Top 5 Performances From Import Players During The 2023-24 WHL Season
The 2024 CHL Import Draft is scheduled for July 3, 2024.
Photo by Keith Dwiggins/WHL - Top 5 Performances From Import Players During The 2023-24 WHL SeasonImport players continue to play crucial roles across the WHL. Whether they are skaters or goaltenders, the WHL team have done a great job of identifying talent from around the World and bringing them to the CHL. With the 2024 CHL Import Draft scheduled for tomorrow, here is a look at the top five performances from the 2023-24 season by players who were selected in the Import Draft.
1) Ondřej Becher- Prince George Cougars
Ondřej Becher had a year to remember. Initially drafted by the Prince George Cougars 16th overall in 2022, Becher posted a career-high 96 points while also representing his country at the 2024 World Juniors. A third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in this year's draft, Becher is projected to return to Prince George where he will have a chance to eclipse to 100-point mark this season.
2) Yegor Sidorov- Saskatoon Blades
All Yegor Sidorov has done since arriving in the WHL is score goals. Drafted 20th overall by the Saskatoon Blades in 2021, Sidorov finished the regular season with 50 goals in 66 games while adding another 15 in 16 postseason games. Set to make the jump to the AHL next season, the Anaheim Ducks prospect will finish his WHL career with 113 goals in 177 games, which ranks 21st on the Blades' all-time scoring list.
3) Kenta Isogai- Wenatchee Wild
Kenta Isogai thrived in his first WHL season. Drafted 60th overall by the Winnipeg ICE in 2023, Isogai led the Wild in scoring with 41 goals and 88 points in 64 games. Isoagi was also dynamic in the postseason, scoring four goals and adding four assists in five games during Wenatchee's first-ever playoff appearance.
4) Gabriel Szturc- Kelowna Rockets
One of the few import captains in the league, Gabriel Szturc, ended his WHL career with a bang. The 44th overall pick by the Kelowna Rockets in 2021 finished the year with 83 points in 62 games while adding 12 points in 11 playoff games. Signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Szturc is one of three players born in Czechia to surpass the 200-point mark in their WHL careers.
5) Jan Špunar- Portland Winterhawks
Jan Špunar continues to a brick wall in the net for the Portland Winterhawks. The 52nd overall pick from 2022 was named to the U.S. Division First All-Star Team after posting a record of 25-6-2, along with two shutouts this season. If Špunar returns to the WHL for his 20-year-old season, he should once again be one of the top goaltenders in the league, which should help him sign an NHL contract next year.
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