Mooseheads Hold No. 20 Pick for 2026 CHL Import Draft
Published on June 23, 2026 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Halifax Mooseheads News Release
New for this year's draft, 20-year-old import players will be eligible to be selected in any round, while 16-year-old import players may only be selected in the first round.
Your Halifax Mooseheads will make the 20th overall selection in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, set for Tuesday, June 30, at 11 a.m. ET. The Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) hold the first overall pick, followed by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL), who own the third overall pick.
Halifax also holds the 81st overall selection in the second round and the 142nd in the third round. The Mooseheads have two open import roster spots following the departures of defenceman Carlos Handel and forward Jasu Mensonen. Handel returned to Germany where he recently signed with Kölner Haie in the Deutsche Eishockey League (DEL) while Mensonen officially signed a one-year contract extension with his original Finnish club, Lukko Rauma after his one-year loan agreement expired.
Russian forward Oleg Kulebiakin will return to the team after leading the Mooseheads in scoring as a 17-year-old rookie in 2025-26 with 73 points in 64 games during the regular season.
For the second straight year, the CHL Import Draft will consist of three rounds as the CHL enters its second season with three import player spots available on each club's roster. Under updated rules for the 2026 CHL Import Draft, 20-year-old import players will be eligible to be selected in any round, while 16-year-old import players may also be selected, but only in the first round.
CHL clubs may carry a maximum of one 16-year-old import player per season, and that player cannot be traded or replaced by another import player during his 16-year-old season. If a 16-year-old import player is released to another level of hockey during the regular season or deleted from a club's roster, that club will be limited to two import players for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. CHL clubs have been permitted to trade selections in the 2027 CHL Import Draft since May 5, 2026, while 2026 selections may continue to be traded until Monday, June 29.
The only other time Halifax has held the 20th pick in the draft, the Herd selected Russian forward Andrei Shefer in 1999. Shefer participated in one season with the Mooseheads and performed well by scoring 34 goals and 42 assists as the team hosted the Memorial Cup for the first time. He was also a second round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 1999.
The CHL Import Draft has helped bring a number of future NHL standouts to the CHL, including Leon Draisaitl (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL), Zdeno Chara (Prince George Cougars / WHL), Marian Hossa (Portland Winterhawks / WHL), Mikael Backlund (Kelowna Rockets / WHL), Oliver Bjorkstrand (Portland Winterhawks / WHL), Gabriel Landeskog (Kitchener Rangers / OHL), Nikita Zadorov (London Knights / OHL), Rasmus Andersson (Barrie Colts / OHL), Olli Määttä (London Knights / OHL), Alexander Radulov (Québec Remparts / QMJHL), David Krejci (Gatineau Olympiques / QMJHL), and Nico Hischier (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL). That list also includes two-time Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies / QMJHL), who captured the award for the second time in his career during the 2025-26 season, as well as recent 2026 Stanley Cup champions Andrei Svechnikov (Barrie Colts / OHL) and Nikolaj Ehlers (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL), who helped the Carolina Hurricanes capture their second championship in franchise history.
Since the first CHL Import Draft was held in 1992, over 2,310 players from outside of Canada and the United States have been selected at this annual event.
On Tuesday, June 30, fans and media can follow along with the 2026 CHL Import Draft and view full results at chl.ca/draft.
Order of Selections for the 2026 CHL Import Draft (as of June 23rd)
First Round Second Round Third Round
No. Team No. Team No. Team
1 Oshawa Generals 62 Brantford Bulldogs (from Oshawa) 123 Oshawa Generals
2 Baie-Comeau Drakkar 63 Baie-Comeau Drakkar 124 Baie-Comeau Drakkar
3 Lethbridge Hurricanes 64 Lethbridge Hurricanes 125 Lethbridge Hurricanes
4 Guelph Storm (From Erie) 65 Erie Otters 126 Erie Otters
5 Rimouski Océanic 66 Chicoutimi Saguenéens (from Rimouski) 127 Rimouski Océanic
