Import Draft Tomorrow

Press Release

TORONTO, Sunday, June 28, 2009 – The Canadian Hockey League is pleased to announce that the 2009 CHL Import Draft will take place online Tuesday June 30, 2009, beginning at 9:00 am Eastern Time.

Each team in the CHL is permitted to carry two European Import players each season. These players are selected annually at the Import Draft, with the order of selection rotating through each of the three leagues in the CHL using an inverse order of their final regular season standings from the 2008-09 season.

The QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs currently have the first selection of the 2009 CHL Import Draft after a trade with the Halifax Mooseheads.

The 2008 CHL Import Draft featured players such as Dmitry Kulikov of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, picked second overall, who captured prestigious honours in the QMJHL this season including Rookie of the Year and Defenceman of the Year awards. He was also selected by the Florida Panthers with the 14th overall pick at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Other players such as Andrei Loktionov of the OHL and Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires as well as the OHL Rookie of the Year Evgeny Grachev of the Brampton Battalion were selected last season. The 2007 Import Draft featured players such as Mikael Backlund of the WHL Champion Kelowna Rockets.

The 2009 CHL Import Draft order of selection as well as up to date picks on Tuesday June 30 can be followed online at http://chl.ca/importDraft.php.


(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)