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2017 CHL Import Draft Results

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 18:41:48 +0000

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced the final results of the 2017 CHL Import Draft. The 26th annual CHL Import Draft included a total of 72 players consisting of 50 forwards and 22 defencemen selected from 11 different countries featuring a draft-high 19 players from Russia. The two-round draft took place online with the order of selection rotating through each of the CHL’s three leagues using an inverse order of final regular season standings within each league from the 2016-17 season. The Barrie Colts used the first overall pick to acquire Russian forward Andrei Svechnikov, a 2018 NHL Draft prospect who recently earned bronze at the 2017 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. His international hockey success this season also included a MVP performance at the World Junior A Challenge, and a bronze medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he led the tournament in points. The Moncton Wildcats used the second overall pick to select fellow Russian forward and 2018 NHL Draft prospect Alexander Khovanov who was an Under-17 teammate of Svechnikov capturing bronze in Sault Ste. Marie last November. At third overall the Kootenay ICE selected Switzerland’s Gilian Kohler, a forward also eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft. CLICK HERE TO SEE 2017 CHL IMPORT DRAFT ORDER AND RESULTS The 2017 CHL Import Draft featured 11 players previously selected by NHL teams in 2016 and 2017 drafts. Of that group, five players were selected in the first two rounds this past weekend in Chicago including first round picks Martin Necas (12th, Carolina) chosen 10th overall by the Saginaw Spirit, Timothy Liljegren (17th, Toronto) chosen 13th overall by the Niagara IceDogs, and Filip Chytil (21st, New York Rangers) chosen seventh overall by the North Bay Battalion. 2017 second round NHL Draft picks selected in the Import Draft include Alexandre Texier (45th, Columbus) taken 17th overall by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, and Joni Ikonen (58th, Montreal) chosen 28th overall by the Hamilton Bulldogs. A total of 37 players selected in the 2017 CHL Import Draft are first-year eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft, while four players selected are not eligible for the NHL Draft until 2019. Each team in the CHL is permitted to dress and play a maximum of two import players each season who are selected annually through the CHL Import Draft. 2017 CHL Import Draft Summary: Draft Picks by Position: Forward – 50 Defence – 22 Draft Picks by Country: Russia – 19 Czech Republic – 15 Sweden - 8 Slovakia - 7 Belarus – 6 Germany - 6 Finland – 4 Switzerland - 4 Denmark – 1 France – 1 Slovenia - 1 Draft picks by Birthdate and NHL Status: 2000-born late and 2019 NHL Draft eligible - 4 2000-born and 2018 NHL Draft eligible – 29 1999-born late and 2018 NHL Draft eligible – 8 1999-born and 2017 NHL Drafted – 8 1999-born early and NHL Undrafted – 15 1998-born and NHL Drafted – 3 1998-born and NHL Undrafted – 5 NHL Draft picks in CHL Import Draft: 4. Alexei Toropchenko (Guelph – 4th round to St. Louis in 2017) 7. Filip Chytil (North Bay – 1st round to NY Rangers in 2017) 10. Martin Necas (Saginaw – 1st round to Carolina in 2017) 13. Timothy Liljegren (Niagara – 1st round to Toronto in 2017) 17. Alexandre Texier (Baie-Comeau – 2nd round to Columbus in 2017) 28. Joni Ikonen (Hamilton – 2nd round to Montreal in 2017) 41. Jan Drozg (Shawinigan – 5th round to Pittsburgh in 2017) 45. Oleg Sosunov (Moose Jaw – 6th round to Tampa Bay in 2016) 49. Jesper Bratt (London – 6th round to New Jersey in 2016) 53. Ostap Safin (Saint John – 4th round to Edmonton in 2017) 119. Linus Nassen (Medicine Hat – 3rd round to Florida in 2016) A total of 15 players acquired through the CHL Import Draft were recently selected in the 2017 NHL Draft including New Jersey Devils first overall pick Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads. Other first round picks included Finnish defencemen Juuso Valimaki of the Tri-City Americans selected 16th overall by the Calgary Flames and Henri Jokiharju of the Portland Winterhawks selected 29th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. Last season a total of 79 players were selected from 11 different countries led by 24 players from Russia and consisting of 53 forwards and 26 defencemen.

