NORTH BAY, Ont. — The North Bay Battalion’s newest European recruits have signed standard player’s agreements, general manager Adam Dennis of the Ontario Hockey League club said Friday.
Ukrainian centre Ihnat Pazii and Slovakian defenceman Alex Cajkovic, who were selected Wednesday in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, plan to arrive in North Bay before the start of training camp Aug. 28.
The Battalion took Pazii 48th overall from the Chicago-based Windy City Storm U16s. In 30 games before playoffs, he had 17 goals and as many assists for 34 points, then scored four goals and earned two assists for six points in four playoff games.
Pazii, a Kharkov native who turns 17 on Dec. 4, produced 41 goals and 26 assists for 67 points in 56 games with the Anaheim Jr. Ice Dogs U15s in 2021-22.
“Obviously, I’m very honoured and excited about that,” Pazii said via Zoom of his selection by North Bay.
“Adam reached to me a couple of months before the draft. He saw me play in Chicago. He came up to watch me play and he saw a lot of video about me, and he said he liked my play.”
Both players speak English well, with Pazii already having spent two seasons in North America.
“I came to California two years ago with kids from my last team I played for in Ukraine. I played there a year and then I got invited to this team in Chicago.”
Pazii, speaking from the Illinois city, said he’s kept track of the Troops and the rest of Canadian major junior hockey.
“I’ve been following the team. I’ve been following the CHL overall for a very long time already, and North Bay is a really good team, a really good fanbase, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Pazii pointed to his skating as a strength, noting: “I’m fast, and that’s what I’m going to try to use next year.”
Cajkovic, chosen 72nd in the two-round Internet process, skated last season for the Malmo Redhawks J18 team in Sweden, generating five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 31 games. The Bratislava-born left shot turns 18 on July 19.
“I’m excited to join the Battalion organization and I hope I can do my best there and show what I’ve got,” he said via Zoom from Slovakia.
“I’m a two-way defender. I really like to join the rush, score some points and goals and help the team with that.”
Like Pazii, Cajkovic has considerable experience outside his homeland, having played two seasons in Austria before two years in Sweden, a country he described as “perfect” for development.
The 60 CHL clubs chose a total of 75 imports, numbering 43 forwards, 25 defencemen and seven goaltenders. OHL and Western Hockey League teams each chose 28, while Quebec Major Junior Hockey League clubs named 19.
Czechia led with 28 selections, followed by Slovakia with 12, Finland with eight and Sweden and Switzerland with five apiece. Latvia and Norway each produced four, while Germany and Slovenia each had two. Producing one apiece were Ukraine, Japan, France, Poland and Russia.
