Silvertips release 2 imports, choose 2 others in draft
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 28, 2016
EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips picked up two new European players during the CHL import draft held Tuesday morning.
The Tips selected Finnish right wing Eetu Tuulola in the first round with the 40th pick, and took Slovakian right wing Mario Mucka in the second round with the 100th pick. Both are 1998-born forwards.
In order to make two selections Everett released last year’s imports, Russian Yan Khomenko and Austrian Dario Winkler, following the end of the season in April.
Silvertips general manager Garry Davidson likes the size and skill of the organization’s two selections.
“We went in looking for 98(-born) and 99(-born) forwards,” Davidson said. “We were looking for guys who are able to come in and add offense to this group and we also wanted to add size. I think we hit on all those things. Now it remains to been when they get here if they deliver in those areas.”
It was the second time Tuulola’s name was called in the past four days. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder was taken by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round at No. 156 overall in the NHL draft on Saturday. He was the No. 19-ranked European skater according to NHL Central Scouting and participated at the NHL combine.
Tuulola, a native of Hammeenlinna, Finland, scored nine goals with five assists while playing for the HPK U20 team in the Junior A SM-liiga. He also recorded one assist in 10 games with HPK in Liiga, the top professional league in Finland. Tuulola also scored two goals with two assists in seven games while competing for Finland at the IIHF U18 World Juniors in Fargo, N.D.
“(I’m) a big and strong power forward who loves scoring goals,” Tuulola said when asked to describe himself in an interview with Sportsnet. “I like to play physical, protect the puck and (I’m) strong in corner battles and in front of the net battles.”
Tuulola’s father, Marko, was a long-time professional defenseman in Finland and Sweden, and his brother, Joni, was a sixth-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 NHL draft. Joni Tuulola currently plays for HPK in Liiga.
Mucka is a 6-foot-2 right winger who has a November birthday and wasn’t eligible for this year’s NHL draft.
He scored 20 goals to go along with 24 assists in 30 games last season with the Nitra U18 team.
“They’re two forwards who come in with some offensive upside and have the potential to help us in that area,” Davidson said, adding that both players are expected to report to Everett based on conversations with their representatives.
The Silvertips ranked second-to-last in the WHL in goals scored last season with 182. Khomenko and Winkler combined for 12 goals and eight assists last season.
With the addition of Tuutola, the Tips are expected to have three NHL-drafted players on the roster in 2016-17 along with Hart, who was picked by the Flyers in the second round on Saturday, and defenseman Noah Juulsen, who went to Montreal in the first round in 2015.
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.
