Pathways In
The CHL Import Draft
How European players join the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL. One draft, three imports allowed per team since 2025, and a process unlike any other in junior hockey.
Each summer the CHL holds a single Import Draft to allocate European and other non-North-American players across all three leagues. It is the only draft event the three leagues run together.
How it works
- Held in late June or early July.
- Three rounds (expanded from two for the 2025 draft).
- Teams may carry a maximum of three imports on their active roster at any time (up from two as of 2025).
- Selection order is based on standings, alternating between leagues, with non-playoff teams picking earlier.
- Import status is determined by the parents' full-time residence outside Canada and the U.S., not by the player's passport. Goaltenders are eligible.
Why this matters for scouting
Even with the move to three imports, teams choose carefully. A late-round import who turns into a first-line forward (or a starting goalie) can transform a CHL season. Many of the most memorable Memorial Cup runs have featured an import who was almost unknown on draft day.
Some drafted players never report. European clubs, families, or other commitments can keep a prospect home. That is one reason teams sometimes use a pick on a player they know will not come, but whose rights they want to hold.