Author: greggdrinnan

The WHL’s 22 teams combined to select 30 players in the CHL import draft on Thursday. . . . Each team is allowed to have two import players on its roster during the season. . . . As you read this team-by-team look, keep in mind that a team with an import on its roster who was a first-round NHL draft pick, or one who has signed with an NHL team, or one who is prepping for his 20-year-old season is allowed to add a player in the draft. Some teams, then, could end up with three imports on their roster, but eventually will have to get down to two. . . . I believe a team has until two weeks after the third import arrives to trim its roster.

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BRANDON WHEAT KINGS — They selected a pair of 18-year-old forwards, both of whom played last season in the USHL. . . . Finnish F Marcus Kallionkieli played last season with the Sioux City Musketeers, putting up 29 goals and 54 assists in 58 games. He was a fifth-round pick by the Vegas Golden Knights in last weekend’s NHL draft. Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner, is the Golden Knights’ assistant general manager; he takes over as GM on Sept. 1. . . . Russian F Vladislav Firstov was picked by the Minnesota Wild in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft. Last season, he had 26 goals and 32 assists with the Waterloo Blackhawks. Firstov has committed to play with the Huskies at the U of Connecticut in the fall. . . . The Wheat Kings’ roster also includes Czech G Jiri Patera, 20, who was a sixth-round pick by the Golden Knights in the NHL’s 2017 draft. The Wheat Kings’ No. 1 goaltender as a freshman last season, he has yet to sign a pro contract.

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CALGARY HITMEN — The Hitmen have three imports on their roster after picking Czech F Jonas Peterek, 18, and Slovakian F Samuel Krajc, 17. . . . Peterek played for his country in last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup and also in the IIHF U-18 world championship earlier this year. . . . Krajc played for Slovakia at the U-18 worlds after putting up 11 goals and nine assists in 27 games with HK Dukla Trencin’s U-20 team. He also had eight goals and six assists in 14 games with the U-18 side. . . . They join veteran Russian D Egor Zamula, 19, on Calgary’s roster. He has played two WHL seasons and has signed with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. . . . The Hitmen expect all three players in Calgary when training camp opens in late August.

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EDMONTON OIL KINGS — They made one pick, taking Finnish F Jesse Seppala, 17, who had 17 goals and 31 assists in 42 games with Tappara’s U-18 team. . . . Among other international games, he played for Finland at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . He joins Belarusian F Vladimir Alistrov, 18, as Edmonton’s imports. . . . Belarusian F Andrei Pavlenko, 19, was released prior to the draft.

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EVERETT SILVERTIPS — With Slovakian F Martin Fasko-Rudas expected back for a third season, the Silvertips took Czech F Michal Gut, who will turn 17 on Aug. 16. . . . He had 14 goals and 20 assists in 33 games with Pirati Chomutov’s U-19 team last season. Gut also played at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . Russian D Artyom Minulin, Everett’s other import at last season’s end, has used up his junior eligibility.

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KAMLOOPS BLAZERS — They dropped one defenceman and selected another in the draft. . . . The Blazers released Finnish D Joonas Sillanpää, 18, after one season, and filled that spot on their roster by picking Swiss D Inaki Baragano, who will turn 18 on Sept. 4. . . . As a 17-year-old, he had six goals and 16 assists in 39 games with Lausanne’s U-20 team last season. . . . He is expected in Kamloops in time for training camp to open on Aug. 21. . . . The Blazers’ other import is Czech F Martin Lang, who will be 18 on Sept. 15, and is heading into his second WHL season.

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KELOWNA ROCKETS — With D Lassi Thomson having been a first-round selection by the Ottawa Senators in the NHL’s 2019 draft, the Rockets made two import picks — Czech F Pavel Novak and Russian F Daniil Gutik. . . . Novak, 17, had 29 goals and 16 assists in 31 games with Motor Ceske Budejovice’s U-19 team. He also played 20 games with Motor Ceske Budejovice in Czech 2, recording three assists, and was expected to play there in 2019-20. He also played in the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . Gutik will turn 18 on Aug. 31. He had five goals and eight assists in 13 games with Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL, a Russian junior league. He also had four assists in five games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

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LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES — They had one selection and used it to take Slovakian F Oliver Okuliar, 19, who played last season with the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix. In 66 games as a freshman, he had 14 goals and 28 assists. . . . He also had four goals and four assists in five games at the U-18 IIHF Worlds. . . . Sophomore Belarusian D Danila Palivko, who will turn 18 on Nov. 30, is the Hurricanes’ other import. . . . D Igor Merezhko, from Ukraine, used up his junior eligibility last season.

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MEDICINE HAT TIGERS — Danish F Jonathan Brinkman Andersen, who turns 18 on July 4, was the Tigers’ lone selection. Last season, he had one goal and five assists in 32 games with the Aalborg Pirates in the Metal Ligaen. He was the pro team’s youngest player. . . . The Tigers’ other import is G Mads Søgaard, who turns 19 on Dec. 13 and is preparing for his second WHL season. Søgaard, who was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the second round of the NHL’s 2019 draft, also is from Aalborg.

