By Brad Holland
NHL.com Staff Writer
For elite teenage hockey players in Canada, the drafts for the three Canadian Hockey League circuits -- the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League -- are the first taste of big-time hockey.

Those drafts represent the chance for the player to compete for a position at the highest junior level in hockey-mad Canada. That time can be as exciting as the NHL Entry Draft for those involved. It can be a time of celebration or disappointment; a time of reward, of change, and of excitement.

For Swiss-born Luca Sbisa, taken No. 69 out of the 72 skaters selected in the CHL’s annual Import Draft -- the draft for non-North American players -- it was nothing more than one heck of a nice surprise.

“I didn’t even know that I got drafted,” Sbisa said. “My agent found out on the Internet and told me.”

Once he was informed he had been selected by the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, Sbisa had a difficult choice to make. He could continue playing in Switzerland, or he could move across the ocean, across most of a continent, to a tiny town in Alberta known as much for its cattle and wheat production as for its hockey players...

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Lethbridge, AB – The Lethbridge Hurricanes are proud to congratulate Zach Boychuk on his being awarded the 2008 Lethbridge Kinsmen Sportsperson of the Year award. This award acknowledges an individual for their outstanding performance or participation in sport while representing the City of Lethbridge. The Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame awarded Boychuk with this honor at their annual induction ceremony held on May 3rd 2008. Former award winner Don Gatto accepted the award on Zach’s behalf.

Boychuk, an explosive Hurricanes forward, has been ranked 8th in the NHL CSS Final rankings for the upcoming 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa this summer. A native of Airdrie, AB, Boychuk has played for Team WHL at the ADT Canada Russia Challenge twice (2006 & 2007) he won a gold medal in 2006 as a member of Canada’s U18 Junior World Cup team. Represented Canada at the U18 World Junior Hockey Championships, the 2007 Canada-Russia Super Series and was part of the gold medal winning U20 team at the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championships. He also participated in the 2008 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Edmonton where was named the Team White Player of the Game. He also tallied 13 goals to lead all WHL players in goals scored in the 2008 WHL Playoffs, leading the Hurricanes to their first WHL Eastern Conference Championship in 11 years.

“Though I always focus on the team goals over an individual award, I really have to thank the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame committee, my teammates, coaches and all our fans in the Lethbridge community for their ongoing support” said Boychuk “To have my name on the same award as a former Hurricane Brent Seabrook and an international competitor like Jim Steacy is a real honor for me.”

Lethbridge, AB – The Lethbridge Hurricanes were very proud to announce today that Assistant Coach and Goaltending Coach Jeff Battah has resigned his position to take over as General Manager and Head Coach of the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Battah, accepted the job late in the 2007-2008 season but had asked that the information not be released until after the Canes WHL Playoff run. During this past season, the Canes goaltending coach helped to develop one of the strongest goaltending duos in the WHL.

WHL veteran Michael Maniago posted career numbers as he tallied a record of 25-14-2-3 including five shutouts during the regular season, ranking himself 12th in the WHL with a GAA of 2.50 and a save percentage of .896. Finnish Rookie Juha Metsola finished the regular season with a record of 20-7-0-1 and ranked 2nd in the WHL with a 0.916 save % and a new Hurricanes club record 1.98 GAA. He then tallied a 12-2 record in his first WHL Playoff run, with a GAA of 2.01 and a save percentage of 0.922 to lead the Hurricanes to their first WHL Eastern Conference Championship in eleven years. Metsola was also named MVP of the MNP Eastern Conference Championship series.

Metsola (3) and Maniago (5) combined for a total of eight shutouts in the 2007-2008 regular season; a new club record. Metsola got his first WHL shutout with a 9-0 win Jan. 26/08 in Prince George, his 2nd in Edmonton Feb.5/08 – 7-0W, his 3rd in Prince Albert Feb.27/08 - 4-0W. Maniago tied an individual club record of five shutouts held by Logan Koopmans and Aaron Sorochan – Calgary (Oct.25); Edmonton (Sept.30); Edmonton (Jan.11); Tri City (Jan.19); Calgary (Feb.15).

“This is a great chance for me to step up to a GM and Head coaching role” says Battah “Though I will miss being part of an elite Western Hockey League organization, this is a move that will be invaluable in my growth as a coach and manager.”
 
“Our mandate as an organization has been to develop players and individuals.” said Canes GM Roy Stasiuk “This is a move up, not out and for Jeff and to have the chance to take over his own organization as a GM and Head Coach is a great opportunity for him. I would like to congratulate him and wish him all the best.”

Battah played four seasons in the Ontario Provincial Jr. "A" League. He became an Assistant Coach in 2001-2002 with the Brampton Capitals and won an Ontario Junior "A" Championship in 2002. Battah then signed on as Assistant Coach of the Milton Ice Hawks Jr."A" Club; finishing 41-6-2 – sixth in Canada in the 2002-03 season. Battah joined the Hurricanes in 2004, and in August 2005 he won a gold medal as an Assistant Coach with the Canada U-18 Junior World Cup team.

“After four years here, I learned a lot, from Mike [Dyck], Matt [Kabayama] and Roy [Stasiuk] and I am definitely taking a wealth of great experience with me as I take on this new challenge” says Battah “I’d like to thank the Hurricanes organization for giving me that opportunity and I am truly grateful for my time in the Western Hockey League.”