The Sarnia Sting are adding some more international flavour to the team, having made a pair of picks in Tuesday's Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft.
They selected Russian goalie Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko 10th overall.
The 19-year-old was chosen by Utah in the 5th round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The 6' 3'', 185-pound left-catching goaltender most recently suited up for Ufa Tolpar in the MHL, where he posted a 2.80 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in 27 games.
Sting General Manager Dylan Seca said they've spent a lot of time scouting Tkach-Tkachenko.
“He was a target of ours, and we’ve really put in the work to get a strong feel for both the person and the quality of goaltender he is," said Seca. "He’s currently at Utah’s development camp after being their 2025 fifth-round pick, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to bring him into our program. As we head into the 2026-27 season, he’s a player we expect to lean on heavily."
Elite Prospects' 2025 NHL Draft Guide described the Russian netminder as having "good size and plays extremely aggressively, getting out on top of his crease quickly to challenge shooters. He makes his 6-foot-3 frame even larger in the process, and almost dares shooters to aim high glove, which he can quickly take away on most sequences."
Sarnia took Jonas Frostestad Gulbrandsen from Norway in the second round.
The 2008-born centerman stands 6' 5'' and weighs 229 pounds.
He most recently played for the Stavanger Oilers U20, where he recorded 18 goals and nine assists for 27 points in 18 games during the 2025-26 season.
“Frostestad Gulbrandsen is a player who really stood out to us when we saw him play over in Slovakia,” said Seca. “He’s a big, powerful forward who moves extremely well for his size. Being a late birth year, we really like the trajectory and see potential NHL upside as we look ahead to the 2027 NHL Draft. He also brings a size and physical element that we’re continuing to build around heading into the 2026-27 season.”
The Sting decided to pass on their third round pick.
Their third import player is Simon Katolicky, from Czechia, who was signed in late May and was also picked by Calgary in the 2026 NHL Draft.
He spent the 2025-26 season with Tappara U20 in Finland, recording six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in 29 games.
