2022 CANADIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE IMPORT DRAFT PRIMER

Erie, Pennsylvania – The City of Erie and the Otters organization will get their guaranteed time in the worldwide spotlight on Friday, July 1 at 11 A.M. for the Canadian Hockey League’s 30^th Annual Import Draft.

The CHL Import Draft – first implemented in 1992 – is an opportunity for the Ontario, Quebec, and Western Hockey Leagues to break outside of their region-locked North American scouting waters to find hockey talent abroad. This is the only draft every year that involves all three Major Junior hockey leagues simultaneously and collaboratively, and is the only crossover between leagues outside of the Memorial Cup. As well, this is the final CHL event of the 2021-22 season, with the end of the Import Draft marking the official start of the new season across the league(s).

Erie has had terrific success in the CHL Import Draft historically, from as recently as 2021-22 rostered defenseman Artyem Kulakov, to all-time Otters legends like Oscar Dansk (G, 2012 #3 overall), 2022 (and two-time) Stanley Cup Champion Andre Burakovsky (F, 2013 #5 overall), and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Erik Cernak (D, 2015 #49 overall).

In the 2022 edition of the Import Draft, the Erie Otters are eligible to select two players from the two rounds, with a ‘Linear Draft’ being executed, ensuring Erie and all CHL member teams the same draft order in both rounds. The picks are as follows for Erie:

1. Round 1, #5 pick
   1. Erie will pick fifth overall – second from the OHL – due to the results of the OHL Priority Selection Lottery. The additional 16 teams are sorted based on finish in the OHL Post-Season.
   2. This is Erie’s lowest pick in the Import Draft since taking two-time Stanley Cup champion Andre Burkaovsky in 2013
2. Round 2, #65 pick
   1. This is Erie’s highest pick in the Import Draft since 2012

In the team’s 25 previous Import Drafts, Erie has selected 35 total players – with 20 players appearing on the roster for the Otters.

QUICK FACTS:

• Erie has not had a pick in the Import Draft just once – the 1997 season
• In the Import Draft, the Otters have selected 35 total players
  • Of the 35 players, 25 were Forwards, six were Defensemen, four were Goaltenders
  • Of the 35 players, 13 have been Russian-born, six have been Czechia-born, four have been Slovakian-born, three were Swedish-born, one was Swiss-born, one was German-born, one was Ukrananian-born, one was Lithuanian-born, one was Norwegian-born, one was Latvian-born, one was Belrusian-born, one was Danish-born and one American-born.
• Four Stanley Cups have been won by Otters player taken in the CHL Import Draft
• Erie’s latest (and highest all-time) pick in the CHL Import Draft, Juraj Slafkovsky, is a projected top-three pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

Every player the Otters have ever drafted top five in the Import Draft has gone on to play for Erie – will the trend continue this year?

Both rounds of the CHL Import Draft will take place on Friday, July 1 at 11 A.M., with results being updated live on the CHL’s Import Draft tracker.

2022 CHL Import Draft Order of Selection for Ontario Hockey League teams:

1. Saginaw Spirit
2. Erie Otters (#5, #65 overall)
3. Sudbury Wolves
4. Niagara IceDogs
5. Sarnia Sting
6. Peterborough Petes
7. Ottawa 67’s
8. Oshawa Generals
9. Kitchener Rangers
10. Barrie Colts
11. Owen Sound Attack
12. Guelph Storm
13. Mississauga Steelheads
14. London Knights
15. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
16. Kingston Frontenacs
17. Flint Firebirds
18. North Bay Battalion
19. Windsor Spitfires
20. Hamilton Bulldogs

Player Eligibility
Non-North American players under 18-years-old born between 2004 and 2006 are eligible for selection in the two rounds of the 2022 CHL Import Draft. Players from Russia or Belarus are ineligible for selection in the 2022 CHL Import Draft.

Keep up with both of the Otters picks and results on OttersHockey.com or across the Otters’ social media. For all results of the 2022 CHL Import Draft, please head to CHL.ca. 

For the latest Otters news, visit OttersHockey.com, or follow the team on Facebook (Facebook.com/erieottershockey), Twitter (@ErieOtters), and Instagram (@ErieOtters). 

For further information on the Erie Otters and for media inquiries, please contact Shawn Bednard at shawn.bednard@ottershockey.com. 

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