<div align="center">THORVALDSEN DECLARES FOR SMJHL ENTRY DRAFT</div>


The S28 SMJHL Entry Draft, scheduled for this evening, just got a whole lot more interesting.

With only hours to go before the event begins, it has been revealed that Tobias Thorvaldsen, the young Norwegian defender who, until now, was believed to be set to play in Europe this season, has declared his intention to enter the draft. Reportedly already en route to Halifax - the site of this year's entry draft - Thorvaldsen's announcement is making waves across not only the league, but across the hockey world.

A very raw player by all accounts, Thorvaldsen comes with seemingly unlimited potential, making him an appealing target for SMJHL general managers, who will now need to re-arrange their draft boards with the addition of another top prospect to the field.

Playing in the Norwegian GET-ligaen for Frisk Asker Ishockey, Thorvaldsen has a great deal of experience playing against fully grown men already, which should give him a significant advantage as he returns to the junior-level.

Thorvaldsen has been praised for his ability to break out of his defensive zone very quickly, an asset that team-builders have been looking for in defenders more and more as the game evolves. With bulking, stay-at-home defensive defensemen going the way of the dinosaur, Thorvaldsen represents the type of player any team would like to add. His ability to either send a crisp pass to his forwards or skate the puck out himself means very little time is spent defending, allowing his team to generate as much offense as possible while he's on the ice.

Little else is known about Thorvaldsen, though we will surely learn more after tonight's draft and in the days to come as he settles into his new home. What we do know is that he has had links to the Edmonton Blizzard of the SHL, reportedly already discussing his pro hockey future with team officials. When it comes to the SMJHL, however, there are no known links and his reasoning for coming over are as of yet unknown. It has been stated that Thorvaldsen is willing to play anywhere, though, which makes this an even more unusual case as European holdouts typically have a destination in mind.

Be sure to keep an eye on the SMJHL Entry Draft tonight to find out where Thorvaldsen will land. Will the hype surrounding this late entrant boost his stock, or will fear of the unknown keep general managers away?

Quote:Words: 403