75 players selected during the 2023 CHL Import Draft

Led by the first overall selection of Slovakian centreman Martin Misiak by the Erie Otters, 12 of this year’s selections at the 2023 CHL Import Draft were among the many chosen at last week’s 2023 NHL Draft

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to share the results of today’s CHL Import Draft. During what was the 32nd annual edition of this event, 75 players were chosen, including 43 forwards, 25 defencemen, and seven goaltenders representing 14 countries – including a high of 28 players from Czechia. The 28 players taken from Czechia are the most taken at a CHL Import Draft since 2007 when 34 Czech players were selected.

Holding the top pick at a CHL Import Draft for the first time in franchise history, the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) selected Slovakian centreman Martin Misiak first overall. The 18-year-old from Banska Bystrica registered six goals and 11 assists in 27 games playing with the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League (USHL) last season. The 2023 Chicago Blackhawks second-round selection also added 10 points (2G, 8A) in nine playoff games to help the Phantoms win the USHL’s Clark Cup as the league’s playoff champions in 2023. Misiak also spent time with HC Nové Zámky in the Slovak top-tier league in 2022-23, and he competed for Slovakia at both the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.

Following up Erie with the second overall pick was the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) who drafted 17-year-old Slovakian left winger Juraj Pekarcik, who played for HK Nitra Jr. and HK Nitra in Slovakia last season, recording a combined 23 points (9G, 14A) in 46 games played for both clubs. Selected in the third round at this year’s NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues, Pekarcik competed for his country at both the 2023 IIHF U18 World Junior Hockey Championship (3G, 7A in 7 games) and the 2022 Ivan Hlinka Gretzky Cup (1G in 4 games).

Rounding out the top three was the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL), who selected right winger Adam Jecho from Czechia. The 17-year-old from Zlín spent the last season with Tappara Tampere U18 in Finland, collecting 47 points (21G, 26A) in 37 games. The 2024 NHL Draft eligible prospect has also represented his country on multiple occasions, including at the 2022 World U17 Hockey Challenge (2G, 3A in 6 games) and the 2023 IIHF World U18 Hockey Championship (2A in 5 games).

A total of 53 CHL clubs made a selection during Wednesday’s draft, led by 20 WHL teams who collectively had a total of 28 picks, 20 OHL clubs who also chose 28 players, and 13 QMJHL teams that drafted 19 players. Specifically, 22 CHL clubs made two selections, while 31 clubs made one draft choice. The Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Drummondville Voltigeurs, Portland Winterhawks, Prince George Cougars, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Saint John Sea Dogs, and Victoriaville Tigres passed on both of their selections, opting instead to retain both of their previous import draft choices.

Led by the first overall selection of Misiak by the Otters, 12 of this year’s selections at the 2023 CHL Import Draft were among the 224 players chosen at last week’s NHL Draft (see complete list below). Additionally, over the past few seasons, a multitude of players taken at the CHL Import Draft have also later gone on to have their name called at the NHL Draft, which was true once again in 2023.

Just last week, at the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, Tenn., six CHL players who came through the CHL Import Draft were drafted by NHL clubs highlighted by Vancouver Giants forward and Calgary Flames first-round pick Samuel Honzek. The other international CHL players chosen between the NHL’s first and seventh rounds in Nashville included Egor Sidorov (Saskatoon Blades / Anaheim Ducks), Andrei Loshko (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies / Seattle Kraken), Rodwin Dionicio (Windsor Spitfires / Anaheim Ducks), Marcel Marcel (Gatineau Olympiques / Chicago Blackhawks) and Vojtech Port (Edmonton Oil Kings / Anaheim Ducks).

Since the first CHL Import Draft was held in 1992, including this year’s edition, over 2,090 players from outside of Canada and the United States have been selected at this annual event.

This year’s 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 from each league from the 2022-23 season. Each CHL team is permitted to dress a maximum of two import players each season who are selected annually through the CHL Import Draft.

All non-overage, import players that were previously drafted in the CHL Import Draft but were deleted by a CHL member team before the 2023 cut-down date were eligible to be re-drafted by another CHL club in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. Additionally, as was the case a year ago, Russian and Belarusian players were not eligible for selection in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. Specifically, players who were a resident in Russia or Belarus at any time over the past 24 months were ineligible to be drafted. The only exception was a Russian or Belarussian player who was previously drafted by a CHL club and subsequently deleted on or before the cut-down date in 2023.

For full results from the 2023 CHL Import Draft, visit chl.ca/draft.

2023 CHL Import Draft Summary

Number of Draft Picks by League
WHL – 28
OHL – 28
QMJHL – 19

Number of Teams with a Draft Pick
WHL – 20
OHL – 20
QMJHL – 13

Teams with Multiple Picks
WHL – Kamloops, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina, Spokane, Tri-City, Wenatchee
OHL – Barrie, Brantford, Guelph, Kitchener, Mississauga, North Bay, Oshawa, Ottawa
QMJHL – Acadie-Bathurst, Blainville-Boisbriand, Cape Breton, Charlottetown, Gatineau, Moncton

Teams with No Picks
WHL – Portland, Prince George
OHL – N/A
QMJHL – Baie-Comeau, Drummondville, Rouyn-Noranda, Saint John, Victoriaville

Draft Picks by Position
Forward – 43
Defence – 25
Goaltender – 7

Draft Picks by Country
Czechia – 28 (most since 34 were drafted in 2007)
Slovakia – 12
Finland – 8
Sweden – 5
Switzerland – 5
Latvia – 4
Norway – 4
Germany – 2
Slovenia – 2
Ukraine – 1
Japan – 1 (first since 2019, third all-time)
France – 1 (first since 2017, seventh all-time)
Poland – 1 (first since 2003, fifth all-time; highest selection for a Polish player at No. 15)
Russia – 1

2023 NHL Draft Picks Selected in 2023 CHL Import Draft
1/1 Martin Misiak (Erie Otters) drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks (2/55)
1/2 Juraj Pekarcik (Acadie-Bathurst Titan) drafted by the St. Louis Blues (3/76)
1/7 Arttu Karki (Soo Greyhounds) drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights (3/96)
1/10 Emil Pieniniemi (Kingston Frontenacs) drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins (3/91)
1/12 Jakub Stancl (Kelowna Rockets) drafted by the St. Louis Blues (4/106)
1/13 Rasmus Kumpulainen (Oshawa Generals) drafted by the Minnesota Wild (2/53)
1/32 Norwin Panocha (Chicoutimi Saguenéens) drafted by the Buffalo Sabres (7/205)
1/33 Axel Hurtig (Calgary Hitmen) drafted by the Calgary Flames (7/208)
1/34 Vilmer Alriksson (Guelph Storm) drafted by the Vancouver Canucks (4/107)
1/57 Tuomas Uronen (Ottawa 67’s) drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights (6/192)
1/59 Jesse Kiiskinen (Seattle Thunderbirds) by the Nashville Predators (3/68)
2/62 Antoine Keller (Acadie-Bathurst Titan) by the Washington Capitals (7/206)