Trust the key to forging Euro link

Oscar Moller and Team Sweden won the Silver Medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships held in the Czech Republic.

Could Oscar Moller be the first of several Swedish studs bound for the Chilliwack Bruins? Or perhaps there's a new Finnish Flash to be found, or a Czech checker.

Moller's immense impact on the Bruins fortunes these past two seasons has reinforced the value a top international player can bring to a Western Hockey League team.

But how do WHL teams with limited scouting budgets and no hope of seeing these players overseas go about making their picks in the CHL import draft?

The answer, in part, is agents.

General managers have to get creative when mining for gold in Europe, and developing relationships with agents can lead to repeat customer satisfaction.

The Bruins are just a second-year franchise, but they have already tried that route, bringing in Finnish forward Aki Kangasmaki along with Moller. Both came through Peter Werner of CAA Sports, who represent the likes of Mats Sundin.

Of course, it's not always a totally satisfying experience. Kangasmaki lasted one season, posting four goals and four assists in 60 games.

"It's about establishing a trust -- it's a two-way trust," said Bruins GM Darrell May of creating a win-win feeling with a European agent.

"You need to make them feel that you're going to take care of the player when they're over here and we need to feel that we're getting the kind of player we were looking for."

May says that teams also lean largely on friends in the NHL for information -- Brian Burke and Glen Sather are both part owners of the Bruins -- and there are opportunities to watch Europeans play on this side of the Atlantic, like the famed Mac's Midget Tournament in Calgary.

That's where May first watched Moller.

"We're still developing our system," May said. "I think it's all those things together, and certainly I'd like to get to know the agents better if there's an opportunity."

If the Bruins have a bead on any more Mollers, you won't find out from May.

"If I did, I wouldn't tell you anyway," May laughed. "With the Europeans, you've gotta keep your cards pretty close to your chest."