CHL Prepares For 2009 Import Draft
While Canadian Hockey League clubs are celebrating some of their brightest young stars at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, their attention will quickly shift to the CHL Import Draft which takes place online beginning at 9:00 am on Tuesday June 30, 2009.
Each team in the CHL is permitted to carry two European Import players each season. These players are selected annually at the Import Draft, with the order of selection rotating through each of the three leagues in the CHL using an inverse order of their final regular season standings from the 2008-09 season.
The QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs currently have the first selection of the 2009 CHL Import Draft after a trade with the Halifax Mooseheads.
CHL clubs have certainly benefited from the talents of some of the players selected in recent years. Dmitry Kulikov, selected 14th overall at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers, made the transition from Russia to Canada when he was selected with the second overall pick at the 2008 CHL Import Draft by the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
“I came here to improve my game, learn a new style of game, learn a new routine, learn everything new about a new country, new style of play, and make the closest step to the NHL” said Kulikov. “I decided that it would be better for me to come over here, play here, and all of the scouts can watch me.”
Kulikov quickly adjusted to the CHL style of play and made a tremendous impact on his Voltigeurs’ club that captured a QMJHL President Cup and made it to the MasterCard Memorial Cup semi-finals. He scored 12 goals and 50 assists for 62 points in 57 games and received QMJHL honours such as Rookie of the Year and Defenceman of the Year. He also played at the 2009 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge, and still managed to win a bronze medal with Russia at the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships.
Andrei Loktionov made one of the biggest impressions as a European playing in the Ontario Hockey League with the Windsor Spitfires, especially in the playoffs scoring 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 20 playoff games to help lead the club to an OHL Championship and the franchise’s first MasterCard Memorial Cup title.
Be sure to follow the 2009 CHL Import Draft online Tuesday June 30, 2009, with up to the minute picks available here as well as a full historical recap of the past five Import Drafts.
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For more information please visit http://chl.ca/importDraft.php
Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL