Royals go searching for talented import

The Victoria Royals will have a hole to fill with the 38th overall pick today in the Canadian Hockey League import draft.

Forward Igor Martynov, who represented Belarus in the 2018 world junior championship in Buffalo, is returning to the Royals. But forward Andrei Grishakov, also eligible to return, has signed a pro contract in his native Russia.

Each of the 60 CHL teams in the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League are allowed two imports.

“We are looking at several different countries with players we are interested in, and will probably draft a younger 2000or 2001-born player,” said Royals GM Cam Hope.

Europeans have proven elite in the CHL. Four of them were selected last week in the first round of the 2018 NHL draft with forward Andrei Svechnikov of Russia going second overall out of the Barrie Colts to the Carolina Hurricanes, Czech forward Filip Zadina of the Halifax Mooseheads sixth overall to the Detroit Red Wings, Swedish defenceman Rasmus Sandin of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 29th overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Russian defenceman Alexander Alexeyev of the Red Deer Rebels 31st overall to the Washington Capitals.

Twelve Europeans who played in the CHL were selected in total in the 2018 NHL draft.

The draft order today is in three-team pods, starting with the last-place finishers in each of the three major-junior leagues picking one through three based on record, with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs getting the first overall pick, the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings the second overall and the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves the third. That rotation continues, based on the inverse order of placings in the 2017-18 standings.

Import goaltenders, ineligible since 2013, will now again be eligible for selection.