Report: Russians, Belarusians to be allowed back in CHL Import Draft

According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, the Canadian Hockey League is expected to once again allow Russian and Belarusian hockey players to be selected in the import draft.

The CHL had originally banned players from being selected back in April of 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Belarus acting in support. Players who were already drafted or on protected lists before the ban were still allowed to compete, but no new players were eligible to be selected. A total of 16 Russians and 11 Belarusians were selected in the 2021 import draft.

Teams can only have a maximum of two import players on their roster, and must have a roster spot open for a selection to be made. Many teams just draft once out of the two slots allocated to them each year. According to Elite Prospects, 419 Russian players and 80 from Belarus have been selected in the Import Draft since 1992. The North Bay Battalion selected Russian Matvei Petrov with the first pick in 2020

The Import Draft allows European players the chance to potentially earn more ice time, or, in some cases, have their rights retained to come over in the future after spending time stateside, either at the pro or junior level. With an increased number of scouts in North America, the return of Russian and Belarusian players could allow for extra exposure, especially as many NHL teams have altered their number of scouts there since the start of the war.

Both countries, meanwhile, remained banned from IIHF competition heading into the 2024-25 season. Of note, Belarus will not be able to participate in the final Olympic qualification tournament set for Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, 2024, preventing them from entering the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Russia’s status for the next Olympic Games is still unclear.