Spokane Chiefs select three players in 2026 CHL Import Draft
The Spokane Chiefs made three selections in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, choosing forward Matěj Tománek from Czechia in the first round, German Jonas Schwarz in the second, and Jan Brabenec, also from Czechia, in the third.
Tománek, a 5’8” left winger, was one of two players under the age of 18 to finish in the Top 30 in scoring in the Czechia U20 league. He scored 70 points, including 30 goals and 40 assists, on the HC Plzen U17 team in 2024-25 and 43 points in 40 games for the HC Plzen U20 team in 2025-26. He also played for Team Czechia at the 2025 Hlinka-Gretzkly Cup and tallied three goals and three assists in seven games at the 2026 U18 Men’s World Championships. Tománek was taken 36th overall. Born on September 20, 2008, he will be eligible for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft.
“Tománek is an exciting forward who was a point-per-game producer in the Czech U20 league and filled a big role with the U18 national team all year,” said Spokane Chiefs European Scout Janik Beichler. “He’s a dual threat winger who plays with relentless energy every shift. A quick skater who can both set up his teammates and bury the puck himself with a quick release. With his high energy and compete level, he can play up and down the lineup and contribute in all situations.”
Schwarz, a 5’11” center, has played for the Lukko U16, U18, and U20 clubs in Finland the past three seasons. Last year he recorded 47 points with 19 goals and 28 assists in 38 games. He represented his home country of Germany at the 2025 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Spokane used the 97th overall selection in the 2026 CHL Import Draft.
“Schwarz is a dynamic, highly skilled forward whose explosive skating, high-end puck-handling ability, and confidence with the puck make him a constant threat,” Beichler said. “His creativity, deception, and ability to generate scoring chances off the rush gives him exciting upside.
“Schwarz will start the season in Finland playing with his club team, but we are hoping to add him at some point during the upcoming season,” Beichler finished.
Schwarz, a 2009 birth year, will also be eligible for the 2027 NHL Entry Draft.
Brabenec, a 6’4” center born in 2007, spent the 2025-26 season playing for HC Kometa BRNO U20 team in the Czechia U20 league, tallying 47 points, including 13 goals, and 34 assists in 44 games. Brabenec was the 158th overall selection in the 2026 CHL Import Draft.
“Brabenec brings an intriguing blend of size and hockey sense. He has some physical runway to develop into a strong presence in our league, but he also has good playmaking vision and is smart around the net,” said Beichler. “Coming in as a 19-year-old who put up a point per game in the Czech U20 league last season, he should be able to step right in and contribute.”
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The Spokane Chiefs are a member of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players. Since 1985 the Chiefs have been a pillar in the Spokane community, offering family-friendly entertainment and a winning tradition, which includes: Two Memorial Cup Championships in 1991 & 2008, two WHL Championships in 1991 & 2008, and five Western Conference Championships in 1991, 1996, 2000, 2008, and 2025. Over 60 alumni have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.
