Nov. 8, 2013: Dineen is relieved of duties as head coach of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, 16 games into regular season, and soon contacts Bob Nicholson to inquire about coaching opportunities.

“After spending a little time to get organized and reflecting on my next step, I figured I should act like I always did and be a little aggressive.”

“(Bob) called me back a few days later to fill me in on the resignation with the National Women’s Team and wanted to know if I’d be interested in that position. I immediately said yes. I was ready to commit 100% to this incredible experience.”

Dec. 17, 2013: Dineen is officially hired as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team.

“In all honesty, it was a difficult situation to step into when you didn’t know anybody from the team apart from about half a dozen people I was familiar with.”

“I knew that I had incredible layers of support, especially from the coaching staff. The day before I was officially hired, we spent a full day together and I let them know how their roles were going to expand under my leadership. We established a good level of trust and that led to a healthy situation moving forward.”

Dec. 20, 2013: Dineen akes debut as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team, a 4-1 loss to the United States.

“The number of comparable aspects was more noticeable than the differences. The one thing I expected and realized is that the women’s team is made up of a bunch of cerebral players. They were able to not only grasp but put into execution a lot of the systems I had used at the NHL level, all while integrating them to the systems that were already in place. They’re such extremely smart players that want to learn and want to play the right way, that it wasn’t an issue.”     

Feb. 8, 2014: Dineen earns his first international win as a head coach, 5-0 over Switzerland in the Olympic opener in Sochi.

“It was exciting because I had a flood of emotions come back from my own Olympic experience. We walked in the opening ceremonies the night before and that’s when it really sunk in. It was an incredible feeling!”    

Feb. 20, 2014: Canada wins Olympic gold with a 3-2 overtime win over the United States, a game it trailed 2-0 with less than four minutes left.

“To watch how that game played out, how competitive it was by both teams, it was a great hockey game no matter the dramatic outcome. I admire our team for their composure and how the leaders in our group helped keep it together while playing through such adversity.”

“With everything that happened in that game; from the puck hitting the post on our empty net, to the three penalties called in overtime, everything was incredibly dramatic.”

March 20, 2014: Dineen is named head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team.

“The opportunity to work with this bunch of kids, most of them being draft eligible this year, was an incredible one as well. They were such an enthusiastic bunch and very motivated. Their talent level was through the roof and they were extremely hard working kids that wanted to learn.”

April 27, 2014: Canada wins bronze at the U18 world championship with a 3-1 win over Sweden.

“Obviously we wanted the gold medal, so to lose in overtime in the semifinal game was a hard pill to swallow. I’m really proud of how our guys regrouped and prepared themselves to try and represent Canada to the best they could in the circumstances. I feel like we walked out of there with a feeling of accomplishment.”

“The boys really worked hard to earn that medal and that’s something that I was really proud of afterwards. I even sent them all a personal note to let them know that I was proud of them and that I really wanted all of them to achieve one of their lifelong goals and get drafted by an NHL team.”

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Monday that the 10th annual Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic gala and golf tournament has been rescheduled for Aug. 19-20 at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.

The foundation’s annual signature event, which celebrates the season’s world championship-winning national teams while also raising funds for a local minor hockey legacy program and minor hockey programs across the country, was originally scheduled for June 24-25 but was postponed due to severe flooding in southern Alberta.

This year’s gala will take place Monday, Aug. 19 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park, the home of Hockey Canada. The golf tournament is set for Tuesday, Aug. 20 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Priddis, Alta., just outside Calgary.

Partial proceeds of $250,000 from the funds raised at the two-day event, including unique silent and live auctions featuring rare memorabilia, will go toward relief for those affected by floods that recently washed through Alberta, including the City of Calgary. Team Canada alumni Sheldon Kennedy and Lanny McDonald are serving as honorary co-chairs for the 2013 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic, in recognition of their great impact on the game across the country and within the Calgary community.

