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OHL Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Land Two NHL Second-Rounders in 2024 CHL Import Draft

July 3, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw, Mich. - The Saginaw Spirit added forwards Igor Chernyshov (SHUR-ni-SHAW-V) and Lucas Pettersson (PET-ur-sun) to their roster by way of the CHL Import Draft on Wednesday afternoon. The pair of forwards were just selected two slots apart (33rd and 35th) at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas.

"To be able to add Chernyshov, an impact player, today in the Import Draft is very exciting for our organization," said Spirit GM Dave Drinkill. "Igor is a highly touted player in this year's NHL Draft. His ability to control games and generate plays for himself and teammates is impressive and we believe he will make an immediate impact in the OHL this season."

Left winger Igor Chernyshov (LW, 6'3", 205lbs) comes to the Spirit from Dynamo Moscow in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was just selected by the San Jose Sharks with the opening pick of the second round (33rd overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft.

The Penza, Russia native spent 34 games in Russia's elite professional league in 2023-2024. He scored three goals and added an assist in that time, and appeared in 10 postseason games during Moscow's pursuit of the Gagarin Cup.

In the Minor Hockey League (MHL), the Russian equivalent to the CHL, Chernyshov posted 28 points (13G, 15A) in 22 games. Between Dynamo Moscow's professional and Junior squads, the right-shot winger saw 66 games of action this past season.

Chernyshov has represented Russia internationally at both the U18 and U17 levels. He made his KHL appearance last season with Dynamo Moscow, appearing in five games and scoring once. Going into the 2024 NHL Draft, Chernyshov was the #9 ranked European skater according to NHL Central Scouting.

Lucas Pettersson (6'0", 174lbs) is a speedy left-shot center that the Anaheim Ducks took early in the second round of this year's NHL Draft. From Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, Pettersson spent his 2023-2024 season with MoDo Jr. in the Swedish Junior League. He scored 57 points (27G, 30A) in 44 games to lead MoDo in scoring and sit third in the league's goal-scoring race.

"Lucas is a player that we have targeted for a few years now going back the U17 tournament," said Drinkill. "This is an intriguing player for us to select today with our second pick, as we feel Saginaw is an ideal place for Lucas to continue to develop and play in all situations as he continues to grow his game. We have loved Pettersson's game for a long time and believe his game play style would fit perfectly into our system."

Pettersson made his pro debut in the Swedish professional league (SHL) this season, appearing in five games for the MoDo pros. Between the U18 World Championship and other international tournaments, Pettersson represented Sweden in 34 games this past season, recording 15 goals and 29 assists for 44 points. He wore an "A" for the Swedish at the 2024 U18 World Championship, helping Sweden to a bronze medal with eight points (3G, 5A) in seven games.

The arrival of Chernyshov and Pettersson comes on the heels of Saginaw selecting Valentin Zhugin in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. Other notable Spirit Import Draft selections are Matyas Sapovaliv (2021) and Pavel Mintyukov (2020). Rodwin Dionicio (2021) was selected by Niagara in the CHL Import Draft before making his way to Saginaw.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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