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OHL Kitchener Rangers

Rangers Select Two European Skaters in CHL Import Draft Wednesday

July 5, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kitchener, Ont. - The Kitchener Rangers announced today that the club has selected forward Tomáš Pobežal and defenceman Aron Kiviharju in the 2023 CHL Import Draft.

The Rangers selected Pobežal with their first-round, 25th overall, selection. A five-foot-10, 172-pound left-shot forward, Pobežal is a native of Puchov, Slovakia, and spent last season playing two years up for HK Nitra in the Slovakia Under-18 League and the Slovakia National team.

As an underager, Pobežal recorded 36 points (15G, 21A), including a plus-five rating, across 33 games in Slovakia during the 2022-23 campaign. A year ago, he recorded an impressive 44 points (30G, 14A), including a plus-26 rating, in just 24 games with MSK Puchov. On the international level, he played in seven games at the 2023 Under-18 World Championship and five games with the Slovakian under-18 National Team.

"Tomas is a very skilled and talented player and we were excited to select him," said Kitchener Rangers General Manager Mike McKenzie. "We understand there is an option for Tomas to start the season and train with his pro club, so we may have to be a bit patient but with how young and talented he is, we felt it was worth it and he would fit in well with the rest of our younger players and as we look to continue to add young talent to our lineup. We would like to welcome Tomas to the Rangers organization."

Kitchener then selected Kiviharju in the second round (85th overall). The defenceman is considered one of the most promising players in his age group, and a projected first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft. Kiviharju played in Liiga (Finnish Elite League), the top professional ice hockey league in Finland, for HC TPS (Turun Palloseura) in Turku, Finland last season. After making his Liiga professional debut at only 16, Kiviharju played in 21 professional games with their primary club. He also spent time with TPS's under-20 team, where he tallied 20 points (2G, 18A) in 22 games. During international play, played a key role in leading Finland to a Bronze Medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, earning six points (1G, 5A) in five games and also helped Finland earn bronze at the 2022 Under-18 World Championship.

"Aron is an elite player and top prospect for the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft and were excited to add him to our list, even though the chance of him playing junior hockey in North America is low," added McKenzie. "Having two NHL-signed import players allowed us to make two selections today so we decided to use that flexibility to pick a player to put on our list while still being committed and excited to have Tomas Hamara back with us this season."

Notable players selected in the CHL Import Draft that have played for the Rangers are 2022 Stanley Cup Champion Gabriel Landeskog, Radek Faksa, Tomas Hamara, Petr Kanko, Jakub Kindl, Filip Mesar, Tobias Rieder, and Boris Valábik.

Check out the Kitchener Rangers Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from July 5, 2023


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