Barry Wright/The Independent

The Sting drafted goaltender Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko of Chernolesovsky, Russia with the tenth overall pick in the CHL Import draft last week.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound left-catching goaltender most recently suited up for Ufa Tolpar in the Russian junior league where he won 38 games in 72 appearances over the past two seasons.

Utah chose him in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft but he has yet to sign with the Mammoth.

“Ivan is a player we’ve spent a lot of time on throughout the scouting process,” said Sarnia Sting General Manger Dylan Seca said in a prepared statement.

“He was a target of ours, and we’ve really put in the work to get a strong feel for both the person and the quality of goaltender he is.”

Tkach-Tkachenko is the first netminder the Sting has selected in the draft in nearly two decades. The last one was Finland’s Tomi Karhunen in 2007.

In the second round, the Sting drafted Jonas Frostestad Gulbrandsen of Stavanger, Norway with the 71st selection.

The right-shot power forward, at 6’5” and 229 lbs, doesn’t turn 18 until mid-October. Gulbrandsen is the first Norwegian ever chosen by the Sting in the import draft.

“He’s a big, powerful forward who moves extremely well for his size,” said Seca. “He also brings a size and physical element that we’re continuing to build around heading into the 2026-27 season.”

After having recently signed ’25 first round import pick Simon Katolicky from the Czech Republic, the Sting passed in the third round.

Katolicky, who turns 18 later this month, was a draft choice of the Calgary Flames last month.