Kitchener selects two players in 2024 CHL Import Draft
Posted Jul 3, 2024 01:12:27 PM.
Last Updated Jul 3, 2024 01:28:34 PM.
The Kitchener Rangers selected 45th overall in the first round and in the second round 105th overall in the 2024 CHL Import Draft held Wednesday morning.
Thomas Chrenko was Kitchener’s first-round pick of the draft. The 16-year-old is listed as a left winger but has also played centre.
Chrenko played his 2023-24 season mostly for HK Nitra U20 team in the Slovakia U20 league. He scored 24 goals and registered 44 assists for 68 points in 44 games played. He also scored two goals and 9 assists in 11 playoff games.
He made the jump to Slovak 2. Liga on loan to HC Topolcany for three games before returning to HK Nitra’s pro team in the Slovak Extraliga for two games toward the end of the season.
He was briefly teammates with Rangers first-round draft choice in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, Tomáš Pobežal, who was selected 25th overall in that draft.
With their second-round pick, the Rangers selected Czechia left winger Ondrej Kos 105th overall. He played his 23-24 season with Koovee in Finland. The 18-year-old was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the third round, 81st overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. He is currently under contract with Ilves in the Finnish Elite League (Liiga).
Notable players that have been selected in the CHL Import Draft and played for the Rangers include Gabriel Landeskog, Radek Faksa, Tomas Hamara, Petr Kanko, Jakub Kindl, Filip Mešár, Tobias Rider, and Boris Valábik.
