Latest news with #ImportDraft
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brampton Steelheads Sign Matej Stankoven, A Distant Relative To Carolina Hurricanes Star Forward
On Wednesday, the Brampton Steelheads organization announced the signing of their first-round pick from the 2025 CHL Import Draft. Slovak forward Matej Stankoven has signed an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
North Bay Battalion Sign Second-Round Belarusian Forward; Import Roster Finalized
The North Bay Battalion has taken care of their import roster for the 2025-26 season after signing their second-round selection from the 2025 CHL Import Draft.
New York Post
04-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
What Matt Martin's expectations are for new role in Islanders front office
Matt Martin always had interest in moving to a front-office role during his playing career. So when the Islanders offered him a role as special assistant to GM Mathieu Darche, it was a pretty easy call. Advertisement 'For now, it's just about I really do want to learn the ins and outs of everything,' Martin said. 'I think Darchy said I'm gonna have the ability to do a lot of different things. Spend some time with the scouts this week, at the draft. Pretty cool to see all the behind-the-scenes things that as a player you don't focus on or think about. That's a totally different perspective.' Martin has only been in the job a week but expects to play a role in every part of the Islanders' operations. That could include everything from the AHL club in Bridgeport to player development to evaluation and beyond. Matt Martin looks on during Islanders practice on June 30, 2025. Getty Images Advertisement In a perfect world, he'd like to build a long front-office career to go with the one he just finished as a player. 'Spent, obviously, a lot of time with Lou [Lamoriello], learned a lot from him. The first week or so with Darche, learned a lot from him too,' Martin said. 'I think the Islanders organization is in great hands with him. Pretty innovative guy, has a lot of ideas. Excited to learn from him and work with him.' Speaking publicly for the first time since announcing his retirement as a player, Martin didn't have much to say as far as reflecting on his career. Advertisement Matt Martin recently retired from his playing career. AP His emotions ahead of what ended up being his final home game said more than he could, anyway. For now, he's more interested in looking forward than back. '[Darche] said it to me 100 times that he wants to be challenged, wants to hear thoughts and ideas. It's been a great relationship so far,' Martin said. 'I've really enjoyed spending time with him. Look forward to learning a lot more from him, just like I did from Lou.' Advertisement Fourth-round pick Tomas Poletin told The Post he plans to play next season with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets after being taken first in the CHL Import Draft on Wednesday. Second-rounder Daniil Prokhorov was also selected by the OHL's Sarnia Sting. 'I think it'd be perfect for him playing in the OHL,' Bridgeport coach Rocky Thompson said of the 6-foot-6 Russian. Bridgeport announced the hires of David Cunniff and Chad Kolarik as assistant coaches.
CTV News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Brantford Bulldogs pick up 7'0' player in import draft
The Brantford Bulldogs are making big moves by adding a player they call 'the largest hockey player on the planet.' The Ontario Hockey League team has chosen Alexander Karmanov as the 172 overall pick in the 2025 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. The 17-year-old defenceman from Moldova is 7'0' and weighs 273 lbs. According to Elite Prospects, at least two other hockey players have measured up, standing at 7'0' or more, however in a 2024 video they noted he was 'the tallest active player on the planet.' Last summer, he committed to playing at Penn State in 2027.
