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WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

Oil Kings Pick 2 in Import Draft

June 30, 2015 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


EDMONTON, ALTA. - The Edmonton Oil Kings added a defenceman and forward in the CHL Import Draft Tuesday, selecting Russian defenceman Anatolii Elizarov and Swiss forward Dario Meyer.

Elizarov (also spelled Anatoly or Anatoli Yelizarov) is a 6-1, 183-pound defenceman born in Shemonaika, Kazakhstan who played 21 games last season for Dynamo St. Petersburg in the Russian MHL junior league. The 17-year-old put up three points and a plus-3 rating over that span. In 14 games at the Russian under-17 level, Elizarov had five points and 28 penalty minutes.

"He played 21 games in the Russian junior league, so he got a fair amount of experience for a younger player at that level, and he's a player we're looking at coming over and transitioning into our roster," said Oil Kings general manager Randy Hansch said. "He had a growth spurt in the last two years, and his ability to make a good first pass appealed to us."

Elizarov will be eligible for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Meyer, 18, is a 1996-born forward from Switzerland, making him the first Swiss Oil King. The 6-0, 185-pounder had 16 points in 25 games for Bern in the Swiss Elite Jr. A league, and played four games for EHC Visp of the Swiss National League B. Meyer has previously represented Switzerland at the 2013-14 Hlinka Memorial Tournament among other levels, and has been invited to the Swiss development camp this summer for this year's World Junior Championships.

"With Dario, he's a player that's grown up in the Swiss program, so he's got some international experience, which we hope will help with the transition," Hansch said. "He brings good energy to his game and is a good skater with the ability to play a two-way game."

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