A Landmark Exchange
The Saginaw Spirit and the North Bay Battalion executed the inaugural trade of the 2026 Ontario Hockey League offseason, a move that reshaped the draft landscape for import players.
Under the agreement, Saginaw received North Bay’s first‑round 2026 CHL Import Draft selection and a second‑round pick slated for the 2029 OHL Priority Selection. In return, the Battalion obtained Saginaw’s third‑round 2026 import pick, Flint’s second‑round 2026 Priority Selection choice, and a fifth‑round 2029 selection.
The transaction underscores how recent CHL rule adjustments have amplified the bargaining power of import draft assets. Since May 2025, clubs may carry up to three import players, and the import draft has grown from two to three rounds, creating a richer pool of talent to trade.
Because of these changes, teams can now negotiate swaps of future selections, a flexibility that was unavailable just a year ago. Such deals must be finalized two days before the CHL Import Draft, adding urgency to roster planning.
Saginaw’s track record of leveraging the import draft adds context to the trade. The club has previously turned top picks into standout talents such as Igor Chernyshov, Matyas Sapovaliv, Pavel Mintyukov, Nikita Klepov and Stepan Shurygin.
The upcoming 2026 OHL Priority Selection will take place on June 12‑13 at Slush Puppie Place in Kingston. Round 1 kicks off on June 12 at 7 p.m., while Rounds 2‑15 resume on June 13 at 9 a.m. The trade window stays open until June 11 at 3 p.m., giving teams a narrow window to finalize agreements.
Looking Ahead
Analysts view the trade as a bellwether for how import talent will be valued in upcoming drafts, with clubs likely to be more aggressive in parting with high‑round picks to secure promising prospects.