10 players selected in 2022 CHL Import Draft and NHL Draft
Ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft, the CHL held its annual Import Draft on July 1 that saw 64 players selected by 51 clubs.
With the NHL Draft now in the rear view mirror, 10 of those players can now be considered NHL prospects.
The 2022 NHL Draft saw four players previously chosen in the 2022 CHL Import Draft selected in the first round and 10 in total.
Marco Kasper, selected 20th overall by the Ottawa 67’s, was the highest drafted player after the Detroit Red Wings took the Austrian eighth overall. In 2020-21, Kasper played 46 games with Rogle in Sweden’s SHL where he had seven goals and 11 points that earned him the award for most points by a U18 Junior. He also appeared in 12 games in Sweden’s J20 SuperElit.
The Canucks would select Jonathan Lekkerimaki 15th overall. The Swede also scored seven goals in the SHL with Djurgardens and suited up 26 times with their U20 team where he had 20 goals and 35 points. He led Sweden to gold at the 2022 U18 World Championships with a tournament best 15 points. The 17-year-old won’t have to go far between his NHL and CHL club; the Vancouver Giants took him 70th overall in the Import Draft.
Ivan Miroshnichenko was chosen 20th by Washington in the NHL Draft after Blainville-Boisbriand took him 24th overall. Miroshnichenko spent 2021-22 with Omskie Krylya of the VHL in his native Russia.
Jiri Kulich, who was the third overall pick by Cape Breton in the CHL Draft, was selected 28th overall by Buffalo. Kulich had 14 points (nine goals) in 49 games with Karlovy Vary in his native Czech Republic last season, the most by any Junior player in the Czech Extraliga.
The second round saw Mattias Havelid go to San Jose after Kitchener grabbed his rights while Adam Sykora, who was the first overall pick by Medicine Hat in the Import Draft, was selected 63rd overall by the New York Rangers. Sykora, a native of Piestany, Slovakia, played 46 games with Nitra in the Slovak league last season.
Tomas Hamara, Petr Hauser, Sandis Vilmanis and Ivan Zhigalov were also chosen in the NHL Draft to complete the list.
Players selected in both the 2022 CHL Import Draft and 2022 NHL Draft:
| Player | CHL Import Team | NHL Team |
| Marco Kasper | Ottawa (20th overall) | Detroit (8th overall) |
| Jonathan Lekkerimaki | Vancouver (70th overall) | Vancouver (15th overall) |
| Ivan Miroshnichenko | Blainville-Boisbriand (24th overall) | Washington (20th overall) |
| Jiri Kulich | Cape Breton (3rd overall) | Buffalo (28th overall) |
| Mattias Havelid | Kitchener (86th overall) | San Jose (45th overall) |
| Adam Sykora | Medicine Hat (1st overall) | New York Rangers (63rd overall) |
| Tomas Hamara | Kitchener (26th overall) | Ottawa (87th overall) |
| Petr Hauser | Saginaw (62nd overall) | New Jersey (141st overall) |
| Sandis Vilmanis | Sarnia (14th overall) | Florida (157th overall) |
| Ivan Zhigalov | Kingston (47th overall) | Colorado (225th overall) |