Andrei Svechnikov Selected First Overall by Barrie Colts in 2017 CHL Import Draft

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 15:48:23 +0000

Barrie, ON – The Barrie Colts have announced that 17-year-old Russian forward Andrei Svechnikov of the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks is the first overall pick in the 2017 CHL Import Draft. The announcement was made at a news conference held today in Barrie where Svechnikov was introduced to local media. “The opportunity to have the first selection in the CHL Import Draft is especially exciting for us,” Colts GM Jason Ford said. “When you happen to be in the position to acquire a player of the caliber of Andrei, that changes the caliber of our whole team. We’re thrilled that Andrei chose to come to the OHL and the Barrie Colts. He will make a big impact this year”, added Ford. “Andrei is a very skilled hockey player. He’s a natural goal scorer and we’re fortunate to have player like that joining the team. He’s one of those players that make his teammates on the ice better. He fits perfectly into the role we need and expect from him,” said Colts Head Coach Dale Hawerchuk. “He’s eligible for the 2018 NHL draft and from everything we’ve heard and know about him, I think he’ll be picked early,” he added. “Our fans will be excited to have a player of this caliber joining the team that they come to watch every week. It will be a great year to be a Barrie Colts fan. Our fans have been lucky to have watched players Aaron Ekblad, Mark Scheifele, Brian Little, Tanner Pearson and Andrei is another player of that caliber,” added Assistant Coach Todd Miller. Born March 26, 2000, Svechnikov, a 6.2’, 187 lb left shot winger, is eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft. He finished the 2016-17 USHL season with 58 points in 48 games. He also played for Russia in the IIHF World Under-18 Championship putting up four goals and five assists in seven games helping Russia win Bronze. His hometown is Barnaul, Russia, and is the younger brother of former Cape Breton Screaming Eagle Evgeny Svechnikov, a Detroit Red Wings prospect who captured a Calder Cup with the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins this season. “I am extremely excited and honoured to be chosen first overall in the CHL Import Draft,” Svechnikov said. “And I am very excited to be coming to the OHL and the Barrie Colts. I want to thank the Barrie Colts ownership, management team and scouting staff for choosing me. I’m looking forward to moving to Barrie, meeting my new teammates and being part of a championship team,” he added.

We were able to speak to Andrei Svechnikov about being drafted 1st overall. Interpreting is his agent Mark Gandler pic.twitter.com/w6b6gdbCEe
— Barrie Colts (@OHLBarrieColts) June 28, 2017

For full results of the 2017 CHL Import Draft please visit chl.ca/draft.

2017 CHL Import Draft takes place Wednesday June 28

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 21:09:37 +0000

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced details for the 26th annual CHL Import Draft which takes place on Wednesday June 28, 2017, beginning at 11:00 am Eastern.

The two-round draft will take place online with the order of selection rotating through each of the CHL’s three leagues using an inverse order of final regular season standings within each league from the 2016-17 season. The OHL’s Barrie Colts hold the number one pick, followed by the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats at number two, and the WHL's Kootenay ICE who will select third overall. Each team in the CHL is permitted to dress and play a maximum of two import players each season who are selected annually through the CHL Import Draft.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW THE 2017 CHL IMPORT DRAFT ORDER AND RESULTS

A total of 15 players acquired through the CHL Import Draft were recently selected in the 2017 NHL Draft including New Jersey Devils first overall pick Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads. Other first round picks included Finnish defencemen Juuso Valimaki of the Tri-City Americans selected 16th overall by the Calgary Flames and Henri Jokiharju of the Portland Winterhawks selected 29th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Last season a total of 79 players were selected from 11 different countries led by 24 players from Russia and consisting of 53 forwards and 26 defencemen.

