The Regina Pats made a pair of selections at the 2021 CHL Import Draft. Their first pick was 32nd overall and their second pick was at 95th.
With Nikita Sedov unable to skate for the Pats in the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he joined the professional ranks in Russia. He would have been an unlikely candidate for an overage player with the Pats as he would have been a notorious “two-spotter” (import and overage). It appears as though last seasons’ import pick Stanislav Svozil wouldn’t come to North America so the Pats made two selections in the yearly CHL Import Draft.
Kemell selected 32nd
? Welcome to the Regiment, ?? Joakim Kemell
??. 32 ➡️ #CHLImportDraft pic.twitter.com/7LllhymXUJ
— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) June 30, 2021
The Pats selected Joakim Kemell with the 32nd pick in the draft. The Finnish-born Kemell played on three levels of the JYP hockey club along with Finland’s Under 18 club. With the U18 JYP team, he played in a pair of games scoring three goals and adding three assists. For the U20 JYP team, he played most of his games skating in 38 contests. He scored 22 times and added 14 assists. He also played in one game for the Liiga version of JYP scoring once. The 5-foot-11, 176-pound right-winger scored three times in seven games while representing his home country at the World Under18’s.
According to Lassi Alanen (Director of European Scouting for Elite Prospects), Kemell is a potential first-round prospect for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Regina Pats selects RW Joakim Kemell (2022) with the 32nd pick in the CHL Import Draft. A possible first-round talent for the 2022 draft, Kemell is a very skilled offensive talent. More of a sniper but can make plays for his linemates, too. Not afraid to engage physically either.
— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) June 30, 2021
This was the third time the Pats had selected at 32. The first time was in 2003 when they selected Czech-born Ivo Kratena. Their most recent 32nd pick was in 2012 when they picked Swede Emil Sylvegard.
Kemell is just the third player that the Pats have picked from Finland. In 2006 the Pats picked Niko Snellman at 41st overall and in 2017 the Pats grabbed Emil Oksanen at 120th.
Suzdalev selected 95th
With the 95th overall pick in the #CHLImportDraft, the @WHLPats have selected ?? forward Alexander Suzdalev. pic.twitter.com/mrFeXgcynf
— The WHL (@TheWHL) June 30, 2021
With their second pick in the Import draft, the Pats selected Alexander Suzdalev at the 95th spot. The Russian-born left-winger has played the last for years of hockey in Sweden with his last pair of seasons suiting up for HV71. For the J18 club, he played seven games scoring four times and adding five assists. The 6-foot-2, 172-pounder played 13 games for the J20 team scoring three times and adding six assists.
HV71 just so happens to be the team that Connor Bedard played for when he went to Sweden.
The Pats had never previously picked at 95th overall.
Although he was born in Russia, Suzdalev becomes the third player that the Pats have selected out of Sweden. Sylvegard was the first player out of Sweden and Filip Ahl (31st overall in 2016) was the second.
Should one or both 2021 picks come across the pond, they will be given ample opportunity to skate with Bedard on the Pats’ top line.
