Guelph drafts Chicago Steel standout Timoth Kazda in CHL Import Draft

Guelph used the fourth overall pick on Timothy Kazda in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, turning a Chicago Steel scoring pillar into one of the day’s clearest examples of how quickly the CHL can destabilize a USHL roster. The Storm had traded up to get that selection and spent it on the 2008-born Slovak winger from Ilava, Slovakia, whose 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points in 59 USHL games made him one of Chicago’s most productive players last season.

For the Steel, the selection lands at the heart of the roster-control tug-of-war that defines import movement between the leagues. Kazda finished second on Chicago’s scoring list behind Jackson Crowder, a reminder that CHL clubs are not shopping for depth pieces when they raid the USHL, they are targeting players who can step into major roles immediately. That kind of pull creates real leverage for the player and real uncertainty for the junior team that developed him, because a standout season in the USHL can turn into a direct pitch from the CHL before the next lineup card is even settled.

The import draft itself showed how broad that competition has become. Held Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at 11 a.m. ET, it was the 35th edition and only the second to feature three rounds. CHL clubs selected 114 players from 13 countries, including 71 forwards, 32 defencemen and 11 goaltenders. New rules this year allowed 20-year-old imports to be selected in any round, while 16-year-old imports could go only in the first round, and CHL clubs may carry no more than one 16-year-old import on a roster each season.

Kazda was not the only USHL name to surface. Baie-Comeau selected David Waschnig, who had already been drafted 110th overall by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the 2026 USHL Entry Draft on February 6 and later made his debut for Team Austria in a 4-1 win over Hungary in Oslo. That crossover underscores how often the same player can sit on both sides of the border’s recruiting board, giving USHL staffs little time to treat any breakout season as settled property.

The CHL Import Draft has been held annually since 1992, and the cap of two import players per CHL roster keeps the market tight. That scarcity is exactly why a player like Kazda matters so much: one selection can alter a USHL lineup, force a re-recruiting effort, and send coaches back into the market looking for the next import who can score like he did.