The Ontario Hockey League (OHL), known as the premiere development league for the NHL, is one of three major junior ice hockey leagues based in Canada and the United States that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Through the CHL Import Draft, each team in the CHL is permitted to dress and play a maximum of two import players each season. The import draft is seen as a way to raise the level of competition in the CHL, as well as to broaden its fan base while retaining high North American content.

The two-round draft typically takes place the last week of June and is held 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 previous season. CHL teams are allowed to keep two Import players on the roster. If the club expects to keep these two players for the upcoming season, they can pass in the Import Draft. If a CHL club has an import player that is currently signed by an NHL team out of their program, they can select a third import player.

The 33rd annual/2024 CHL Import Draft takes place Wednesday, July 3 at 11 a.m. ET.

2024 Import Draft (July 3rd, 2024)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/18th Mitja Jokinen D  5’11  170  3/1/06 TPS Turku U20 Raisio, Finland
2nd/78th Karlis Flugins LW  5’10  185 11/11/07 IK Oskarshamn Riga, Latvia

 

2023 Import Draft (July 5th, 2023)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/37th Markas Samenas F  6.05  216  02/02/04 Acadie-Bathurst Titans (QMJHL)  Sweden
Pass

2022 Import Draft (July 1st, 2022)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/50th Nikita Zozulia F  5.09  155  05/02/05  Anaheim Jr. Ice Dogs U16  Kyiv, Ukraine
Pass

 

2021 Import Draft (June 30th, 2021)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/42nd Simon Slavicek  F  6.00  170  02/02/2004  HC Slavia Praha  Praha, Czechia
Pass

2020 Import Draft (June 30th, 2020)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/46th Dmitry Kuzmin D 5.08 176 4/24/2003 Belarus National Team Kholstovo, Belarus
Pass

2019 Import Draft (June 27th, 2019)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/5th Evgeniy Oksentyuk RW 5.07 154 2/27/2001 Shakhtyor Soligorsk Brest, Belarus
Pass

2018 Import Draft (June 28th, 2018)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/6th Jan Jeník F 6.01 165 9/15/2000 HC Bílí Tygři Liberec (Czech1) Nymburk, Czech Republic
Pass


2017 Import Draft (June 28th, 2017)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/25th Nikita Alexandrov D 6.06 185 5/18/1999 Balashikha HC MVD (MHL) Kurgan, Russia
Pass


2016 Import Draft (June 28th, 2016)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/8th Michal Steinocher D 6.05 185 12/2/1999 HC Slavia Praha Louny, Czech Republic
2nd/68th Kristian Vesalainen F 6.04 202 6/1/1999 Vastra Frolunda HC Jr. Helsinki, Finland

2015 Import Draft (June 30th, 2015)

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/9th Vili Saarijarvi D 5.09.5 163 5/15/97 Green Bay (USHL) Rovaniemi, Finland
2nd/69th Matyas Kantner LW 6.01.5 180 6/20/98 HC Plzen U18 Plzen, Czech Republic

2014 Import Draft

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
Pass
Pass

2013 Import Draft

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/41st Victor Crus-Rydberg C 5.11 190 3/21/95 Linkoping Tingsryds, Sweden
2nd/113th Yannick Rathgeb RD 6.0 183 10/24/95 Langnau Langenthal, Switzerland

 

2012 Import Draft

Rd./Pk. Player Pos. HT WT DOB Team Hometown
1st/21st Ludvig Bystrom RD 6.00.75 169 7/20/94 Modo Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
2nd/90th Simon Karlsson R 6.02 179 7/23/93 Malmo Malmon, Sweden