Norway, much like sa国际传媒, is a nation defined by winter.
The modest country of 5.4 million people has won the most Winter Olympics gold medals, with 148 golds and 405 total medals, easily outpacing the second-place U.S. with 113 and 330.
It’s surprising, however, that Norway, unlike its Nordic neighbours Sweden and Finland, is not an ice-hockey power.
Casper Haugen Evensen, selected ninth overall Wednesday by the Victoria Royals in the 2023 Canadian Hockey League import draft, is doing his part to change that.
Victoria GM and head coach Dan Price said the Evensen’s five-foot-seven profile is deceptive: “He’s a bulldog, stout and sturdy, and very physical and competitive.” Price listed current Royals forward Brayden Schuurman as a comparable player. The 170-pound Evensen played 23 games for Valerenga last season in the Norwegian Under-20 League with seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points. He also played 11 games in the top professional league in Norway for Valerenga and 16 games for Lorenskog in the second-tier Norwegian pro division.
The native of Oslo is an international who played for Norway in the 2022 Under-18 world championship tournament in Germany against a Canadian team that included top-overall 2023 NHL draft-pick Connor Bedard and also Schuurman and Minnesota Wild NHL draft pick Kalem Parker of the Royals.
Evensen was scouted by J.F. Best, assistant GM and director of player personnel player development, for the Royals.
CHL major-junior teams are allowed two non-North American players on their rosters. The Royals’ Czech import forward Robin Sapousek, who won the silver medal representing his homeland at the 2023 world junior championships and is eligible also for the 2024 world juniors, is returning. Evensen will replace the departing forward Marcus Almquist, who has signed a pro contract in his native Denmark.
“[Evensen] is older, at 18, among the Europeans usually selected in the import draft and we expect him to step in and contribute right away,” said Price.
Junior hockey teams rarely draft for need and take the best player available. But with an overflow of returnees on the Royals’ defence, and the team also set up the middle with centres Schuurman, Sapousek and touted rookie Cole Reschny, Victoria was actively looking for a winger.
“There was definitely more of a need on wing, and Evensen fills that, while also having the flexibility to play centre if required,” said Price.
The 2023 CHL import draft rotated in turn between the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League. The inverse order is based on last season’s standings, and each league’s lottery draft if applicable, with the lower teams selecting first on up. The Royals, the third-lowest team in the WHL last season, were confident they could land Evensen at ninth overall and got their guy.
“But you never know and we are glad he was still there,” said Price.
The Royals did not make a selection in the second round of the two-round draft.
The Erie Otters of the OHL selected Martin Misiak of Slovakia, also a second-round NHL draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, first overall in the 2023 CHL import draft. The Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL took Slovakian Juraj Pekarcik, a third-round NHL draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, second overall in the import draft. The WHL last-place Edmonton Oil Kings took Czech winger Adam Jecho third overall.
There were 12 players taken in the CHL import draft who were also selected in last week’s NHL draft. But they can be gambles if the NHL clubs decide they want those players with their minor-pro AHL/ECHL affiliates, and not in junior hockey.
Players from Russia and Belarus were ineligible for the 2023 CHL import draft due to the world situation.
Sapousek and Evensen will both likely be missing to the Royals for several weeks in the 2023-24 season due to call-ups to their national teams for the 2024 world junior championships.
“That’s a good thing,” said Price.
“Junior teams go through that with their top players.”
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