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MOOSE JAW WARRIORS — The Warriors had one selection and used it on Swedish G Jesper Wallstedt, who has been hyped by some observers as perhaps the best in the world in his age group. . . . He will turn 17 on Nov. 14, so isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2021. . . . Last season, the 6-foot-3 Wallstedt played in 21 games with Luleå HF J20 of the SuperElit league, going 2.65, .901. He is expected to return to the team for the 2019-20 season, so the Warriors have some work ahead of them. . . . The Warriors have two other imports on their roster — Belarusian D Vladislav Yeryomenko, 20, who was acquired from the Calgary Hitmen on May 2, and F Danill Stepanov, 18, who also is from Belarus. Yeryomenko was a fifth-round pick by the Nashville Predators in the NHL’s 2018 draft, but he has yet to sign a pro contract.

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PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS — With two selections, the Winterhawks added Swiss F Simon Knak, 17, and Danish D Jonas Brøndberg, 18. . . . Last season, Knak had 14 goals and 11 assists in 37 games with Kloten EHC’s U-20 team. Prior to the import draft, he was expected to split the 2019-20 season between that club and EHC Kloten of the NLB. He had one assist in three games with the pro team last season. . . . Brøndberg played with three Växjö Lakers U-18 and U-20 sides last season, totalling three goals and seven assists in 48 games between them. . . . Prior to the draft, the Winterhawks released Czech F Michal Kasnica, 19, after one season. Portland’s other import from last season, Danish F Joachim Blichfeld, won the WHL scoring title as a 20-year-old.

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PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS — They picked F Ivan Kechkin, marking the first time the Raiders have selected a Russian in this draft. Kechkin is a smallish centre who totalled 12 goals and 21 assists in 38 games last season, which he split between 17- and 18-year-old teams in Moscow. . . . Of course, he may never play in Prince Albert because the WHL’s reigning champions have two Belarusians on their roster in F Aliaksei Protas, 18, and D Sergei Sapego, who is to turn 20 on Oct. 8. . . . Protas was selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round of the 2019 NHL draft. . . . This week, Sapego is in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp.

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PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS — With their one selection, the Cougars took Czech F Filip Koffer, 18, who had 10 goals and 28 assists in 34 games with HC Dynamo Pardubice’s U-19 side last season. He also had one assist in 12 games with Dynamo Parubice’s men’s side in the Extraliga. Prior to the import draft, he was expected to return to the pro team. . . . Mark Lamb, the Cougars’ general manager, said in a news release that Koffer “is committed to playing in the WHL.” . . . F Matej Toman, a teammate of Koffer’s on the Czech U-18 team, is the Cougars’ other import.

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RED DEER REBELS — The Rebels say they are waiting to hear from sophomore Russian F Oleg Zaytsev as to his immediate future, but, in the meantime, they are keeping him on their roster. . . . With one pick in the draft, then, they took Finnish D Christoffer Sedoff, 17, out of the HIFK organization. . . . Last season, he had three assists in 32 games with HIFK’s U-20 team. . . . He also played in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. . . . “From everything we know, he’s coming,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner, general manager and head coach, told Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com. “Unless some unforeseen thing comes about, as far as we know he’ll be here.” . . . Russian D Alex Alexeyev, 20, was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round of the NHL’s 2018 draft and is expected to start his pro career in the fall.

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REGINA PATS — Regina used its lone selection to take Russian F Daniil Gushchin, 17, who played last season with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, putting up 16 goals and 20 assists in 51 games. . . . He also played for Russia at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge, the U-18 Worlds and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. . . . The Pats’ other import is sophomore Russian D Nikita Sedov, 18. . . . Regina traded Russian F Sergei Alkhimov, 18, to the Vancouver Giants this week, getting back F Dawson Holt, 20.

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SASKATOON BLADES — Prior to the draft, the Blades released both of their imports from last season — Swedish D Emil Malysjev, 18, who will play at home, and Norwegian F Kristian Roykas Marthinsen, 20, who apparently is planning on beginning his pro career. He was a seventh-round pick by the NHL’s Washington Capitals in 2017 but hasn’t signed. . . . The Blades then grabbed a pair of Czech defencemen — Libor Zabransky, 19, who has played 107 WHL games with the Kelowna Rockets, and Radek Kucerik, who is to turn 18 on Dec. 21. . . . Last season, Zabransky had two goals and seven assists in 35 games with the Rockets, before finishing up with the USHL’s Fargo Force. He had four goals and 12 assists in 30 games with Fargo. In 2017-18, He had two goals and 17 assists in 72 games with Kelowna. . . . Kucerik won’t turn 18 until Dec. 17. He captained HC Kometa Brno’s U1-9 squad last season and, if he doesn’t show up in Saskatoon, he could play with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga in 2019-20.

