Agent: CHL to announce Russians won’t be eligible for import draft
The Canadian Hockey League will announce Wednesday that it will be banning 16- and 17-year-old Russian and Belarusian players from the league’s upcoming import draft, according to agent Dan Milstein.
At 3pm EST the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CHL) will announce that Russian and Belorussian 16 & 17 year old children would be banned from the upcoming draft. I am Ukrainian born and want peace. I do not believe banning teenagers for something they do not control is the answer
— Dan Milstein-Hockey (@HockeyAgent1) March 2, 2022
The ban has been put in place due to the Russians’ inhumane invasion of Ukraine for the past week, following suit with various other sporting leagues. The Belarusian players are also being banned due to their nation’s support of Russia during the invasion.
Since the introduction of the import draft in 1992, 421 Russian players have been selected, second only to the Czech Republic, with 89 of those players moving on to the NHL. Belarus has had 79 players selected, with six moving on to the NHL.
This is the first ban the CHL has placed on the import draft since it barred European goaltenders from 2014 to 2017 as a way to help better develop Canadian goaltenders.
Along with the CHL, hockey has seen the IIHF suspend the Russian and Belarusian teams from competing in all future events until further notice, as well as withdrawing the 2023 World Junior Championship from Russia. Other sports have also been icing out the two countries, including the International Olympic Committee, WTA and ATP in the tennis world, and even Formula 1 has stated it won’t be racing in Russia or allowing Russian drivers to race under its flag.