The Canadian Hockey League will make Russian and Belarusian player ineligible ahead of their 2022 Import Draft in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The 2022 CHL Import Draft will be held on July 1.
Players that are currently on CHL teams’ protected lists will not be affected by the decision.
In 2021, 16 Russian and 11 Belarusian players were selected in the CHL’s Import Draft, out of 120. That was an increase from 2020, when 15 Russians and eight Belarusians were taken, and 2019 when it was 14 and four, respectively.
The CHL had previously cancelled the 2022 Canada Russia series back on March 2.
“The Canadian Hockey League strongly condemns the recent actions by Russia involving military force in Ukraine and encourages a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” the league said in a statement at the time.
