to be the best you gotta compete with the best.

The door is shutting on puckstoppers from Europe.

Within four years or less, there will be no more European goalies playing major junior hockey in Canada and the U.S. after the CHL officially moved to make goaltenders ineligible to be selected in the league’s import draft starting next year.

As reported 10 days ago by the Star, the three junior leagues — OHL, QMJHL and WHL — agreed on the drastic move amidst concerns that Canadian goalies simply are being squeezed out of opportunities in major junior and the country is developing fewer and fewer elite netminders.

The change was officially announced Monday night at the OHL’s “Protect the Net” symposium, a gathering designed to address the “crisis” in Canadian goaltending, specifically in Ontario.

For the 2013 CHL import draft, import goalies can be selected by any of the 60 teams only in the first round, and those goalies plus others currently playing in the league can play out their full junior eligibility.

Starting in 2014, import goalies will be banned from the draft, and will have no other way to become eligible to play in the CHL. The current limit of two imports per CHL team won’t change, but ultimately those roster spots will belong to only forwards or defencemen.

The concern about Canadian goaltenders exists at all levels. All three finalists for the NHL’s Vezina Trophy this season are Europeans, while a Canadian hasn’t been the first goalie selected in the NHL draft in five years. Of the four Memorial Cup finalists, only Halifax, the eventual champion, started a Canadian goalie, and Russia’s Andrei Makarov of the Saskatoon Blades was the tournament’s outstanding goalie.

The top goalie in the CHL this season, meanwhile, was from the Czech Republic.

“For me, it’s all about opportunity,” Ron Tugnutt, a former NHL goalie and Hockey Canada consultant, told The Star on May 30. “There’s nothing wrong with goalies in our country and there’s nothing wrong with how we’re developing them. They’re just not getting a chance to step up to the plate.”

The OHL goalie symposium continues Tuesday and is expected to make other recommendations aimed at boosting the development of goalies in the province

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This is pathetic for Canadians. This is pretty much saying Canadians suck at goaltending, so we won't let the good ones play in our league. Accept the fact that other countries are producing great talent and Canada is not superior in hockey anymore. Like a kid that always loses, and then doesn't let the other kids that win play.

This is a childish and embarrassing move for the CHL.

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I like this, but not for the reasons people are talking about. I could care less about giving Canadian players an advantage, nor do I worry that Europeans are stealing spots from 'our boys'.

To me, this makes every bit of sense when you look at the situation in the NHL today. The goalie pool is overflowing right now, good young goalies are popping up every year, and much more frequently than before. The talent level of goalies has also completely changed the NHL compared to the stand-up goaltending days.

The CHL, being the primary junior level development league for the NHL, needs to make sure it is helping to strengthen the NHL product. The fact is that Euro players were brought to North America because they were good, really good, and they increased the talent pool, both at the pro and junior level. Right now, however, that isn't the case. We have more than enough good young Canadian and US goalies that can make the CHL competitive, and then move on to the NHL and provide quality goaltending at that level. So adding Euro goalies does not increase the talent pool, which was the original reason to bring them over.

We have also seen that in recent years, the jump from a Euro league to NHL is getting easier for goaltenders. It used to be a nightmare for a player to try to come over, hence it was much better for them to come over as a junior, but that advantage doesn't exist anymore, there is no harm in a goaltender of elite talent honing their skills in Europe and then still making the NHL, whereas in the past that elite talent would have been somewhat wasted in Europe and perhaps not developed enough for them to make the NHL.

On top of all that, this can only help to improve the situation in Europe, where some countries are finding a hard time keeping their talent even at a young age, leagues like the Czech and Slovak Extraligas have gone south in a hurry. Why is everyone complaining how this is unfair to Euros when they stand to benefit the most, given they will have better hockey to watch and better competition to play against with this ban. Everybody wins!

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