The middle of July is undoubtedly the prime time for OHL teams to secure their import players through the CHL Import Draft. We've witnessed a significant surge in import signings over the past week, and the Niagara IceDogs have put pen to paper with two of their 2025 import draft picks.
On Wednesday, both Ben Reisnecker and Vladislav Yermolenko signed their OHL Scholarships and Development Agreement with the IceDogs.
Niagara has now signed four new players in the last six days, including 2007-born defenseman Sebastian Dell’Elce ─ his rights previously acquired in a trade with the Soo Greyhounds ─ and their tenth overall pick in the 2025 OHL Draft, Ryerson Edgar.
Regarding their two new import players, Reisnecker was the big fish they caught, drafting him in the first round (26th overall) in the 2025 CHL Import Draft. He’ll bring size to Niagara’s blueline, standing tall at 6-foot-3 and 192 pounds. He’s also a right-shot, making him even more valuable.
Honza Zoufal, Central European Scout for EliteProspects, had this to say when describing Reisnecker’s game:
“He’s a mix between a two-way and defensive defenceman with solid mobility for his size. He plays an aggressive game in the defensive zone, where he uses his body and long reach effectively. He has no trouble starting the breakout and isn’t afraid to join the rush. In the offensive zone, he’s shown flashes, but it’s not his biggest strength. He was occasionally part of the power play in Sparta as well.”
Reisnecker split last season between the Czechia U17 and Czechia U20 leagues for HC Sparta Praha, playing the majority in the U20 division. He played 34 games in U20, recording three goals and eight points. At the U17 division, his offense flourished, scoring at a point-per-game with 18 points in 17 games.
The Plzen, Czechia native represented his country as an assistant captain at the U17 World Hockey Challenge last November, playing alongside Ondrej Ruml, who just signed with the Ottawa 67’s. Both may be teammates again for the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament.
In the second round of the recent CHL Import Draft, the IceDogs used their 87th overall selection to draft Belarusian goaltender Vladislav Yermolenko.
There was no disputing that a significant reason why Niagara started to lose the majority of their games late in the season was due to the injury suffered by their starting netminder, Owen Flores.
Flores has aged out of the league ─ and signed an AHL deal with the Rockford IceHogs ─ and the IceDogs need to solidify their crease.
There may not be a bigger “Crease Battle” in the OHL ─ Oshawa is a close second ─ than what we will see at Niagara’s training camp. As of right now, it’s hard to pick a frontrunner for the crease between Charlie Robertson, Finn Moffett, Matthew Humphries, Hayden Jeffery, and now Yermolenko.
Yermolenko is listed at 6-foot-1 and 176 pounds via EliteProspects. He recorded a 2.32 goals-against-average and a .919 save percentage in 30 games with Team Belarus U18 last season. He has a late December 2007 birthday, making him eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
(Top photo credit: Vladislav Yermolenko - Belarus Hockey Federation, Ben Reisnecker - Ronald Hansel, Junior Hockey)
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