Oshawa Generals, Brampton Steelheads, and the Guelph Storm improve their roster via the 2024 CHL Import Draft

Three players from the 2024 CHL Import Draft over the last week have signed an OHL scholarship and development agreement contract with their new OHL home.

The Windsor Spitfires signed Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas after they were the first OHL team to select (third overall) in the import draft.

However, Protas wasn’t the first European player to sign with his OHL team after being selected in this month's CHL Import Draft. 

Finnish forward Lauri Sinivuori joined the Oshawa Generals on July 16th. He fills one of the team's two import spots, with David Svozil having been signed earlier in the month.

Sinivuori, 18, was selected by the Gens with the 51st overall pick in the recent import draft. Unfortunately, the team received news that Rasmus Kumpulainen, a prospect for the Minnesota Wild and their second-line center, will be returning to Finland to play next season. This opened the import spot for his countrymate Sinivuori. 

Sinivuori gives Oshawa some much-needed depth at the forward position. He played 34 games with HIFK’s U20 team last year, recording 10 goals and 25 points in 34 games. He also recorded one assist in five games at the IIHF Men’s U18 World Championship with Finland.

Generals GM Roger Hunt noted that his new import forward is someone who plays hard and is tough to play against. Sinivuori will wear number 42 for Oshawa.

The newly relocated Brampton Steelheads also made a signing on July 16 when they inked their 39th overall selection, Martin Vaculik.

Vaculik, 17, has a late 2006 September birthday and will be entering his first year of NHL draft eligibility. He represented Czechia at the IIHF Men’s U18 World Championship but was held without a point in five games.

Martin played for Berani Zlin in Czechia’s U20 league where he finished fourth on his team in scoring with 19 goals and 48 points in 54 games.

The Steelheads Head Coach and GM James Richmond credited the organization’s European Scout Brian Inachak for this pickup. “He plays a fast and hard 200-foot game which will fit nicely into our lineup. Players I’ve spoken with have said he’s very hard to play against,” said Richmond.

Last but not least, the Guelph Storm signed Russian defenseman, Daniil Skvortsov, after drafting him 27th overall in this month’s import draft.

The Storm will be without their top-pairing defenseman Michael Buchinger next season as he turns pro. Skvortsov isn't expected to fully replace Buchinger, but the left-shot blueliner will help fill the void.

Skvortsov is a towering defenseman listed at 6-foot-4 and around 200 pounds. He played the majority of last year in Russia’s top junior league (MHL) with the Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, recording one assist in 23 games. 

Krasnaya is regarded as one of the better Russian Junior organizations and getting regular minutes for the team as an underage player is impressive.

Guelph’s GM George Burnett had this to say on his new defenseman, “He’s a left-shot defenseman who brings a combination of great size, puck-moving ability, and compete.”

Related