Silvertips pick up Vanhanen, Seidl in 2025 CHL Import Draft
EVERETT, Wash. — The Everett Silvertips have completed two rounds of the CHL Import Draft.
- Round 1, 31 overall: F Matias Vanhanen (’07)
- Round 2, 89 overall: D Jakub Seidl (’07)
“We had over 100 players on our 2025 Draft list,” explained European scout Alessandro Benin. “We take a lot of pride in dedicating time to scouting these players. Both Matias and Jakub had very good interviews and we were in constant communication with their representatives. Thanks to their good work ethic, we are sure the transition time from Europe to North America will be quick and they will soon adapt to the WHL as impact players.”
The Silvertips originally acquired the 31st-overall pick in a trade with Vancouver, sending their own first-round Import Draft pick (61st-overall) and a 2028 second-round pick in the WHL Prospects Draft to the Giants. Vanhanen, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound winger, posted 17 goals and 30 assists with HIFK U20 in Finland last season earning league Rookie of the Year honors. He was a point-per-game player at the U18 World Junior Championship tournament in April with two goals and three assists over five games. Vanhanen also registered three points in four games at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky tournament. He finished as a league runner-up at the U18 level in 2023-24 with HIFK, notching 12 goals and 25 assists over 44 games played.
Vanhanen, though unselected in the 2025 NHL Draft, was ranked 115th amongst international skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Service.
Everett then acquired the 89th-overall Import Draft pick from the Swift Current Broncos. The Tips’ prior trade with Swift Current in which they shipped forward Kasey Gleim (’09) and a 2026 first-round pick in the WHL Prospects Draft off in exchange for forward Rylan Gould (’05) has been nullified given Gould’s commitment to play NCAA hockey at Michigan Tech in the fall. Everett and Swift Current re-worked the trade, sending Gleim and Everett’s second-round Import Draft pick (122nd-overall) to the Broncos for their second-round Import pick.
Seidl, a 6-foot-0, 172-pound defender from Prostejov, Czechia, collected three goals and four assists in 46 games played with Bílí Tygři Liberec U20. He skated in five games at the U18 World Junior Championship with Czechia, and earned silver at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky tournament. At the U17 level in 2023-24, he earned nine goals and 17 assists in 40 games played.
Benin has been with the Silvertips organization for 10 seasons. “I would like to thank [GM] Mike Fraser and [Director of Scouting] Brooks Christensen, as they have trusted and supported me through some challenging moments. I’d also like to thank Petra Amplatz, a rising scout who helped our process a great deal. It has been a true pleasure for me to work with such professional and friendly people.”
“We’re excited to add two more talented import players to our group,” commented Silvertips general manager Mike Fraser. “Alessandro Benin does a great job for us every year as our European scout, and we’re looking forward to welcoming Matias and Jakub this upcoming season.”
Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen (’06) is confirmed to return to the Silvertips for the 2025-26 season.
“We at the Everett Silvertips pride ourselves on being respectful towards European players,” Benin said of the Import Draft. “It is not easy to cross the ocean at 16 or 18 years old! Our organization takes great care to not catch players by surprise, picking and attempting to recruit after the fact. We want to be as respectful to the players and their families as possible.”
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