The Sarnia Sting have added a couple of players to the team ahead of the preseason, including NHL-drafted goaltender Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko.
The 6'3" goalie from Chernolesovsky, Russia was picked 10th overall by the Sting during the first round of the 2026 CHL Import Draft.
He was also selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Utah Mammoth.
The club said Tkach-Tkachenko spent the 2025-2026 season with Ufa Tolpar of the Maritime Junior Hockey League, posting a 2.80 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in 27 games.
Sting General Manager Dylan Seca said they're excited to welcome Tkach-Tkachenko.
"We expect him to carry the load in net for us. He has the size, athletic ability and experience that are critical to a team's success," Seca said in a media release. "Having him signed and knowing we'll have the support and development resources from the Utah Mammoth organization is a huge bonus."
Tkach-Tkachenko is expected to arrive in Sarnia in August for training camp.
The Sting also signed forward Jonas Gulbrandsen to a standard player agreement.
The centre from Stavanger, Norway, was selected 71st overall in the second round of the 2026 CHL Import Draft, after spending the 2025-2026 season with the Stavanger Oilers U20 program.
Standing at 6'5" and weighing 229 pounds, Gulbrandsen recorded 18 goals and nine assists for 27 points in 18 games last season.
"Jonas is a player we identified as having tremendous upside and versatility in his game," said Seca. "We're excited to add a player with his size, skating ability, and overall tools to our organization. Getting everything finalized now allows our coaching staff to continue building out our lineup heading into the season, and we believe Jonas has all the qualities to become a fan favourite in Sarnia."
Gulbrandsen said he's excited to join the team.
"From the first conversations, I felt the team believed in me, and I can't wait to get to Sarnia, meet my teammates, and get to work," Gulbrandsen said. "Go Sting!"
The Sarnia Sting will play five preseason games, beginning on August 30 in Kitchener at 2 p.m. The Sting will be in Peterborough on September 3 and London on September 10.
The Sting's two preseason home games at Progressive Auto Sales Arena will be held on September 5 at 7:05 p.m. against Flint and on September 11 at 7:05 p.m. against London.