Vancouver Sun
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets add Islanders prospect with No. 1 pick in CHL Import Draft
Bruce Hamilton's heavy lifting to build the Kelowna Rockets into a Memorial Cup contender continues. The Rockets are hosting the four-team national championship tournament next May. Hamilton, who is Kelowna's general manager, has been putting the pieces together for that run since last season's WHL trade deadline. His latest additions came Wednesday, when the Rockets selected Czech winger Tomas Poletin with the No. 1 pick in the CHL Import Draft, and then took his countryman and fellow winger Daniel Pekar at No. 7. 'I think we're moving in the right direction. I don't foresee a bunch of changes here over the next little bit, unless something falls into our lap,' Hamilton said. 'I think we're close now.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Rockets made a trade last week to land the Poletin pick , sending the Moose Jaw Warriors the No. 71 Import selection, a 2026 WHL Draft first-round choice, and a 2027 WHL third-rounder in exchange for the top spot. Poletin, 18, is a 6-foot-1, 206-pound left-handed shot who was selected Saturday in the fourth round of the NHL Draft by the New York Islanders. Hamilton wanted 'another bigger forward capable of playing in our top-six.' According to Elite Prospects, Poletin is 'rugged, attacks in straight lines and pushes an extreme effort level across all shifts.' He played in the Finnish junior league last year, and was the captain of the Czechia team at the Under-18 worlds, where he put up two goals in five games. He also had three goals and four points in five games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Poletin had 13 goals and 20 points in 25 games with the Pelicans of the Finnish junior league. Pekar, 19, is a 5-foot-11, 176-pound left-hand shot who played in the Czechia junior league with Bílí Tygři Liberec, and totalled 23 goals and 49 points in 45 games. Kelowna was a dismal 18-44-4-2 last season. They were stung in late December when star forward Tij Iginla, 18, was shelved for the season with a hip injury. He is expected back with Kelowna this season . Hamilton started his remake at the January trade deadline, and that included a deal with the Spokane Chiefs for winger Andrew Cristall that brought back centre Hayden Paupanekis and five WHL Draft selections, and a swap with the Lethbridge Hurricanes for defenceman Caden Price that acquired defenceman Will Sharpe, the rights to goalie Harrison Boettiger, and another five draft picks. The Rockets announced last week that they had signed Boettiger, 17, who played last season with the U.S. National Team Development Program. Paupanekis, 18, was a third-round pick Saturday of the Montreal Canadiens. Sharpe, 18, was a seventh-round choice of the Los Angeles Kings. They are among 10 Rockets who are at NHL development camps this week. That list includes defenceman Mazden Leslie, 20, who the Rockets acquired this summer from the Vancouver Giants for two conditional draft picks, including a 2028 first-rounder . Leslie was the WHL's second-leading scorer among blueliners last season, with 72 points, including 21 goals. He announced last season that he was going to suit up for the Bowling Green State University Falcons this fall if he didn't land a job in pro hockey, rather than coming back to the Giants. Leslie is at Vegas Golden Knights development camp this week, and he was a free-agent invite to their training camp last season, so there is history there. Assuming he doesn't stick with Vegas, Leslie could pivot and join Kelowna for their Memorial Cup run. There is always the chance, too, that he signs a deal with Vegas and they reassign him back to junior, knowing that he would have an extended playoff run with Kelowna. Vegas does have strong WHL ties thanks to general manager Kelly McCrimmon's time running the Brandon Wheat Kings. 'Hopefully, he's going to come to us,' Hamilton said of Leslie. Vancouver, who have also lost defender Colton Roberts, 19, to the NCAA ranks and Colorado College this off-season, filled some of those missing ice time minutes Wednesday when they nabbed Czech defenceman Jan Skok with the No. 61 choice. Skok, who turns 19 in October, is a 6-foot, 192-pound left-shot rearguard who Vancouver general manager Hnat Domenichelli described as a 'defensive-minded, first-over-the-board for the penalty kill' type of player. He played 28 games in the Czech pro league last season with Plzeň and had one goal. 'He's a veteran guy who can step in and play big minutes for us,' Domenichelli added. CHL teams will be permitted to have three Europeans on their game-day rosters this season, up from two. Vancouver's trio will include Czech winger Adam Titlbach, who is coming back for a third season with the Langley Events Centre crew, and Slovak winger Tobias Tomik, who was picked last year by Vancouver but opted to stay and play pro in his homeland. Tomik, who turns 18 in December, had six goals and eight points in 40 games with Trencin Dukla, a team that featured a 43-year-old Tomas Starosta. Titlbach, 19, went from nine goals in his first year with Vancouver to 27 last season. He has played internationally alongside Skok. As well on Wednesday, the expansion Penticton Vees made three choices that included nabbing Danish forward Tristan Petersen, 18, with a third-round selection (No. 123 overall). He finished this season playing for Penticton in their final campaign in the BCHL, and the 6-foot-4, 192-pound left shot totalled four goals and nine points in 17 games. Vees GM and coach Fred Harbinson has five players from this past season slated to join him and other team brass making that jump next fall. 'It's so that it's not just the coaching staff that's trying to explain our culture and our daily habits and traditions. A couple of years ago, we only had two returning players and it was very challenging at the beginning of the year,' Harbinson explained. sewen@