6 Everett Silvertips (from Swift Current) 67 Swift Current Broncos 128 Swift Current Broncos
7 Brampton Steelheads 68 Brampton Steelheads 129 Brampton Steelheads
8 Gatineau Olympiques 69 Gatineau Olympiques 130 Gatineau Olympiques
9 Vancouver Giants 70 Vancouver Giants 131 Vancouver Giants
10 Sarnia Sting 71 Sarnia Sting 132 Sarnia Sting
11 Victoriaville Tigres 72 Moncton Wildcats (from Victoriaville) 133 Victoriaville Tigres
12 Tri-City Americans (from Wenatchee) 73 Everett Silvertips (from Wenatchee) 134 Wenatchee Wild
13 Brantford Bulldogs (from Sudbury) 74 Kitchener Rangers (from Sudbury) 135 Sudbury Wolves
14 Saint John Sea Dogs 75 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (from Saint John) 136 Saint John Sea Dogs
15 Moose Jaw Warriors 76 Moose Jaw Warriors 137 Moose Jaw Warriors
16 Saginaw Spirit 77 Saginaw Spirit 138 North Bay Battalion (from Saginaw)
17 Val-d'Or Foreurs 78 Saint John Sea Dogs (from Val-d'Or) 139 Val-d'Or Foreurs
18 Regina Pats (from Red Deer) 79 Red Deer Rebels 140 Red Deer Rebels
19 Erie Otters (from Guelph) 80 Guelph Storm 141 Guelph Storm
20 Halifax Mooseheads 81 Halifax Mooseheads 142 Halifax Mooseheads
21 Swift Current Broncos (from Tri-City) 82 Calgary Hitmen (from Tri-City) 143 Tri-City Americans
22 Owen Sound Attack 83 Owen Sound Attack 144 Owen Sound Attack
23 Chicoutimi Saguenéens (from Cape Breton) 84 Shawinigan Cataractes (from Cape Breton) 145 Cape Breton Eagles
24 Red Deer Rebels (from Regina Pats) 85 Regina Pats 146 Regina Pats
25 Niagara IceDogs 86 Niagara IceDogs 147 Niagara IceDogs
26 Sherbrooke Phoenix 87 Sherbrooke Phoenix 148 Sherbrooke Phoenix
27 Victoria Royals 88 Penticton Vees (from Victoria) 149 Victoria Royals
28 Flint Firebirds (from Kingston) 89 Flint Firebirds (from Kingston) 150 Kingston Frontenacs
29 Québec Remparts 90 Québec Remparts 151 Québec Remparts
30 Portland Winterhawks 91 Swift Current Broncos (from Portland) 152 Portland Winterhawks
31 Saginaw Spirit (from North Bay) 92 North Bay Battalion 153 North Bay Battalion
32 Charlottetown Islanders 93 Charlottetown Islanders 154 Charlottetown Islanders
33 Seattle Thunderbirds 94 Seattle Thunderbirds 155 Seattle Thunderbirds
34 Soo Greyhounds 95 Soo Greyhounds 156 Soo Greyhounds
35 Shawinigan Cataractes 96 Shawinigan Cataractes 157 Cape Breton Eagles (from Shawinigan)
36 Spokane Chiefs 97 Spokane Chiefs 158 Spokane Chiefs
37 Peterborough Petes 98 Peterborough Petes 159 Peterborough Petes
38 Newfoundland Regiment 99 Newfoundland Regiment 160 Newfoundland Regiment
39 Kamloops Blazers 100 Kamloops Blazers 161 Kamloops Blazers
40 London Knights 101 London Knights 162 London Knights
41 Drummondville Voltigeurs 102 Drummondville Voltigeurs 163 Drummondville Voltigeurs
42 Saskatoon Blades 103 Saskatoon Blades 164 Saskatoon Blades
43 Flint Firebirds 104 Kingston Frontenacs (from Flint) 165 Kingston Frontenacs (from Flint)
44 Saint John Sea Dogs (from Blainville-Boisbriand) 105 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 166 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
45 Brandon Wheat Kings 106 Brandon Wheat Kings 167 Brandon Wheat Kings
46 Windsor Spitfires 107 Windsor Spitfires 168 Windsor Spitfires
47 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 108 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 169 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
48 Calgary Hitmen 109 Everett Silvertips (from Calgary) 170 Calgary Hitmen
49 Barrie Colts 110 Barrie Colts 171 Barrie Colts
50 Rimouski Océanic (from Chicoutimi) 111 Chicoutimi Saguenéens 172 Chicoutimi Saguenéens
51 Edmonton Oil Kings (from Kelowna) 112 Kelowna Rockets 173 Kelowna Rockets
52 Ottawa 67's 113 Ottawa 67's 174 Ottawa 67's
53 Moncton Wildcats 114 Moncton Wildcats 175 Moncton Wildcats
54 Saskatoon Blades (from Prince George) 115 Prince George Cougars 176 Prince George Cougars
55 Kitchener Rangers 116 Kitchener Rangers 177 Sudbury Wolves (from Kitchener)
56 Edmonton Oil Kings 117 Edmonton Oil Kings 178 Kelowna Rockets (from Edmonton)
57 Brantford Bulldogs 118 Sudbury Wolves (From Brantford) 179 Oshawa Generals (from Brantford)
58 Victoria Royals (from Penticton) 119 Penticton Vees 180 Penticton Vees
59 Medicine Hat Tigers 120 Medicine Hat Tigers 181 Medicine Hat Tigers
60 Prince Albert Raiders 121 Prince Albert Raiders 182 Prince Albert Raiders
61 Everett Silvertips 122 Everett Silvertips 183 Everett Silvertips
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from June 23, 2026
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