A young Guelph Storm team got even younger Wednesday, selecting a pair of 16 year olds in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
Guelph took Russian winger Valentin Zhugin 54th overall and German defenceman Leo Hafenrichter 69th overall. Zhugin turns 17 in December and Hafenrichter turns 17 in July.
Zhugin, five-foot-nine, 167 pounds, was one of the youngest players in the Russian MHL junior league this season, where he scored 10 goals and had 15 assists in 44 games for Magnitogorsk Stalnye Lisy.
Hafenrichter, a six-foot-one, 185-pound right shot, played a couple of games with Kolnar Haie of the German Elite League this season. The season previous he had 13 goals and 15 assists in 26 games in the German under-17 league.
Storm GM/coach George Burnett said the plan heading into the draft was to select two younger players that could grow with the young roster the team has now.
"We expect them both to play and contribute this year," Burnett said. "They're happy to be drafted and anxious to come play here," travel and COVID restrictions considered, Burnett said.
Hafenrichter, who Burnett calls a "big, mobile defenceman," had a chance to make the German under-18 team last season but COVID concerns nixed that. He is attending the under-18 camp again in hopes of playing in this year's tournament.
As for Valentin, Burnett said he put up solid numbers that are even more impressive when you consider he turned 16 in December playing Russia's top junior league against mostly 18 and 19 year olds.
"He had some pretty impressive numbers and we've seen some great (video) clips of him," Burnett said.
Guelph retains the rights to import Martin Has because he is an overage import. A decision on Has will be made in the near future, Burnett said.
