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By Marty Hastings

EUROPEAN ADDITIONS

Blazers add Latvian goalie, Czech forward in CHL Import Draft

Jul 2, 2025 | 4:12 PM

Logan Edmonstone has company in the Kamloops Blazers’ crease.

The Blazers added two players in the CHL Import Draft on Wednesday, selecting 2007-born goaltender Ivans Kufterins of Riga, Latvia, in Round 1 (13th overall) and 2008-born forward Petr Tomek of Trebic, Czechia, in Round 2 (74th overall).

“We identified going in that goaltending was probably our need,” Blazers’ head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston said. “We like Eddie [2007-born Blazers’ netminder Edmonstone]. We’re going into a year where we lose [Dylan] Ernst. We ‘ve got some good, young goaltenders in the mix, but just believe we needed the most help there.”

Blazers’ director of goaltending development Dan De Palma watched Kufterins play for Latvia at the 2025 Under-18 World Hockey Championship in Texas and the club trusts intel from Newport Sports Management agent Greg Landry.

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“We had watched video and then just got real good feedback,” Clouston said. “He’s a little bit more of the pro prototype. He’s a little bit longer, a little bit rangy, good hands, good feet.”

Clouston said the Utah Mammoth took a long look at Kufterins prior to the NHL Draft and relayed positive reviews to De Palma.

“We had a chat with him [Kufterins],” Clouston said. “He’s excited to get here as early as he can.”

Kufterins posted a 4.17 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in 25 games last season for HS Riga in the Latvian pro league.

Clouston said those numbers should be interpreted with context.

“The vast majority of his team’s games were played against the top pro teams, so it’s a team made up of all 07s with cages playing against 35-year-olds on the other team,” he said. “I think they won four games, but he was competitive. His body language was good. His energy was great. We watched games where he kept the young team in it the whole way.”

Tomek, who turns 17 in October, may not play for the Blazers next season, but is expected to join the club for the 2026-2027 WHL campaign – his NHL Draft year.

“We’re aware of the situation,” Clouston said. “He wouldn’t be available where we anticipate picking next year [in the import draft] and to get a player of his talent, hockey IQ … we believe he’s elite.”

The Blazers have developed a relationship with Czechia club HC Energie Karlovy Vary, which produced forward Vit Zajehsky, whom Kamloops picked second overall in the 2024 import draft, and former Blazers’ defenceman Matteo Koci.

Tomek split last season with the HC Energie Karlovy Vary under-17 and under-20 teams, racking up 43 points in 23 games at the U17 level and seven points in 13 games at the U20 level.

“Very skilled — extremely skilled,” Clouston said. “Great vision. Crafty. Able to make plays, find teammates, cutting in, cutting out. Goes to the net. But, really, a very high IQ, skilled player.”

Clouston said the door is open for Tomek to join the Blazers this season.

“Hopefully, as time moves on, we find out a little bit more if there’s an opportunity for him this year if that’s something that he, his family and the agency would consider,” Clouston said.