-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 [https://chl.ca/ohl-icedogs/] have put pen to paper with two of their 2025 import draft picks. On Wednesday, both Ben Reisnecker [https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/917829/ben-reisnecker] and Vladislav Yermolenko [https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/995643/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 [https://chl.ca/ohl-icedogs/article/icedogs-acquire-sebastian-dellelce-from-soo-greyhounds/] ─ and their tenth overall pick in the 2025 OHL Draft, Ryerson Edgar. [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/niagara-icedogs-sign-exciting-talented-top-10-pick-ryerson-edgar] Niagara IceDogs Sign Exciting & Talented Top-10 Pick Ryerson Edgar [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/61596955-dd98-4fb8-8ba6-1d6b1d95010e.webp] Niagara IceDogs Sign Exciting & Talented Top-10 Pick Ryerson Edgar The <a href="https://chl.ca/ohl-icedogs/">Niagara IceDogs</a> are loaded with high-end talent at the forward position, and they just announced another significant commitment to their lineup for the 2025-26 season. [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/niagara-icedogs-sign-exciting-talented-top-10-pick-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 [https://x.com/HZoufal], 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.” Ottawa 67's Sign Both 2025 CHL Import Draft Picks Ondrej Ruml & Jasper Kuhta [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/1772b147-17f6-4801-a5ec-e11b1b7adbe8.webp] Ottawa 67's Sign Both 2025 CHL Import Draft Picks Ondrej Ruml & Jasper Kuhta OHL teams have been taking advantage of the <a href="https://chl.ca/whl-rebels/article/changes-announced-for-2025-chl-import-draft/">new rule change</a>, which allows them to carry three import players on their rosters instead of two. <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/oshawa-generals-crease-battle-next-season-adds-a-third-member-russian-import-goaltender-signs-with-team">Oshawa</a> and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/saginaw-spirit-sign-new-no-1-goalie-from-russia">Saginaw</a> have each acquired a Russian goalie for next season, selected from the 2025 CHL Import Draft. [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/ottawa-67-s-sign-both-2025-chl-import-draft-picks-ondrej-ruml-jasper-kuhta] 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 [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/ottawa-67-s-sign-both-2025-chl-import-draft-picks-ondrej-ruml-jasper-kuhta], who just signed with the Ottawa 67’s [https://chl.ca/ohl-67s/]. Both may be teammates again for the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament. Dale Hunter Named Canada World Juniors Head Coach [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/743a74ca-ef2b-43f3-8e42-ce619eb16618.webp] Dale Hunter Named Canada World Juniors Head Coach After two consecutive disappointing fifth-place finishes at the World Junior Championships, where they lost to Czechia in the quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025, Hockey Canada needs to regain its dominance at the junior stage. [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/dale-hunter-named-canada-world-juniors-head-coach] 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 [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl/latest-news/rockford-icehogs-sign-owen-flores-to-one-year-deal] ─ and the IceDogs need to solidify their crease. There may not be a bigger “Crease Battle” in the OHL ─ Oshawa is a close second [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/oshawa-generals-crease-battle-next-season-adds-a-third-member-russian-import-goaltender-signs-with-team] ─ 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) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Make sure you bookmark THN's OHL site [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. Latest OHL News: Oshawa Generals' "Crease Battle" Next Season Adds A Third Member; Russian Import Goaltender Signs With Team [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/edd40c62-53fb-4271-a88a-bebc993592c5.webp] Oshawa Generals' "Crease Battle" Next Season Adds A Third Member; Russian Import Goaltender Signs With Team The <a href="https://chl.ca/ohl-generals/">Oshawa Generals</a> haven’t had to worry about not knowing who their guy was in the crease when they needed a big win. A significant reason why the organization has advanced to consecutive OHL Finals is due to the goaltender they have had in the net, <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/535873/jacob-oster">Jacob Oster</a>. [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/oshawa-generals-crease-battle-next-season-adds-a-third-member-russian-import-goaltender-signs-with-team] No NCAA for Aleksei Medvedev: A Sigh of Relief for The London Knights & Their Fans [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3b3c290e-fd4e-47bd-8b44-078641c1e654.webp] No NCAA for Aleksei Medvedev: A Sigh of Relief for The London Knights & Their Fans <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/970366/alexei-medvedev">Aleksei Medvedev</a> will not be joining the NCAA, much to the relief of <a href="https://chl.ca/ohl-knights/">London Knights</a> fans. His decision to forgo college hockey leaves the door open for him to continue his career in major junior hockey, maintaining the Knights' strong roster. [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/players/no-ncaa-for-aleksei-medvedev-a-sigh-of-relief-for-the-london-knights-their-fans] OHL Releases 2025 Pre-season Schedule; Kitchener Rangers Host Labor Day Weekend Showcase [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ce5a1e52-8611-4ae8-8011-fe255012815c.webp] OHL Releases 2025 Pre-season Schedule; Kitchener Rangers Host Labor Day Weekend Showcase We are officially less than 60 days, 53 to be exact until <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/">OHL</a> action resumes. Enjoy the summer vacations, cottage, and camping trips, hockey season will soon be back before you know it. [https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/ohl-releases-2025-pre-season-schedule-kitchener-rangers-host-labor-day-weekend-showcase]
