Chiefs’ players await draft news

The recent end of the National Hockey League lockout hasn’t affected only current NHL players.

Also eagerly awaiting the new collective bargaining agreement were a number of Spokane Chiefs players who are eligible for today’s entry draft in Ottawa.

Under the new CBA, the draft has been trimmed from nine to seven rounds. The change could mean that some of the draft-eligible Chiefs could go undrafted.

The draft gives the 30 NHL teams the chance to draft players born between September 15, 1986, and September 14, 1987. It begins at 9 a.m. (PDT). The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to take phenom Sidney Crosby of Rimouski Oceanic with the first overall pick.

The Chief who is highest rated by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service is defenseman Sean Zimmerman, the Colorado native who relocated to Spokane to play junior hockey.

Zimmerman is ranked 124th among North American-born skaters in the final rankings. Zimmerman was picked by Spokane in the seventh round of the Western Hockey League’s Bantam Draft in 2003.

“I’m not too nervous about tomorrow,” Zimmerman said Friday. “I’m excited more than anything; excited to see what happens. My agent said, don’t pay attention to the ratings. Whatever happens, happens.”

Other Chiefs eligible for the draft are defensemen Jason Lynch and Dan Mercer, and forwards Adam Hobson, Chris Bruton and Myles Stoesz.

Lynch, the Chiefs’ second-round selection in the 2002 Bantam Draft, is ranked 195th by the CSS. Hobson, Spokane’s first selection in the 2002 Bantam Draft, is ranked 242nd. Bruton, Mercer and Stoesz are not ranked.