Russian Kulebyakin selected by Halifax

Photo - Herd website

The Halifax Mooseheads selected Russian forward Oleg Kulebyakin in the 2025 CHL Import Draft with the ninth overall pick on Wednesday afternoon. 

Kulebyakin scored 33 goals and 39 assists in 33 games played with the Carolina Junior Hurricanes U16 AAA team last season. He is a 5-foot-10 winger who weighs 170 pounds. 

"Well we think he's going to be a scoring machine. Obviously we're not going to put too much pressure on him," Cam Russell said after the draft. "Great vision, like I said, ability to score is incredible so very excited to bring in a player of Oleg's caliber."

General Manager Cam Russell talks about adding forwards Oleg Kulebyakin 🇷🇺 & Jasu Mensonen 🇫🇮 at the CHL Import Draft. #GoMooseGo pic.twitter.com/ubbIqHy7qK

— Halifax Mooseheads (@HFXMooseheads) July 2, 2025

With the rule change that will allow teams to carry 3 European players on their roster for the 2025-26 season, the import draft now has 3 rounds instead of just two. At 70th overall, Halifax then added forward Jasu Mensonen of Finland. The 18-year-old scored 5 goals and 21 assists in 40 games with Lukko U20 team while also adding 16 points in 29 games suiting up for the blue and white internationally at the U18 level. 

Photo - Neutral Zone

It is expected that Kulebyakin and Mensonen will join German defenceman Carlos Handel as the three import players on the Mooseheads roster this upcoming season.  

Halifax passed on their third pick as did many other clubs. Czech forward Tomas Poletin was drafted with the first overall pick by the Kelowna Rockets.