OHL Clubs Select 32 Players in 2026 CHL Import Draft
Published on June 30, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release
TORONTO - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) clubs added 32 players in the 2026 CHL Import Draft on Tuesday, a class made up of 21 forwards, six defencemen and five goaltenders.
The five goaltenders match the most ever taken by OHL teams at a single Import Draft, tying marks set in 2025 and 2009.
Five of the 32 selections have already heard their names called at the NHL Draft, headlined by defenceman Juho Piiparinen (London Knights), a first-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2026. He is joined by goaltender Matvei Nikonovich (Barrie Colts), a fifth-round selection of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2026; goaltender Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko (Sarnia Sting), a fifth-round pick of the Utah Mammoth in 2025; forward Vilho Vanhatalo (Ottawa 67's), a sixth-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2026; and forward Luka Arkko (Erie Otters), a sixth-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2026.
The class also points firmly to the future. Of the 32 players selected, 15 are eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft and five are 2028 NHL Draft prospects. That group includes three 2010-born players - Matyas Michalek (first overall, Oshawa Generals), Gordei Khotkov (16th overall, Saginaw Spirit) and Roman Andreyev (55th overall, Kitchener Rangers) - along with late-2009-born selections Jiri Gombar (74th overall, Kitchener) and Maxim Shirochenkov (171st overall, Barrie Colts).
Michalek's selection opened the draft, as Oshawa held the first overall pick for the first time in franchise history. He marked the first 16-year-old selected in the annual Import Draft following a rule change enabling clubs to pick 2010-born players in the first round only.
Czechia and Russia paced all nations with eight selections apiece, followed by Finland with five.
The Barrie Colts, Brantford Bulldogs and Kitchener Rangers each made three selections, the most by any OHL club. All three of Brantford's picks came within the top 62.
Two of the 32 selections came from other CHL clubs: Flint added Latvian forward Martins Klaucans from the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the QMJHL, while Brampton selected Stepan Kuryachenkov from the WHL's Swift Current Broncos.
Held annually since 1992, the CHL Import Draft allows Canadian Hockey League clubs to select players from outside Canada and the United States. For the second straight year, the draft consisted of three rounds, reflecting the three import roster spots permitted per club.
OHL Selections - 2026 CHL Import Draft
Rd. Ov. Team Player Pos. 25-26 Team NHL
1 1 OSH Matyas Michalek LD Sparta Praha Jr. B 2028
1 4 GUE Timothy Kazda RW Chicago Steel 2027
1 7 BRAM Oskari Ahmajarvi G Kiekko-Espoo U20 2027
1 10 SAR Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko G Ufa Tolpar UTA
1 13 BFD Adam Nemec LW Liberec Bili Tygri Jr. 2027
1 16 SAG Gordei Khotkov LD CSKA Moscow 06 2028
1 19 ER Paul Schuster C Red Bull Akademie Juniors 2027
1 22 OS Roderik Cernak RD Slovan Bratislava Jr. 2027
1 25 NIAG Stepan Stejskal F Davos HC. Jr. 2027
1 28 FLNT Martins Klaucans C Sherbrooke Phoenix 2027
1 31 SAG Dmitri Savin F CSKA U18 Moscow 2027
1 34 SOO David Vermirovsky G Dynamo Pardubice Jr. 2027
1 37 PBO Patrik Polacek F Sparta Praha Jr. B 2027
1 40 LDN Luca Santala RW Kiekko-Espoo U20 2027
1 43 FLNT Tomas Selic RW Brno Kometa Jr. B 2027
1 46 WSR Bogdan Yakushevsky RW CSKA U18 Moscow 2027
1 49 BAR Matvei Nikonovich G Togliatti Ladia PIT
1 52 OTT Vilho Vanhatalo RW Tappara Tampere U20 FLA
1 55 KIT Roman Andreyev F Dynamo Moscow U18 2028
1 57 BFD Max Calce C Adler Mannheim 2027
2 62 BFD Vilmer Salen Forsberg G Sodertalje SK J18E 2027
2 65 ER Luka Arkko LW Pelicans Lahti U20 DET
2 68 BRAM Stepan Kuryachenkov C Swift Current Broncos 2027
2 71 SAR Jonas Frostestad Gulbrandsen C Stavanger Oilers 2027
2 74 KIT Jiri Gombar LD Karlovy Vary Jr. B 2028
2 83 OS Mikhail Melikov LW MHC Dynamo Moscow Jr. 2027
2 86 NIAG Tobias Kramer RD Jungadler Mannheim Jr. 2027
2 95 SOO Melichar Kovar RW Pardubice Jr. B 2027
2 101 LDN Juho Piiparinen RD Tappara Tampere VGK
2 110 BAR Elias Matousek RW Karlovy Vary Jr. B 2027
2 116 KIT Benjamin Nystrom C Lulea HF J18E 2027
3 171 BAR Maxim Shirochenkov F Dynamo Moscow U17 2028
Ontario Hockey League Stories from June 30, 2026
- Bulldogs Select Nemec, Calce & Salen Forseberg in Import Draft - Brantford Bulldogs
- Rangers Make Three Selections in 2026 CHL Import Draft - Kitchener Rangers
- 114 Players Selected During the 2026 CHL Import Draft - OHL
- IceDogs Take Two at 2026 CHL Import Draft - Niagara IceDogs
- Attack Add Size, Skill and International Experience in 2026 CHL Import Draft - Owen Sound Attack
- OHL Clubs Select 32 Players in 2026 CHL Import Draft - OHL
- Sting Draft Two European Players During 2026 Import Draft - Sarnia Sting
- Steelheads Select a Goalie and Forward in 2026 CHL Import Draft - Brampton Steelheads
- Future Generals Kids Camp Set - Oshawa Generals
- 67's Select Finnish Forward Vanhatalo in the 2026 CHL Import Draft - Ottawa 67's
- Rogowski Invited to Team USA World Junior Summer Showcase - Oshawa Generals
- Firebirds Select Martins Klaucans and Tomas Selic at CHL Import Draft - Flint Firebirds
- Spitfires Select Russian Forward Bogdan Yakushevsky in 2026 CHL Import Draft - Windsor Spitfires
- Erie Otters Select Forward Luka Arkko #65 Overall in 2026 CHL Import Draft - Erie Otters
- Petes Select Czech Forward Patrik Polacek 37th Overall in the 2026 CHL Import Draft - Peterborough Petes
- Spirit Select Defenseman Gordei Khotkov, Forward Dmitri Savin in 2026 CHL Import Draft - Saginaw Spirit
- Erie Otters Select Forward Paul Schuster #19 Overall in 2026 CHL Import Draft - Erie Otters
- Oshawa Generals Select Matyas Michalek - Oshawa Generals
- Frontenacs Passing on 2026 CHL Import Draft - Kingston Frontenacs
- Frontenacs Set for 2026 CHL Import Draft - Kingston Frontenacs
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