“Alberta is now faced with the difficult challenges of recovering and rebuilding, but the way in which residents across the province have come together to make that happen has been truly inspiring,” Kennedy said. “The additional financial assistance that the Hockey Canada Foundation will be able to provide for relief efforts through this event will be much-appreciated by those impacted by the devastating flood.”

“The strength, passion and volunteer spirit that have spread through Alberta are much like that of the hockey community across our great country,” McDonald said. “We look forward to welcoming our national teams, sponsors and other special guests to Calgary this August to experience not only the exciting festivities surrounding this year’s Celebrity Classic, but also the incredible positivity that is buzzing through our province, even in the face of hardship.”

Another $250,000 will go toward KidSport Calgary, which aims to make sports such as hockey more affordable for underprivileged youth. Other proceeds from the event will go toward Hockey Canada Foundation programming that promotes accessibility and diversity in the sport, as well as other positive values such as health and wellness, hockey heritage and skill development, from the grassroots level to Canada’s Olympic teams.

“We are proud to continue supporting KidSport, a not-for-profit group with values that truly align with those of our foundation, while also providing much-needed assistance for victims of the Alberta floods,” Hockey Canada Foundation chair Grant Fagerheim said. “We look forward to seeing the country’s hockey community come together this August to not only celebrate the accomplishments of our national teams, but also raise funds for these very worthwhile causes.”

This year’s gala celebrates the success of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, which won the country’s third gold medal at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Heinola, Finland in January; Canada’s National Sledge Team, which won the gold medal at the 2013 IPC Sledge Hockey World Hockey Championship in Goyang, South Korea in April; and Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team, which won the gold medal at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia, also in April.

The Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic will be held for the third time in Calgary, which previously hosted in 2007 and 2008. Toronto (2004, 2005, 2006, 2012), Montreal (2009), Edmonton (2010) and Ottawa (2011) have also played host to the Celebrity Classic, which has raised more than $4 million in its first nine years.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Foundation, Hockey Canada and its programs, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, and follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, and www.twitter.com/hockeycanada.

BRNO, Czechia – Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team has won the bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, shutting out Finland 3-0 in the bronze medal game Saturday at Winning Group Arena.

Cooper Williams (Calgary, AB/Saskatoon, WHL) opened the scoring with his first goal of the tournament 5:27 into the game, with Colin Fitzgerald (Peterborough, ON/Peterborough, OHL) and Daxon Rudolph (Lacombe, AB/Prince Albert, WHL) picking up assists. The goal would stand as the game-winner, helping Canada secure its second bronze medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Ethan Belchetz (Oakville, ON/Windsor, OHL) gave Canada a 2-0 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the middle frame, burying his team-leading fourth goal, and Rudolph rounded out the scoring with 2:14 left into an empty net. Landon DuPont (Calgary, AB/Everett, WHL) and captain Keaton Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan, AB/Victoria, WHL) assisted on Belchetz’s goal, and Mathis Preston (Penticton, BC/Spokane, WHL) picked up a helper on Rudolph’s tally.

“It was tough to lose in the semifinals because we came here to try to win gold, but sometimes things do not work out the way you want them to. We were a little down after yesterday’s game, but we wanted to leave here with a medal and bring something home to our families,” Belchetz said. “We have so many great players on this team, and it was such an honour to be a part of this group and I could not be more grateful for the opportunities I had at this tournament.”

“The message from the coaching staff was to forget about yesterday’s loss and play our best today, and our group did that. Every guy in our room was ready to go from the moment the puck dropped and we were all competing hard, so I am very proud of our effort,” Verhoeff said. “I am super proud to be able to wear the [captain’s] ‘C’ and represent my country with this team, and today we ended the tournament on the right note.”

Gavin Betts (Toronto, ON/Kingston, OHL) was stellar in the Canadian goal, making 22 saves to register his second shutout of the tournament and earn Player of the Game honours. A full game summary can be found here.

“This is such a great group of players. I worked with a lot of them at the under-17 level, and it was an honour to have the opportunity to work with them all again,” said head coach Mathieu Turcotte (Kirkland, QC). “We had great leaders and great players overall, and although [bronze] is not the colour medal that we wanted to win, I am very proud of how we finished the tournament with a win considering the tough circumstances.”

