The Guelph Storm has parted ways with import forward Albert Michnac.
The team had until 11 a.m. Monday to release one of its two import players and free up a space for a new player that it will select in Wednesday's Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
Guelph picks fourth overall in the online draft, where it plans to draft a forward, said coach/general manager George Burnett.
The Storm tried unsuccessfully to trade the native of the Czech Republic.
"Albert has been deleted from our protected list. We tried very hard to find a spot in our league for him but there's a lot of players in a similar situation.
He's got a lot of talent and by all reports I've heard he's a really good kid," Burnett said. "It wouldn't surprise me to see him re-drafted."
Age, rather than skill, was likely Michnac's undoing with the rebuilding Storm.
He had 15 goals and 24 assists in 65 games in his lone season with the Storm, some of the goals of the highlight-reel category.
But he turns 19 this coming season and the Storm was looking for someone younger.
"We have that fourth overall pick and it would be unprecedented for us to not make it and we hope to add a player who is at least a two-year player, if not more, and be part of our group for a longer period of time," Burnett said.
He said he feels confident heading into Wednesday's draft that they can get a high quality player.
"We feel we're in pretty good shape and that we've done our homework. The position that we're in, drafting fourth, we have a pretty good idea of what's happening with one or two of those positions in front of us and we feel real good about the position we are in."
