Order, changes announced for CHL Import Draft

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs own the sixth overall pick in this year's CHL Import Draft.

The CHL announced the draft order and a number of news rules on Wednesday. The annual event, which will include all 61 teams from across the CHL, will be held virtually on Wednesday, July 2 at noon Atlantic.

First, here are the notable changes to this year's draft:

• The CHL confirmed Wednesday what has been reported: teams will be permitted to carry up to three import players next season, an increase from the current maximum of two.
• In accordance with that change, the CHL Import Draft has increased from two rounds to three.
• From the CHL: "Under the revised rules, a club with no current import players may select up to three players, a club with one import may select two, while a club with two imports may select one. Clubs with three import players will be ineligible to participate."
• Lastly, teams can trade import picks once again, which hasn't been permitted for a number of years. Trades must be finalized two days prior to the draft.

Along with the sixth overall pick, the Sea Dogs also own the 67th and 128th overall selections. Those second- and third-round picks will likely be higher with some teams opting to pass on selections.

The WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors own the first overall pick. The OHL's Peterborough Petes are scheduled to pick second followed by the QMJHL's Victoriaville Tigres.

The Sea Dogs ended the season with no imports on their active roster. Over the holidays, the team traded captain Eriks Mateiko to the Rimouski Oceanic and reassigned Florian Schenk back home to Switzerland.

Saint John selected Schenk with the seventh overall pick in last year's draft. They did not make a second-round selection.