The Saginaw Spirit recruited one of the top import players for next season
The Saginaw Spirit recruited one of the top import players for next season
The reigning Memorial Cup Champions aim to run it back next year and repeat as champs. And they just added some reinforcements.
The Saginaw Spirit announced Monday morning that they have signed San Jose Sharks prospect Igor Chernyshov to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Chernyshov, 18, was among the top-rated Russian prospects in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The Sharks selected him first on Day 2 of the draft, 33rd overall, and wasted no time getting him out of his KHL contract and signing him to an NHL ELC deal.
The Russian winger recently was selected by Saginaw, 56th overall in the 2024 CHL Import Draft, and the team has two import spots open since Matyas Sapovaliv and Rodwin Dionicio are headed over to start their pro careers in the AHL.
“Igor has the ability to make an immediate impact on our roster. We graduated a lot of players to the next level after last year’s championship run, but the caliber of our returning players plus the addition of Igor makes us very excited to get back onto the ice,” said Spirit GM Dave Drinkill
Chernyshov has a late 2005 birthday and will turn 19 in November. He brings way more experience than most other import signees and could quickly become a force in the OHL alongside 2025 NHL draft-eligible prospect, Michael Misa.
Igor over the last two seasons displayed he’s a top-of-the-line player in Russia’s junior league (MHL). 31 goals and 66 points in 60 games is a good indication of the skill he brings.
Saginaw’s new 6-foot-3, 200-pound winger spent most of last season playing for Dynamo Moskva in the KHL against men.
However, as it usually is for most young Russian players playing in the top league, he saw very limited ice time in his 34 regular season and 10 playoff games.
The level of competition in the OHL is much higher than in the MHL, giving Chernyshov the opportunity to once again be a top player, but against stronger opponents.
Saginaw might still have more to come too.
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reported via Twitter that the team may also be signing Anaheim Ducks second-rounder Lucas Pettersson.
The Spirit used their second selection in the 2024 CHL Import Draft on Pettersson, which would be a big get since the team has lost a lot of players to them graduating as Drinkill mentioned.