In the first round of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) new players import draw ceremony with the total number 58, the foreman of the Russian Youth Hockey League (MHL) unit “Riga” Jānis Švanenbergs was selected, while in the second round with the total number 103 the HS “Rīga” striker was drafted. Kaspars Ziemiņš.
Schwanenberg was chosen by the Oils Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) club in Edmonton. The 18-year-old striker played in the MHL Championship for the third year this season, but also managed to score 12 games in the Continental Hockey League (KHL). Schwanenberg scored 25 goals and made 15 assists in 54 games in the MHL Championship. In turn, in the KHL tournament, at the expense of one result pass and efficiency +3. He has also represented the hockey player in the Latvian U-18 and U-20 national world championships.
The team represented by Schwannenberg lost to Yaroslavl’s “Loko” 0-3 in the first round of the playoffs this season.
The Oil Kings team was once represented by Edgars Kulda and Kristiāns Pelšs, who passed away in 2013. In 2014, Kulda won the CHL Memorial Cup with the Edmontonians and was recognized as the most valuable player in the prestigious tournament.
The 18-year-old Ziemiņi, in turn, was chosen by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) unit “Peterborough Petes”, who was once also represented by the Latvian national team defender Artūrs Kulda. The largest in 2019/2020. The hockey team finished the season in the Optibet Hockey League (OHL) team HS “Rīga”, scoring eight goals in 31 matches and assisting in goal scoring 3 times.
CHL brings together three Canadian junior leagues – the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Quebec Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and the Western Hockey League (WHL). The Oil Kings play WHL, where they won the Central Division last season, while Petes fights the OHL, where he was in the third Eastern Conference. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the CHL season was terminated prematurely.
