WHL teams select 28 players CHL import draft

The Western Hockey League says 28 players have been selected from nine different nations by WHL teams as part of the 2023 CHL Import Draft.

The two-round draft took place online with the order of selection rotating through each of the CHL’s three leagues. All CHL clubs are permitted to carry two import players on their roster each season.

The Kelowna Rockets, with their first-round selection, 12th overall, chose Czech forward Jakub Stancl from the Växjö Lakers HC (J20 Nationell).

Stancl, 18, was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round (No. 106) of the 2023 NHL Draft last week.

The Edmonton Oil Kings held the top selection among all WHL teams, drafting Czech right winger Adam Jecho with the third-overall pick. The 6-foot-3, 176-pound Jecho spent the 2022-23 campaign with Tappara U18 in Finland, recording 47 points (21G-26A) in 37 games. He also represented Czechia at numerous international events, including the World U-17 Hockey Challenge and IIHF World U-18 Championship.

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The Spokane Chiefs used the sixth-overall selection to draft Czech left winger Lukas Kral. The 5-foot-11, 163-pound product of Praha played 45 games with Mountfield HK U20 during the 2022-23 season, collecting 30 points (13G-17A). He also represented Czechia internationally at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge.

The Victoria Royals rounded out WHL representation in the top 10, drafting Norwegian centre Casper Haugen Evensen with the ninth-overall pick. The 5-foot-7, 170-pound product of Oslo secured 22 points (7G-15A) in 23 games with Valerenga U20 this past season. He also served as an alternate captain for Norway at the IIHF World U-18 Championship.

The 2023 CHL Import Draft saw WHL clubs select 20 forwards, six defencemen, and two goaltenders.

In total, WHL teams selected three players that were previously chosen in the NHL Draft, including Stancl by the Rockets.

The Calgary Hitmen utilized the 33rd-overall selection to choose Swedish defenceman Axel Hurtig – a prospect of the Calgary Flames (2023, 7-208).

With the 59th-overall pick, the Seattle Thunderbirds drafted Finnish right wing Jesse Kiiskinen – a prospect of the Nashville Predators (2023, 3-68).

The Wenatchee Wild made a splash with the team’s first ever CHL Import Draft selection, making forward Kenta Isogai the first Japanese player drafted into the WHL. The 5-foot-9, 159-pound Isogai, a product of Nagano, has spent the previous three seasons with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, registering 73 points (29G-44A) in 163 games.

The Prince Albert Raiders used the 15th-overall pick to select Polish left wing Krzyzstof Macias. The last time a WHL team selected a Polish player was in 2003 when the Vancouver Giants drafted forward Marcin Kolusz.

The Regina Pats went looking for bloodlines, selecting Swiss goaltender Ewan Huet with the 36th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. The 6-foot, 168-pound Huet is the son of seven-year NHL veteran Cristobal Huet. The younger Huet represented Switzerland at the 2023 IIHF World U-18 Championship, going 2-2-0 with a 2.50 goals-against average. He also played 31 games with Lausanne U20 this past season.

With their final selection, the Wild called upon a name that will be familiar to WHL fans in the Pacific Northwest, selecting Latvian left wing Rodzers Bukarts with the 120th pick. Bukarts is the younger brother of Rihards Bukarts, who suited up with the Brandon Wheat Kings for three seasons (2013-16) before finishing his WHL career as a member of the Portland Winterhawks with a 55-game stint in 2015-16. Rodzers Bukarts represented Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, posting two points (1G-1A) in six games.

Visit CHL.ca/draft for complete results from the 2023 CHL Import Draft.

2023 CHL Import Draft – WHL Selections

First Round
3. Edmonton Oil Kings: Adam Jecho (RW) – Czechia – 6’3” / 176 lbs. – March 24, 2006
6. Spokane Chiefs: Lukas Kral (LW) – Czechia – 5’11” / 163 lbs. – February 3, 2006
9. Victoria Royals: Casper Evensen (F) – Norway – 5’7” / 170 lbs. – August 21, 2005
12. Kelowna Rockets: Jakub Stancl (LW) – Czechia – 6’3” / 202 lbs. – April 10, 2005
15. Prince Albert Raiders: Krzyzstof Macias (LW) – Poland – 5’11” / 189 lbs. – May 14, 2004
18. Brandon Wheat Kings: Dominik Petr (LW) – Czechia – 6’1” / 165 lbs. – April 30, 2005
21. Vancouver Giants: Adam Titlbach (C) – Czechia – 5’8” / 150 lbs. – February 15, 2006
24. Swift Current Broncos: Petr Pavelec (LW) – Czechia – 6’0” / 203 lbs. – February 10, 2005
27. Medicine Hat Tigers: Bruno Petrovics (LD) – Latvia – 6’1” / 174 lbs. – April 27, 2006
30. Everett Silvertips: Julius Miettinen (LW) – Finland – 6’2” / 187 lbs. – January 20, 2006
33. Calgary Hitmen: Axel Hurtig (LD) – Sweden – 6’3” / 202 lbs. – June 10, 2005
36. Regina Pats: Ewan Huet (G) – Switzerland – 6’0” / 168 lbs. – February 8, 2005
39. Tri-City Americans: Maxmilian Curran (C) – Czechia – 6’2” / 167 lbs. – August 27, 2006
42. Lethbridge Hurricanes: Elias Knoester (C) – Sweden – 5’8” / 141 lbs. – October 29, 2005
45. Prince George Cougars: PASS
48. Moose Jaw Warriors: Andrej Tomasec (F) – Slovakia – 5’11” / 181 lbs. – January 13, 2006
51. Portland Winterhawks: PASS
54. Red Deer Rebels: Samuel Drancak (C) – Czechia – 5’11” / 178 lbs. – February 4, 2006
56. Saskatoon Blades: Samuel Barcik (RD) – Slovakia – 6’3” / 191 lbs. – March 22, 2005
58. Kamloops Blazers: Matteo Koci (LD) – Czechia – 6’0” / 165 lbs. – June 7, 2005
59. Seattle Thunderbirds: Jesse Kiiskinen (RW) – Finland – 6’0” / 190 lbs. – August 23, 2005
60. Wenatchee Wild: Kenta Isogai (LW) – Japan – 5’9” / 159 lbs. – August 28, 2004

Second Round
66. Spokane Chiefs: Rasmus Ekstrom (C) – Sweden – 5’10” / 169 lbs. – October 4, 2004
75. Prince Albert Raiders: Matej Kubiesa (RW) – Czechia – 5’9” / 152 lbs. – September 11, 2006
87. Medicine Hat Tigers: Vasyl Spilka (LW) – Czechia – 6’2” / 174 lbs. – January 14, 2006
96. Regina Pats: Stian Solberg (LD) – Norway – 6’1” / 174 lbs. – December 29, 2005
99. Tri-City Americans: Lukas Matecha (G) – Czechia – 6’3” / 187 lbs. – April 12, 2005
108. Moose Jaw Warriors: Patrik Kral (F) – Czechia – 6’0” / 169 lbs. – May 9, 2006
118: Kamloops Blazers: Vojtech Vochvest (LD) – Czechia – 5’10” / 181 lbs. – October 20, 2005
120: Wenatchee Wild: Rodzers Bukarts (LW) – Latvia – 5’10” / 163 lbs. – October 5, 2004

WHL Selections by Country
Czechia – 14
Sweden – 3
Finland – 2
Latvia – 2
Norway – 2
Slovakia – 2
Japan – 1
Poland – 1
Switzerland – 1