While we’re still a few days away from the NHL Entry Draft, a notable draft took place today as the CHL held their annual Import Draft. Several already-drafted prospects were picked as well as some who are expected to be drafted next week, giving them an opportunity to play in major junior if they decide to come to North America.
Back in April, the CHL ruled that Russian and Belarussian players would be ineligible to be selected. However, there is a notable exception in that any of those players who were drafted in a previous import draft and had their rights released were eligible to be selected again. Some of those players were indeed chosen a second time around including some who actually played on a CHL-based team this past season. The full results are as follows:
Round One
1) Medicine Hat – F Adam Sykora (Slovakia)
2) Saginaw – F Martin Misiak (Slovakia)
3) Cape Breton – F Jiri Kulich (Czechia)
4) Tri-City – F Adam Mechura (Czechia)
5) Erie – F Ondrej Molnar (Slovakia)
6) Victoriaville – Pass
7) Victoria – F Robin Sapousek (Czechia)
8) Sudbury – D Jakub Chromiak (Slovakia)
9) Baie-Comeau – F Matyas Melovsky (Czechia)
10) Vancouver – F Samuel Honzek (Slovakia)
11) Niagara – Pass
12) Val-d’Or – F Zigmund Zold (Slovakia)
13) Spokane – F Tommaso De Kuca (Italy)
14) Sarnia – F Sandis Vilmanis (Latvia)
15) Chicoutimi – F Roman Kukumberg (Slovakia)
16) Prince George – F Ondrej Becher (Czechia)
17) Peterborough – F Tommy Purdeller (Italy)
18) Rouyn-Noranda – Pass
19) Calgary – D Vojtech Husinecky (Czechia)
20) Ottawa – F Marco Kasper (Austria)
21) Moncton – Pass
22) Swift Current – D Jakub Dvorak (Czechia)
23) Oshawa – F Kimo Gruber (Switzerland)
24) Blainville-Boisbriand – F Ivan Miroschnichenko (Russia)
25) Regina – F Luca Auer (Austria)
26) Kitchener – D Tomas Hamara (Czechia)
27) Drummondville – D Nino Tomov (Bulgaria)
28) Prince Albert – Pass
29) Barrie – F Eduard Sale (Czechia)
30) Rimouski – F Jan Sprynar (Czechia)
31) Lethbridge – F Alex Ciernik (Slovakia)
32) Owen Sound – D Luc Schweingruber (Switzerland)
33) Halifax – D David Moravec (Czechia)
34) Brandon – D Andrei Malyavin (Russia)
35) Guelph – D Niko Minkkinen (Finland)
36) Shawinigan – F Leo Braillard (Switzerland)
37) Saskatoon – D Tomas Zizka (Czechia)
38) Mississauga – G Alessio Beglieri (Switzerland)
39) Acadie-Bathurst – F Markas Samenas (Sweden)
40) Moose Jaw – Pass
41) London – F Kasper Halttunen (Finland)
42) Gatineau – F Marcel Marcel (Czechia)
43) Kelowna – D Marek Rocak (Czechia)
44) Soo – F Noel Nordh (Sweden)
45) Sherbrooke – F Joel Marchon (Switzerland)
46) Seattle – F Kai Knak (Switzerland)
47) Kingston – G Ivan Zhigalov (Belarus)
48) Saint John – F Pavel Simek (Czechia)
49) Red Deer – D Vojtech Port (Czechia)
50) Flint – F Nikita Zozulia (Ukraine)
51) Charlottetown – Pass
52) Portland – G Jan Spunar (Czechia)
53) North Bay – Pass
54) Quebec – F Frantisek Ridzon (Slovakia)
55) Kamloops – D Aapo Sarell (Finland)
56) Windsor – D Tomas Hebek (Czechia)
57) Everett – F Dominik Rymon (Czechia)
58) Hamilton – F Alex Sotek (Slovakia)
59) Edmonton – F Luca Hauf (Germany)
60 Winnipeg – Pass
Round Two
The order for the second round was the same but with many teams reaching their maximum for import players, many more teams passed this time around. The following teams did make selections:
62) Saginaw – F Petr Hauser (Czechia)
68) Sudbury – F Dalibor Dvorsky (Slovakia)
70) Vancouver – F Jonathan Lekkerimaki (Sweden)
74) Sarnia – D David Reinbacher (Austria)
85) Regina – G Michael Hrabal (Czechia)
86) Kitchener – D Mattias Havelid (Sweden)
87) Drummondville – Tomas Holecek (Czechia)
98) Mississauga – F Valdemar William Hull (Switzerland)
99) Acadie-Bathurst – D Peteris Bulans (Latvia)
107) Kingston – F Linus Hemstrom (Sweden)
108) Saint John – F Eriks Mateiko (Latvia)
115) Kamloops – G Michael Scnattinger (Czechia)
117) Everett – G Tim Metzger (Switzerland)