12 players selected in 2023 CHL Import Draft and NHL Draft

Wednesday’s 2023 CHL Import Draft saw 12 players selected who last week were made NHL prospects.

Eleven of the choices, headlined by Martin Misiak who was selected first overall by the Erie Otters, were chosen in the first round of the CHL Import Draft.

Misiak was the 55th overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft after he split last season between Nove Zamky Mikron HC of the Slovak Extraliga and the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. He also played at the 2023 World Juniors for Slovakia.

With the Phantoms, Misiak helped the team to their first Clark Cup as USHL champions after he had 10 points in nine postseason games. In the regular season, he recorded 17 points (six goals) in 27 games. A year ago, Misiak was selected second overall in the CHL Import Draft by Saginaw.

Juraj Pekarcik was taken second overall by Acadie-Bathurst a week after the St. Louis Blues took him 76th overall. Pekarcik, who is also Slovakian, had three assists with HK Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga and also represented his country at the 2023 World Juniors. The Titan also selected Washington Capitals prospect and French goalie Antoine Keller 62nd overall. Keller played 25 games in Switzerland’s U20 league last year with Geneve-Servette.

The Soo Greyhounds made Finnish forward Arttu Karki the seventh overall pick after he had 39 points in 36 games with U20 SM-sarja league champions Tappara. The 96th overall pick by the Vegas Golden Knights was also named to the league’s Second All-Star Team.

Fellow Finn Emil Pieniniemi was selected by Kingston 10th overall. Pieniniemi, who became a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect last week after he was selected 91st overall, had 13 points with Karpat’s U20 squad and also claimed bronze at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Another Blues selection, Jakub Stancl, was chosen by Kelowna with the 12th overall pick. The Czech native played eight games with Vaxjo HC in the SHL and scored his first professional goal in the process, while he tallied 11 goals in 35 games with their U20 squad.

Rasmus Kumpulainen was the highest NHL Drafted player chosen. Taken 53rd overall by Minnesota, the Oshawa Generals took the Finn 13th overall in the CHL Import Draft. In 2022-23, Kumpulainen had 34 points in 41 games with Pelicans of the U20 SM-sarja while he too won bronze at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky.

Norwin Panocha (CHI/BUF), Axel Hurtig (CGY/CGY), Vilmer Alriksson (GUE/VAN), Tuomas Uronen (OTT/VGK) and Jesse Kiiskinen (SEA/NSH) rounded out players who were selected in both drafts.

For a full recap of players selected in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, click here.

Players selected in both the 2023 CHL Import Draft and 2023 NHL Draft: