CHL Awards 2nd Overall Selection to Silvertips in Import Draft

The Canadian Hockey League today announced the Order of Selections for the 2021 CHL Import Draft to be held online Wednesday, June 30 at 8am PT.

The Silvertips – awarded the 1st selection from the pool of WHL teams, will select second overall after winning an equal-odds lottery to determine the league’s order of selection following its abbreviated 2020-21 season. QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar will select first overall after completing the 2020-21 season with an 8-26-1-1 record and 18 points in 36 games.

Baie-Comeau passed on both of its selections in last year’s Import Draft, opting to retain its two selections from the prior class that counted Belarusian right-wing Valentin Demchenko and Latvian left-wing and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Raivis Kristians Ansons. After wrapping up 2019-20 with 34 points in 57 games, Demchenko played overseas this past season due to pandemic challenges, while Ansons joined the club in late February before putting up six points in nine games, building on a successful first season in which he collected 35 points in 60 games.

Like the Drakkar, the Silvertips passed on both of their selections in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, and instead opted to retain 2019 selection Michal Gut, a Czech-born centre who put together an impressive first season in 2019-20 that counted 13 goals and 23 assists for 36 points in 51 games before returning to the Czech Republic on loan for the 2020-21 campaign. Additionally, the Silvertips also retained defenseman Kasper Puutio, who finished the 2019-20 season with the Silvertips after a trade from the Swift Current Broncos. Following his 5th round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, Puutio played the past season in Finland due to border restrictions, and signed a two-year contract with KalPa Kuopio of the Finnish Elite League on May 3.

Who's next? #LetsGoTips x #CHLImportDraft pic.twitter.com/fydIFV36RY

— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) June 18, 2021

With Puutio opening an import slot by moving onto the pro ranks, Gut remains on the Silvertips protected list for the impending 2021-22 season.

The OHL’s Barrie Colts will select third overall in the 2021 CHL Import Draft. Ontario Hockey League clubs will draft in inverse order of the lottery results drawn to determine the selection order for the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. The Colts held the last pick of the first round of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. Last year, the North Bay Battalion chose first overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, selecting Russian right-wing Matvei Petrov, followed by Czech-born goaltender and Detroit Red Wings prospect Jan Bednar’s second-overall selection by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, and Slovakian-born defenceman Oliver Fatul at third overall to the Swift Current Broncos.

The CHL will conduct the draft in a “snake” format which will reverse the original order in the second round. All 22 WHL clubs were guaranteed an equal opportunity to win their lottery, conducted as a result of the unique schedule of games across the league during the 2020-21 WHL regular season.

Over the last 29 years, nearly 340 players have been selected in the CHL Import Draft and advanced to suit up in the National Hockey League. Notables selected in the draft, now in the NHL include 2020 Hart and Art Ross Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl (2012), Rocket Richard Trophy winner David Pastrnak (2014), two-time Stanley Cup winning defenseman Olli Maatta (2011), All-Star and New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier (2016), Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov (2017), Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner (2009), and Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (2018).

The Silvertips have helped advance the careers of 20 players – including Florida Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas (Czech Republic) – to suit up in the NHL since their inaugural season in 2003-04.

Order of Selections for 2021 CHL Import Draft