Newly-acquired Raiders goaltender Michal Oršulák playing for his home country of Czechia. (Photo submitted/Prince Albert Raiders)
Three pick have been made

Raiders select big body Czech goaltender in first pick of CHL Import Draft

Jul 2, 2025 | 10:19 AM

The final draft of the offseason is here for the Prince Albert Raiders and the rest of the WHL, the 2025 CHL Import Draft.

This draft will see all 61 teams from all three CHL leagues, the WHL, QMJHL, and OHL pick players from overseas to join their ranks. It’s the same route players like the German Norwin Panocha and the Czechian Vojtech Vochvest joined the WHL.

New this year is a third round in the draft, allowing teams to select an additional player on to their squad.

The Raiders have three picks in the draft, and one pick in each round. This article has been updated to include all three picks.

With their first selection in the Import Draft, the Raiders select Czechian-born goaltender Micahl Orsulak.

Turning 18 before the start of the 2025-26 season, Orsulak stands at 6-4, 209 pounds, originally from Tremonsa, Czechia.

For the last two seasons, at 16 and 17 years old, the young goaltender has been playing in the Czechian U20 league. In 41 games across the last two seasons, he’s posted a 0.907 save percentage. Orsulak also has a silver medal representing his country at the Gretzky-Hlinka Cup from the 2024-25 tournament.

With their second round pick, the Raiders selected Kazakhstan born forward Alisher Sarkenov 107th overall.

This coming season will also be Sarkenov’s 18-year-old season with his birthday coming up in December, and he stands at 6’0″ and 172 lbs.

Originally from Astana, Kazakhstan, he’s been playing for a different version of his hometown team, Barys Astana, for all of his hockey career. Last year he played 52 games with Snezhnye Barys Astana in the Molodezhnaya Hokkeinaya Liga (MHL), a Russian league that translates to ‘The Junior League’. In that league, he posted 12G-13A-25P on the right wing. In March, he was named the MHL’s East rookie of the month.

He also played eight games last year split up between the Russia U18 league, and the Kazakhstan Jastar league, where he added 4G-11A-15P in that time.

He also holds a Kazakhstan U16 Championship.

Sarkenov is the first ever import selected from Kazakhstan by the Raiders, and is the brother of Spokane Chiefs forward Asanali Sarkenov.

In the third round with their third and final pick of the Import Draft, the Raiders selected defenceman Matyas Man from Ostrava, Czechia.

Standing at 6’5, 198 lbs, Czech born defenceman will join the Raiders for his 19-year-old season.

Man played 48 games last year in the Czechia U20 league with HC Vitkovice, and there he posted 6G-17A-23P.

With that, the Raiders have their roster set heading into the start of training camp.

nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

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