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SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS — With a pair of solid imports expected to return, the Thunderbirds aimed high in selecting German F Tim Stutzle, 17. Last season, he had 23 goals and 32 assists in 21 games with Jungadler Mannheim, a U-20 side. He has signed to play professionally with Addler Mannheim of the DEL, Germany’s top league. Some observers have him ranked as a top 10 selection in the NHL’s 2020 draft. . . . Czech D Simon Kubicek, who turns 18 on Dec. 19, and Slovakian F Andrej Kukuca, who turns 20 on Nov. 14, are coming off terrific freshman seasons and both are likely to be back. . . . If Stutzle were to be assigned to Seattle by Addler Mannheim, it could be that the Thunderbirds hit a home run. If not, they’ve still got a pair of pretty good imports.

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SPOKANE CHIEFS — With two returning 20-year-old goalies in Bailey Brkin and Reece Klassen, the Chiefs picked Czech G Lukas Parik, 18, who was a third-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL’s 2019 draft. This was the first time Spokane has picked a goaltender in the import draft. . . . The 6-foot-4 Parik attended the Kings’s development camp this week. . . . Campbell Arnold, 17, also is in the Chiefs’ picture after being a second-round selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. From Nanaimo, B.C., he played last season for the junior B Spokane Braves of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. . . . Spokane also selected Russian D Matvei Startsev, who will turn 17 on Sept. 4. He is listed at 5-foot-8 and 132 pounds, but the Chiefs indicated in a news release that “scouting reports indicate Startsev has grown significantly above his listed height and weight over the past year.” . . . Veteran Czech D Filip Kral, who turns 20 on Oct. 20, remains on Spokane’s roster and could return for a third season. He was a fifth-round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL’s 2018 draft, but has yet to sign a pro deal.

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SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS — With the draft’s first overall selection, the Broncos took Finnish D Kasper Puutio, a 17-year-old from Vaasa. . . . Last season, he had one goal and three assists in 31 games with Kärpät’s U-20 team, and had four goals and eight assists in 10 games with the U-18 side. . . . He also had four assists in six games at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . Puutio is the fourth straight selection from Finland for Swift Current, after F Aleksi Heponiemi (2016), and F Joona Kiviniemi and D Roope Pynnonen (2018). . . . Kiviniemi is returning for a second season, but Pynnonen was released prior to this draft. . . . Puutio is “a 2002 that fits into our mold,” Dean Brockman, the Broncos’ director of player personnel and head coach, said on the team’s website. “He’s a right-handed shot who’s projected to go in next year’s NHL draft. He’s got all the checkmarks we needed. The biggest thing is he wants to be here.”

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TRI-CITY AMERICANS — With a 20-year-old import on the roster in the person of Czech F Krystof Hrabik, the Americans were able to make two selections. They took a pair of Czech players — F Jan Cikhart, 17, and D David Homola, who will turn 18 on Oct. 4. . . . Last season, Cikhart had 18 goals and 13 assists in 40 games for Bili Tygri Liberec’s U-19 team, which is where Hrabik played before joining the Americans. Cikhart also played in the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . Homola had four goals and 14 assists in 47 games with U-19 Ocelari Trinec. He also played in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. . . . According to Bob Tory, the Americans’ general manager, Cikhart and Homola both will be at training camp in August.

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VANCOUVER GIANTS — With their only pick, the Giants took Slovakian D Samuel Knazko, who will be 17 on Aug. 7. . . . Last season, he had two goals and 15 assists in 49 games with U-20 TPS of the Jr. A SM-liiga. . . . Knazko played for his country at the IIHF U-18 Worlds. . . . The Giants’ roster also includes Slovakian F Milos Roman, 20, and Russian F Sergei Alkhimov, 18, who was acquired this week from the Regina Pats in exchange for F Dawson Holt, 20. . . . Roman was selected by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL draft, but hasn’t yet signed a pro contract.

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VICTORIA ROYALS — With their only selection, the Royals took Swiss F Keanu Derungs, 17, who played last season in his country’s top junior league. He has played four seasons in the Kloten organization, splitting last season between the U-17 and U-20 sides. . . . His brother Ian, who will turn 20 on Dec. 31, played last season with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. . . . The Royals have one other import on their roster — Danish F Phillip Schultz, who turns 19 on July 24. He had 19 goals and 17 assists in 60 games as a freshman. . . . Belarusian F Igor Martynov, 20, won’t be back for a third season as he plans to play professionally at home.

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WINNIPEG ICE — In its first import draft since relocating from Cranbrook, the Ice picked two players — Czech F Michal Teply, 18, and German F Nino Kinder, 18. . . . Teply was a fourth-round selection by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL’s 2019 draft. Last season, he had four goals and six assists in 23 games on loan to HC Benatky nad Jizerou in the Czech2 league. He had been loaned by Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Extraliga, the country’s top pro league. Teply had played 15 games with them, putting up two assists. He also played at the IIHF U-18 Worlds and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. . . . Kinder had 17 goals and 24 assists in 33 games with the U-20 Eisbaren Juniors Berlin. He was pointless in five games with Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL. Kinder is spending this week at the Los Angeles Kings’ development camp. . . . The Ice finished last season with two import defencemen on its roster. Martin Bodak of Czech Republic has used up his junior eliibility, while Valtteri Kakkonen, 19, of Finland has signed with JYP of Liiga, that country’s top pro league.

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