Canada finished the preliminary round in first place in Group A after wins over Finland (5-3), Switzerland (9-1) and Czechia (5-0) before falling to the United States 4-3 in a shootout in the semifinals.

The medal marks the 30th that Canada has won at the annual summer under-18 tournament, capturing 25 gold medals, three silver and two bronze.

Hlinka Gretzky Cup to return to Edmonton in 2026

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup will return to Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, in August 2026, as announced by TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, during the bronze medal game today.

The 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup marks the fifth time the international under-18 showcase will be played in Canada, with Alberta previously hosting three times (Edmonton – 2024; Red Deer - 2022; Edmonton and Red Deer – 2018). Canada won gold at all three of those tournaments, defeating Czechia 2-1 in the final in 2024.

“We are thrilled to bring the Hlinka Gretzky Cup back to Edmonton next year, and to kick off the 2026-27 hockey season with the top under-18 players from eight countries competing for a gold medal,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “This is a prestigious tournament with a deep history that is an important part of the international hockey calendar, and we look forward to hosting a world-class event for teams, players and fans next August.”

Tickets for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup are set to go on sale this fall. For exclusive access to tickets, and to receive updates about the event, sign up to become a Hockey Canada Insider at HockeyCanada.ca/Insider.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

OAKVILLE, Ontario – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 25 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team as it looks to capture a fourth-straight gold medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set for Aug. 11-16 in Brno, Czechia and Trencin, Slovakia.

Three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards were selected by Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), general manager of the Program of Excellence, with support from Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL), the U18 lead with the POE management group, head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, and Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations. 

“We are excited to unveil the 25 players who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as we believe this is an elite group that brings international experience and a determination to continue our success at the tournament,” said Millar. “Our selection camp was highly competitive and provided an opportunity for our players to showcase themselves against the top talent in the country, and we believe we have assembled a roster that will compete for gold and wear the Maple Leaf with pride in Czechia and Slovakia.”

Among the 25 players are six who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (Carels, Di Iorio, Edwards, Lin, Rudolph, Verhoeff) and 21 who suited up at the 2024 U17 World Challenge, including 14 who won gold with Canada White (Betts, Belchetz, Croskery, Edwards, Lawrence, Lemieux, Lin, Pantelas, Preston, Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck, Rudolph, Valentini, Verhoeff). The roster also includes four players who will make their international debut (Rousseau, Schaubel, Williams, Zhilkin). 

Canada will open the preliminary round of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Finland on Aug. 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT. It will also take on Switzerland and Czechia on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, respectively, before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 16. Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will play pre-tournament games in Budapest against Hungary’s national under-20 team on Aug. 7 and in Piestany against Slovakia on Aug. 9. 

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast select tournament games, including all Team Canada games; please check local listings for more details. 

Canada has won 25 gold medals in 32 years of summer under-18 competition, along with three silver medals and one bronze.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has invited 119 players to participate in two of its Program of Excellence summer camps, including Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp and Canada’s national under-17 development camp.

“We are excited to kick off a new season by announcing the 119 players that will attend camps in Oakville this month,” said Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), general manager of the Program of Excellence. “Our under-18 selection camp provides us with an opportunity to evaluate players and select a roster that we believe will give us the best chance to defend our gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Our under-17 camp is an opportunity to introduce athletes to the Program of Excellence and allow them to compete against other top players in Canada while we begin evaluating and preparing for the U17 World Challenge this fall.”

As part of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, 40 players—four goaltenders, 12 defencemen and 24 forwards—have been invited to compete for a chance to represent Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set for Aug. 11-16 in Brno, Czechia, and Trencin, Slovakia. The camp roster includes six players who won gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (Carels, Di Iorio, Edwards, Lin, Rudolph, Verhoeff), while 34 played for Canada Red or Canada White at the 2024 U17 World Challenge.

The selection camp, set for July 29-Aug. 1 at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario, will include a pair of Red-White games on July 31 and Aug. 1. Following camp, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will practice at MET Arena in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, from Aug. 3-6. It will take on Hungary’s national under-20 team on Aug. 7 in Budapest and Slovakia on Aug. 9 at Easton Arena in Piestany as part of its pre-tournament schedule.

The player selection process was led by Millar, with support from Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville QMJHL), who serves as the U18 lead with the Program of Excellence management group, head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, and Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.

On the under-17 side, 79 players—eight goaltenders, 23 defencemen and 48 forwards—will take the ice at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex as part of Canada’s national under-17 development camp, set for July 19-23. All 79 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League (CHL) teams (30 from the OHL, 27 from the WHL and 22 from the QMJHL).

The selection process was led by Millar and Bonora, with assistance from Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL), who guides the U17 program as part of the POE management group. Roy and Salmond also supported the process. Players will continue to be evaluated through the beginning of the 2025-26 season in preparation for the 2025 U17 World Challenge, scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 8 in Truro, Nova Scotia.

For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Canada’s national under-17 program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the coaching and support staffs that will lead Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team in defence of its gold medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as well as Canada’s national under-17 teams through the 2025 U17 World Challenge.

After leading Canada White to a gold medal as head coach at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and helping Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team to a gold medal as an assistant at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, Mathieu Turcotte (Kirkland, QC) will take the reins as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team. He will be joined by associate coach Travis Crickard (St. John’s, NL/Saint John, QMJHL) and assistant coach Rick Steadman (London, ON/London, OHL), as well as goaltending consultant Antoine Samuel (Lac-Etchemin, QC/Moncton, QMJHL) and video coach Jonathan Deschênes (Québec, QC/Sherbrooke, QMJHL).

“We are excited to announce the coaching and support staffs that will lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team through selection camp and at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup,” said Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), general manager of the Program of Excellence. “We are confident their Canadian Hockey League experience, in addition to their backgrounds in international tournaments, will help build and lead a team ready to compete in August.”

Turcotte spent the past two seasons (2023-25) as head coach of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Prior to joining the Armada, he served as head coach of the Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François of the Ligue de hockey M18 AAA du Québec, winning a national title at the 2023 Men’s U18 National Club Championship. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs (2019-22) and six seasons with the LHM18AAAQ’s Chevaliers de Lévis as an assistant coach (2008-10) and GM/head coach (2015-19). Turcotte was also an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs (2010-12) and Chicoutimi Saguenéens (2012-14). 

Crickard recently completed his third season as the head coach of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs and was promoted to general manager in October 2024. He also spent time with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Ottawa 67’s (2013-14) and Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Kelowna Rockets (2014-19). Crickard has won three gold medals with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the IIHF U18 World Championship, twice as an assistant coach (2024, 2025) and once as video coach (2021). He also won a silver medal as head coach of Canada Red at the 2024 U17 World Challenge. Crickard was an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s hockey team at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, finishing fourth and was a member of the Canada Black staff at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge as video coach (2016)—winning a silver medal—and assistant coach in 2017.

Steadman has been an assistant coach with the OHL’s London Knights since the 2014-15 season, helped guide the Knights to two Memorial Cup championships (2016, 2025) and three OHL championships (2016, 2024, 2025). Steadman previously held various coaching positions with the U18 AAA Gold Mavericks at the Ontario Hockey Academy. Internationally, he was an assistant coach with Canada Black at the 2023 U17 World Challenge.

For a full list of staff for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please click here.

Canada will open the preliminary round of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Finland on Aug. 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT. It will also take on Switzerland and Czechia on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, respectively, before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 16. Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will play pre-tournament games in Budapest against Hungary’s national under-20 team on Aug. 7 and in Piestany against Slovakia on Aug. 9.

On the under-17 side, Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert, SK/Prince Albert, WHL) and Scott Barney (Oshawa, ON/Sudbury, OHL) will serve as head coaches of Canada Red and Canada White, respectively, at the 2025 U17 World Challenge.

Joining McDonald on Canada Red is assistant coaches Mathieu Gravel (Longueuil, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) and Brendan Taylor (Oakville, ON/Sault Ste. Marie, OHL), as well as goaltending consultant Jeff Harvey (St. Albert, AB/Saskatoon, WHL) and video coach Enrick Corneau (Chicoutimi, QC/Chicoutimi, QMJHL).

On Canada White, Barney will be joined by assistant coaches Kyle Chipchura (Westlock, AB/Edmonton, WHL) and Joël Perrault (Montréal, QC/Rimouski, QMJHL), as well as video coach Alex Darling (Chelsea, QC/Peterborough, OHL).

“As the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, we are thrilled with the coaching staff we have assembled from across the CHL to help introduce our players to the program,” added Millar. “They all bring a unique skill set and are committed to the development of players on and off the ice, which we know will help set a strong foundation for future success within our program.”

McDonald was named head coach of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in May after finishing the 2024-25 season as the interim head coach. He also served as an assistant coach with the Raiders for parts of five seasons (2020-25). McDonald won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada White at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and won silver as an assistant with Team Saskatchewan at the 2023 Canada Winter Games. He also spent four seasons with the Warman Wildcats AAA program at both the U15 and U18 levels.

Barney recently completed his first season as head coach of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. Prior to joining Sudbury, he spent six seasons with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Humboldt Broncos, joining the club as an assistant coach in 2018 before being promoted to head coach midway through the season. In 2019, Barney also assumed the role of general manager. Barney led the Broncos to six straight playoff appearances and two division titles, finishing with a record of 169-71-15. Internationally, he guided Canada West to a gold medal as head coach at the 2023 World Junior A Challenge. He was also an assistant coach for Canada West in 2019.

Chipchura just wrapped up his second season with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Chipchura took on the role of assistant coach this season after serving as a development coach in 2023-24. Prior to joining the Oil Kings, Chipchura spent two seasons with the Northern Alberta Xtreme of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), serving as head coach of the U17 Prep team following one season as an assistant coach with the U15 Prep team.

Gravel recently finished his third season as assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs in his second stint with the team. In his return, he helped the Voltigeurs capture the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as QMJHL champions in 2024. He previously spent one season with Drummondville as an assistant coach in 2016-17. Prior to his return to Drummondville, Gravel was an assistant coach with Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (2017-2022), winning the U SPORTS national championship in 2022. He also held head coaching positions in the Ligue de Hockey Préparatoire Scolaire (U15) and LHM18AAAQ. Internationally, Gravel won a silver medal with Canada Red at the 2018 U17 World Challenge, and he has also served as a skills coach for the U17 program (2016-18).

Perrault recently completed his second season as head coach of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic. Perrault guided the Océanic to a berth in the QMJHL Final before the hosts were eliminated from playoff contention at the 2025 Memorial Cup. Perrault held various coaching roles from 2016-23 in Quebec at the U15, Espoir and U18 levels, including earning LHM18AAAQ Coach of the Year honours with the Saint-Eustache Vikings during the 2022-23 season.

Taylor has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Prior to joining the Greyhounds, Taylor spent six seasons with the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads as an assistant coach (2017-22) after serving as video coach in 2016-17. Taylor was also an assistant coach with the Oakville Blades in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL).

For a full list of staff for Canada’s national under-17 teams, please click here. 

For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Canada’s national under-17 program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the four Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers that will comprise the Program of Excellence (POE) management group for the 2025-26 season.

Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL) makes his POE management group debut, guiding the under-17 program through the 2025 U17 World Challenge in Truro, Nova Scotia, while Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) returns for his second-consecutive year to lead the under-18 program. Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL) will also join the POE management group in an advisory role, providing overall support to all three programs through the 2025-26 season. Johnston, Lemay and Brown join Mark Hunter (Petrolia, ON/London, OHL), who was recently announced as the management group lead for Canada’s National Junior Team.

The management group was selected by Program of Excellence general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations.

“Mike, Yanick, Mark and Dave will provide a wealth of knowledge throughout our Program of Excellence from their vast Canadian Hockey League and international experience,” said Millar. “We are tremendously grateful for their commitment to Hockey Canada’s under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs and are looking forward to their contributions to Canada’s success in international play this season.”

Johnston served as an assistant coach for Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and has been senior vice-president and general manager of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for 13 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-25). He recently stepped down as head coach after 12 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-24), winning U.S. Division Executive of the Year and Coach of the Year awards in 2023-24. Johnston is one of just 11 head coaches in WHL history to win 500 games and he led the Winterhawks to seven-consecutive 40-win seasons. He has also served as an assistant (1999-2003) and associate coach (2003-04) with the Vancouver Canucks, an associate coach with the Los Angeles Kings (2005-08) and head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins (2014-16). Johnston coached Canada’s National Men’s Team from 1994-99, winning two gold medals (1997, 2007), two silver (1996, 2008) and one bronze (1995) at the IIHF World Championship. He also won gold at three IIHF World Junior Championships (1994, 1995, 1996) as an assistant coach, was an assistant at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games and head coach at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship, and won the Spengler Cup in 1993.

Lemay returns to the POE management group for the second-straight season, leading the under-18 program, after helping guide Canada White and Canada Red to gold and silver, respectively, at the 2024 U17 World Challenge. He is entering his third season as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Last season, Lemay helped the Voltigeurs to an 86-point season and finished atop the QMJHL Central Division. Prior to joining Drummondville, he served as an amateur scout with the Winnipeg Jets for 12 seasons (2011-23), was head scout of the QMJHL’s Junior de Montréal for three seasons (2008-11) and spent 10 seasons with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles as a scout (1998-2002) and head scout (2002-08).

Brown returns to the POE management group for a third-straight season after helping lead Canada to gold medals at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, and assisting Canada White to gold at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He is currently in his eleventh season (2015-25) as general manager of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving four seasons (2011-15) as director of hockey operations with the team. He helped lead Erie to an OHL championship in 2017 and contributed to a CHL record of four-consecutive 50-win seasons (2011-15). Prior to joining the Otters, Brown spent seven seasons with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs, serving as assistant general manager (2003-05) and general manager (2005-10).

The management group will work alongside Salmond, Millar, Roy and POE head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), as well as the organization’s hockey operations staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

The Program of Excellence is overseen by Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer; Misha Donskov (Montréal, QC), vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach; Salmond; Millar; Roy; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, ON), CHL president; Bryan Crawford (Hamilton, ON), OHL commissioner; Mario Cecchini (Saint-Lambert, QC), QMJHL commissioner; and Dan Near (Markham, ON), WHL commissioner.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

After another successful NHL Draft, one thing remains clear – no country develops hockey players quite like Canada.

In total, more than one-third of the players who had their names called in Los Angeles – 85 of 224 – hail from north of the 49th parallel.

The list features representation from 10 Members, and 27 who have worn the Maple Leaf in international competition.

The red-and-white run started from the very top, with Matthew Schaefer going No. 1 to the New York Islanders – the first of 19 first-round selections (the most since 2020). The Hamilton, Ontario, native already has a trophy case to be envious of – he has won gold at the Canada Winter Games (scoring the overtime winner in the gold medal game), World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, IIHF U18 World Championship and Hlinka Gretzky Cup, serving as captain at the first, second and last of those triumphs.

He also cracked the Canadian lineup for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording a goal and an assist in two games before a broken collarbone prematurely ended his tournament.

Michael Misa followed quickly behind Schaefer, going second overall to the San Jose Sharks; the Mississauga product owns gold from the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and silver from the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, earning both medals as an underager. Misa, who was granted exceptional status to play in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in 2022-23, led all CHL scorers this season with 134 points (62-72—134) in 65 games with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.

In all, Canadians were four of the first five picks (for the first time since 2014), seven of the first 10 (for the second year in a row) and 15 of the first 20 (for the first time since 1994).

The list of first-rounders included a number of 2024-25 gold medallists: five from the 2025 U18 Men’s Worlds (Cootes, Kindel, Martin, Nesbitt, Smith) and nine from the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Cootes, Desnoyers, Kindel, Martin, O’Brien, Reid, Reschny, Schaefer, Smith).

The CHL was well represented among the Canadian contingent; 79 of the 85 players selected were products of CHL programs, from 42 different teams – led by four each from the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads and Kitchener Rangers. The Ontario Hockey League led the way with 35 picks, followed by the Western Hockey League with 27 and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with 17.

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY MEMBER

Ontario Hockey Federation (32) – Kashawn Aitcheson, Lirim Amidovski, David Bedkowski, Trenten Bennett, Jordan Charron, Gabe Chiarot, Ethan Czata, Francesco Dell’Elce, Kieran Dervin, Rylan Fellinger, Owen Griffin, Matthew Hlacar, Tyler Hopkins, Jack Ivankovic, Aidan Lane, Jimmy Lombardi, Andrew McNiel, Brady Martin, Porter Martone, Marco Mignosa, Michael Misa, Shamar Moses, Jack Nesbitt, Jake O’Brien, Charlie Pacquette, Evan Passmore, Noah Read, Cameron Reid, Luca Romano, Matthew Schaefer, Grant Spada, Malcolm Spence

Hockey Quebec (15) – Anthony Allain-Samaké, Lucas Beckman, Justin Carbonneau, Alexis Cournoyer, Gabriel D’Aigle, Caleb Desnoyers, Émile Guité, Alex Huang, Noah Laberge, Jérémy Loranger, Alexis Mathieu, Samuel Meloche, Mateo Nobert, Nathan Quinn, Bill Zonnon

Hockey Alberta (12) – Nathan Behm, Braeden Cootes, Ashton Cumby, Kale Dach, Aiden Foster, Max Heise, Justin Kipkie, Carter Klippenstein, Ryan Miller, Bryce Pickford, Jackson Smith, Luke Vlooswyk

BC Hockey (7) – Shea Busch, Ben Kindel, Tommy Lafrenière, Lynden Lakovic, Joshua Ravensbergen, Cameron Schmidt, Will Sharpe

Hockey Manitoba (7) – Carter Bear, Matthew Gard, Burke Hood, Peyton Kettles, Owen Martin, Hayden Papaneukis, Brady Turko

Hockey Eastern Ontario (5) – Quinn Beauchesne, Jacob Cloutier, Parker Holmes, Harry Nansi, Grayden Robertson-Palmer

Hockey Nova Scotia (2) – Cole Chandler, Brady Peddle

Hockey P.E.I. (2) – Will Murphy, Dawson Sharkey

Hockey Saskatchewan (2) – Roger McQueen, Cole Reschny

Hockey New Brunswick (1) – Will Reynolds

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

2025 National Men’s Team – Porter Martone

2025 National Junior Team – Jack Ivankovic, Porter Martone, Matthew Schaefer

2025 National Men’s Under-18 Team (gold medal) – Quinn Beauchesne, Lucas Beckman, Braeden Cootes, Matthew Gard, Burke Hood, Tyler Hopkins, Alex Huang, Jack Ivankovic, Ben Kindel, Brady Martin, Jack Nesbitt, Cole Reschny, Cameron Schmidt, Jackson Smith

2024 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team (gold medal) – Quinn Beauchesne, Lucas Beckman, Braeden Cootes, Ethan Czata, Caleb Desnoyers, Émile Guité, Tyler Hopkins, Alex Huang, Jack Ivankovic, Peyton Kettles, Ben Kindel, Brady Martin, Jake O’Brien, Cameron Reid, Cole Reschny, Matthew Schaefer, Cameron Schmidt,Jackson Smith

2024 National Men’s Under-18 Team (gold medal) – Kashawn Aitcheson, Caleb Desnoyers, Jack Ivankovic, Porter Martone, Matthew Schaefer

2023 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team (gold medal) – Gabriel D’Aigle, Porter Martone, Michael Misa, Roger McQueen, Malcolm Spence