CHL Grads Andreychuk and Recchi Elected to Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2017

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 00:18:37 +0000

The Canadian Hockey League is proud to announce that two CHL alumni are among the class of 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees. Lanny McDonald, Chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame and John Davidson, Chairman of the Selection Committee, announced that seven individuals have been elected to Hockey Hall of Fame Honoured Membership, five in the Player Category and two in the Builder Category. The vote took place at the annual meeting of the Selection Committee in Toronto. CHL graduates in the Player Category include Oshawa Generals graduate Dave Andreychuk and Kamloops Blazers graduate Mark Recchi. A native of Hamilton, Ont., Andreychuk played in over 1600 NHL regular season games in his more than 20 years in the NHL. After being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1982 Entry Draft, Andreychuk played 11 seasons with the Sabres before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he scored 50 goals in the 1993-94 season. By his retirement in 2006, he scored 640 regular season goals, while adding 698 assists. The 6-foot-4, 225Ib. left-winger captained the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup championship in 2004 while also appearing in two NHL All-Star Games (1990, 1994). He was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 2009. “When I look back I always think of hockey as a team game and it was never about me.” said Andreychuk.” As a player it is how we are taught and that makes this individual award even more unique.” Andreychuk's OHL playing career spanned parts of three seasons with the Oshawa Generals from 1980-83. He recorded 87 goals, 89 assists and 176 points over 148 regular season games, headlined by a 57-goal, 100-point season in 1982. Five years younger than Andreychuk, Mark Recchi, a native of Kamloops, BC, will also enter the Hall later this year. After a season in the IHL, Recchi joined the Pittsburgh Penguins full-time in 1989 and began the fourth longest regular season NHL career in history, playing in 1,652 games. Recchi won his first Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh in 1991, and went on to add championships in Carolina in 2006 and Boston in 2011 – only the 10th player in NHL history to win Stanley Cups on three different teams. “I can’t thank the Selection Committee enough for this recognition,” said Recchi. “It’s an incredible feeling and the icing on the cake after 22 years of playing the game.” Amassing 577 goals, 956 assists and 1533 points over 1652 career regular season games, Recchi's NHL career was a continuation of his prolific scoring presence with the WHL's New Westminster Bruins and Kamloops Blazers from 1984-88. He recorded 109 goals, 183 assists and 292 points over 173 regular season games, capping off his tenure as a first team all-star in 1988. Recchi also helped Canada capture gold at the 1988 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Moscow, Russia. Andreychuk and Recchi will join former Anaheim Ducks stars Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne and seven-time Canadian National Women's Team gold medalist Danielle Goyette in the Player Category. University of Alberta Golden Bears coaching legend Clare Drake will join Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs in the Builder Category. The 2017 Induction Celebration will be held on Monday, November 13th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. For more information regarding the 2017 Induction Weekend/Celebration, visit hhof.com. Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s (“HHOF”) mandate is to recognize and honour the achievements of players, builders and officials who bring special distinction to the game of hockey, and to collect, preserve, research and exhibit objects, images and resource materials connected with the game as it is played in Canada and throughout the world. As a non-profit corporation and a registered charity under the Income Tax Act, HHOF owns and operates a museum and place of entertainment offering state-of-the-art exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational programming from its premises at Brookfield Place, Toronto, Canada.

Ivan Chekhovich – 212th overall

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 18:31:08 +0000

Ivan Chekhovich of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar was selected in the 7th round, 212th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Jocktan Chainey – 191st overall

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 18:28:33 +0000

Jocktan Chainey of the Halifax Mooseheads was selected in the 7th round, 191st overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Ben Jones – 189th overall

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 18:27:04 +0000

Ben Jones of the Niagara IceDogs was selected in the 7th round, 189th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Sasha Chmelevski – 185th overall

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 18:21:42 +0000

Sasha Chmelevski of the Ottawa 67's was selected in the 6th round, 185th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Cedric Pare – 173rd overall

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 18:19:37 +0000

Cedric Pare of the Saint John Sea Dogs was selected in the 6th round, 173rd overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2017 NHL Draft.

Fedor Gordeev – 141st overall

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 17:30:19 +0000

Fedor Gordeev of the Flint Firebirds was selected in the 5th round, 141st overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2017 NHL Draft.