The annual CHL Import Draft is set for Tuesday, June 30, and the Brandon Wheat Kings now know officially where they will be selecting.
The CHL has announced the order for the coming draft, which will see the Wheat Kings select 45th overall. That’s two picks later than last season where they selected defenseman Samu Alalauri 43rd overall.
While Alalauri did not play for the Wheat Kings last season, he was on their list through 2025-26. The Wheat Kings selected defenseman Adam Hlinsky last season 95th overall, and after he returned to his native Czechia the Wheat Kings picked up Russian defenseman Daniil Skvortsov on import waivers. Nine picks after they selected Hlinsky, the Wheat Kings arguably got the steal of the draft at 104th overall when they selected goaltender Filip Ruzicka.
Previous recent import draft success for the Wheat Kings include forward Dominik Petr, who put up 92 points in 122 games played over two seasons with the team, and goaltender Jiri Patera, who was their starter for two seasons before making the jump to the pros. Defenseman Ivan Provorov, who played two seasons with the team and helped them to a championship, is perhaps the team’s best import draft success story. He has now played over 700 NHL games.
In recent years, the CHL has adjusted the rules so that teams make as many as three selections in the import draft instead of two. They’ve also changed the rules so that import draft picks may be traded.
Further rule adjustments have come this year, with 20-year-olds able to be selected in any round. 16-year-olds may now be selected but only in the first round. In addition, teams can only carry one 16-year-old import per season and cannot trade that player or replace him with another import during his 16-year-old season.
