Photo - Whalers Import Rickard Rakell is a first round pick of the Anaheim Ducks.  Photo by Rena Laverty.

PLYMOUTH - The Plymouth Whalers will select 21st overall in the 2012 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, which will run on Wednesday online starting at 9 am throughout the CHL.

The draft can be followed here.

Plymouth has two selections in the draft - 21st and 114th.  Whalers GM and Head Coach Mike Vellucci moved up in the draft after making a trade with Oshawa on April 2.  The Whalers sent Kitchener's first round pick in the 2012 Import Draft, a sixth round pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection and London's thrid round pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection in exchange for the 21st selection in the Import Draft and Oshawa's 6th round pick in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection.

Canadian Hockey League teams are allowed to carry two imports - non-North American players - per season.  Center Rickard Rakell (from Sweden) is expected to return to Plymouth for the 2012-13 season for his third season with the Whalers, but Swiss defenseman Dario Trutmann has signed to play in the Swiss Professional League. 

Rakell - a first round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft - has been an integral part of the Whalers' success of the last two years and is expected to fill a similar role in 2012-13.  He has played for Sweden in the 2011 and 2012 World Junior Championships.

AUDIO:  Rakell goals from last season:  Rakell scores against Sarnia.  Rakell scores against Kitchener. 

The Canadian Hockey League Import Draft started in 1992.  Here is a complete list of Plymouth selections: