Hurricanes select Alex Ciernik in 2022 CHL Import Draft

Jul 4, 2022 | 6:53 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A Wolfsburg, Germany-born skater has been chosen by the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Western Hockey League (WHL) club selected 2004-born forward Alex Ciernik in the 2022 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft on Friday, July 1, 2022. Ciernik was taken with the 31^st pick in the first round. He appeared in 43 regular season games with Sodertalje SK J20 team in Sweden in 2021-2022. In those games, he scored a total of 47 points with 20 goals and 27 assists, along with 30 penalty minutes. Ciernik added one goal in three post-season matchups.

Hurricanes Assistant General Manager/Coach Matt Anholt said, “He’s an explosive skater who creates a lot of offense with his skating ability and is a very good player on his current team.”

“He is a dangerous offensive threat, and we are excited about his upside.”

Ciernik represents Slovakia in international play. He scored five goals and dished out seven assists with four penalty minutes for Slovakia U18 at the World Junior Championship Division 1-A tournament. Additionally, he registered eight points (one goal, seven assists) with two penalty minutes in eight games with the Slovakia U18 team at the international level. He scored one goal and had six assists in five games for Slovakia at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

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Ciernik is the son of former NHL player Ivan Ciernik, who played 89 regular season games with the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals. Ivan also appeared in 201 American Hockey League games in his professional career.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes will start their 2022 ENMAX Pre-Season on Friday, September 9 at the ENMAX Centre in Lethbridge against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

by Justin Goulet