The Sarnia Sting made two picks in Wednesday's Canadian Hockey League (CHL) import draft.
Czech forward Simon Katolicky was taken with the 11th overall choice. The 16 year old is eligible for the 2026 NHL draft, and is a projected first round pick.
This season, he had 24 goals and 28 assists in 30 games with the Tappara U18 team in Finland. He also represented Czechia at multiple international events throughout the year, including the World U17 Hockey Challenge, U18 World Junior Championship, and various international junior tournaments.
Sting General Manager Dylan Seca commented on the pick.
“Simon is a player we first noticed at the U17 World Hockey Challenge right here in Sarnia back in November,” said Seca. “He’s an elite talent with exceptional skill. We believe he’ll be a high NHL Draft pick in the upcoming year. There’s still some work to be done before he arrives in Sarnia, but we’re confident in the potential fit and are excited about what he could bring to our group.”
The Sting also took big Russian forward Daniil Prokhorov in the 2nd round.
He was taken 42nd overall by the NY Islanders in the 2025 NHL draft.
Prokhorov stands at 6'6'' and 219 pounds. He put up 20 goals and seven assists in 43 games this past season with MHC St. Petersburg.
Seca said Prokhorov is an exciting prospect.
“Daniil is an absolute beast of a player—he plays a heavy game with skill and pace,” he said. “He was just selected 42nd overall by the New York Islanders this past weekend, which speaks to the kind of upside he has. We believe there’s a real chance he comes to the CHL. There’s some work ahead of us to bring him here, but we’re thrilled to have secured his rights and look forward to exploring that opportunity.”
CHL teams are now allowed to have three import players, up from two in previous years.
That means Ruslan Karimov will be coming back for another season in the black and yellow.