2023 National Men’s Under-18 Team (bronze medal) – Gabriel D’Aigle

2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada Red) – Quinn Beauchesne, Braeden Cootes, Peyton Kettles, Brady Martin, Jake O’Brien, Cole Reschny, Luca Romano, Jackson Smith

2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada White-gold medal) – Cole Chandler, Ethan Czata, Caleb Desnoyers, Owen Griffin, Émile Guité, Tyler Hopkins, Alex Huang, Jack Ivankovic, Jack Nesbitt, Mateo Nobert, Cameron Reid, Matthew Schaefer, Cameron Schmidt, Will Sharpe

2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada Black) – Lynden Lakovic, Malcolm Spence

2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada Red-silver medal) – David Bedkowski, Gabriel D’Aigle, Porter Martone, Michael Misa

2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada White) – Justin Carbonneau, Roger McQueen, Bill Zonnon

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Stanley Cup champion Misha Donskov (London, ON) has joined the organization as vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach, effective immediately.

Reporting to Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, Donskov brings National Hockey League (NHL) experience as an executive and coach to the organization and will be responsible for implementing the vision and strategies for Hockey Canada’s men’s, women’s and para hockey teams, and strengthen the alignment between the organization’s hockey operations and business operations staffs.

Donskov will also serve as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Team at the IIHF World Championship, as assistant coach with the Men’s Olympic Team and as associate coach with Canada’s National Junior Team.

“We are thrilled to name Misha to his role today as he will play a critical role to ensure Canada’s national teams are set up for sustained success when representing our country on the world stage,” said Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer. “Misha is a proven winner, collaborative leader and unwavering in his commitment to supporting our athletes, coaches and staff, and we know he will make Canadians proud throughout his work with Hockey Canada.

“We received a tremendous number of applications from candidates in Canada, across North America and around the world for this position and appreciate their interest in the role as part of the extensive recruitment process.”

Donskov recently completed his second season as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars after spending parts of four seasons as an assistant coach (2020-23) with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2023. Before joining the Golden Knights coaching staff, he was the team’s director of hockey operations for four seasons (2016-20). Internationally, Donskov has been part of a number of successful Canadian teams, including championships as an assistant coach at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He also won gold at two IIHF World Championships (2015, 2016) and one IIHF World Junior Championship (2015) as manager of hockey operations, analytics and video, and won the 2019 Spengler Cup as director of hockey operations and assistant coach as well as the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament as video coach.

Donskov spent five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights (2009-12) and Ottawa 67s (2012-14), highlighted by an OHL championship as London’s assistant general manager and assistant coach in 2012. In addition to his coaching and management career, Donskov has extensive experience in hockey development, including previous NHL roles with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers.

Prior to pursuing a full-time career in hockey, Donskov spent six years with Cardinal Health, a Fortune 500 global, integrated healthcare solutions company. He held roles of increasing responsibility in finance, sales, and sales management. He holds a master's degree in kinesiology with a specialization in coaching education from the University of Western Ontario.

“It is a tremendous honour to be trusted to serve as Vice President, Hockey Operations and National Men’s Teams Coach for Hockey Canada,” said Donskov. “I would like to thank the Hockey Canada Board, Katherine Henderson and Scott Salmond for this incredibly unique opportunity. Hockey Canada has played a significant role in my hockey journey and development — both personal and professional. I am excited to be returning to Hockey Canada to help support our world leading teams, programs and people. In addition, I would like to thank Tom Gaglardi, Jim Nill and Pete DeBoer for affording me the privilege to coach in the National Hockey League and be a part of the Dallas Stars family and organization.”

This is the second critical hockey operations staff announcement ahead of the 2025-26 international hockey season after Hockey Canada announced the hiring of Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), the first full-time general manager of the Program of Excellence.

“Misha brings a coaching acumen and focus to Hockey Canada that our programs will benefit immensely from,” added Salmond. “With a full time general manager in Alan Millar and now the addition of Misha Donskov, we are in a great position as an organization moving forward.”

Additions to the Program of Excellence management group, as well as the coaching staffs, support staffs and rosters for the under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.