CHL Import Draft continues to produce NHL Drafted talent
The CHL Import Draft continues to be a breeding ground to establishing NHL Draft picks.
Six members from the 2023 CHL Import Draft were selected in the 2024 NHL Draft in Vegas June 28-29 after standout seasons with their respective CHL clubs.
Tri-City’s Maximilian Curran (COL), Brampton’s Jakub Fibigr (SEA) Edmonton’s Adam Jecho (STL), Cape Breton’s Jakub Milota (NSH), Everett’s Julius Miettinen (SEA) and Gatineau’s Jan Golicic (TB) all heard their name called on Day 2 of last month’s NHL Draft.
“It was absolutely worth it,” Jecho said at the NHL Draft of coming to the CHL and WHL. “You have to leave something behind but it’s worth it and I am super happy that I made that decision.
“[Edmonton] is probably one of the best organization’s in the whole CHL … they made it so much easier for me to make the jump from European hockey to Canadian hockey. It was great timing to be part of that organization.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 29: Adam Jecho poses for a portrait after being selected 95th overall by the St. Louis Blues during the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft Rounds 2-7 at Sphere on June 29, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
Half of the players selected spent 2023-24 in the WHL; Czech duo Curran and Jecho recorded 32 points (five goals in 40 games) and 47 points (23 goals in 54 games) respectively while Finnish forward Julius Miettinen scored 31 goals and 67 points in 66 contests. Furthermore, all three players were invited to January’s Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospect’s Game in Moncton, N.B.
In the QMJHL, Czech goaltender Milota went 18-11-1 to help backstop the Eagles to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference while Slovenian defenceman Golicic had 29 points (three goals) in 66 games for Gatineau.
In the OHL, Czechia d-man Fibigr had 43 points (seven goals in 61 games) from the Steelheads blue line.
“It was a good decision to come here,” Miettinen said in Vegas. “Coach [Dennis Williams] helped me through a lot at the start. I don’t know if any other team could do that for me. They were just awesome, helped me with everything and gave me time.”
Furthermore, three selections from the 2022 CHL Import Draft were selected by NHL clubs in Prince George’s Ondrej Becher (DET), Saint John’s Eriks Mateiko (WSH) and Baie-Comeau’s Matyas Melovsky (NJ) while Victoriaville’s Nikita Prishchepov (COL) was a 2021 CHL Import Draft selection.
Since the first CHL Import Draft was held in 1992, more than 2,150 players from outside of Canada and the United States have been selected.
Players selected in the 2023 CHL Import Draft and 2024 NHL Draft
| Player | CHL Import Team | NHL Team |
| Adam Jecho | Edmonton (3rd overall) | St. Louis (95th overall) |
| Jakub Fibigr | Brampton (Mississauga) (16th overall) | Seattle (202nd overall) |
| Jakub Milota | Cape Breton (23rd overall) | Nashville (99th overall) |
| Julius Miettinen | Everett (30th overall) | Seattle (40th overall) |
| Maxmilian Curran | Tri-City (39th overall) | Colorado (161st overall) |
| Jan Golicic | Gatineau (44th overall) | Tampa Bay (118th overall) |
Players selected in the 2022 CHL Import Draft and 2024 NHL Draft
| Player | CHL Import Team | NHL Team |
| Matyas Melovsky | Baie-Comeau (9th overall) | New Jersey (171st overall) |
| Ondrej Becher | Prince George (16th overall) | Detroit (80th overall) |
| Eriks Mateiko | Saint John (108th overall) | Washington (90th overall) |
Players selected in the 2021 CHL Import Draft and 2024 NHL Draft
| Player | CHL Import Team | NHL Team |
| Nikita Prishchepov | Victoriaville (37th overall) | Colorado (217th overall) |
