CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers that will comprise the Program of Excellence (POE) management group for the 2026-27 season, under the leadership of POE general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON).

Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL) returns for his second-consecutive stint with the POE, guiding the under-17 program through the 2026 U17 World Challenge in Oakville, Ontario, while Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) returns for the third-straight year to support the under-18 program through the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, Alberta. Dave Brown (Niagara on the Lake, ON/Erie, OHL) returns to the POE management group, working with Canada’s National Junior Team for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta.

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

“We are very pleased to have Dave, Yanick, and Mike return to the POE Management Group,” said Millar. “All three individuals bring great leadership, CHL management, and international experience to our National Teams. Dave, Yanick, and Mike, will play a significant role in player evaluations, team build, and establishing the standard for culture and expectations across all our programs.”

Johnston returns to the POE management group after helping guide Canada Red and Canada White to gold and silver, respectively, at the 2025 U17 World Challenge. He also 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 14 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-26). He recently stepped down as head coach after 12 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-24), winning executive of the year and coach of the year honours in the U.S. Division in 2023-24. 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 third-straight season after helping guide Canada White and Canada Red to gold and silver, respectively, at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and leading Canada to a bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is entering his third season as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). 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 after helping lead Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship in Finland and gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also helped Canada White to gold at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Brown is currently in his 11th season (2015-26) as general manager of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving four seasons (2011-15) as director of hockey operations. 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 (London, ON), 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.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada announced the schedule for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Aug. 3-8 at Rogers Place and the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton.

A premier international under-18 tournament featuring the world’s top NHL draft eligible players, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a partnership with Hockey Alberta, OEG Sports & Entertainment, the City of Edmonton, Explore Edmonton and the Government of Alberta.

“We are proud to have Edmonton host this prestigious best-on-best competition for the third time, giving fans a chance to celebrate some of the best young hockey players in the world,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “Albertans are passionate about hockey, and we are proud to have the support of our partners to ensure fans and teams have an incredible experience in the summer.”

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team has captured a record 25 gold medals and will be looking for its first gold since winning in Edmonton in 2024. Canada is joined by Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland in Group A, while Czechia, Finland, Germany and the United States, the 2025 champions, will form Group B.

The puck drops Aug. 3 at 1 p.m. MT when the United States faces Czechia, while Canada will play its opening game against Switzerland at 5 p.m. MT. Canada will also take on Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5 to close out the preliminary round. The semifinals are set for Aug. 7, with the medal games on Aug. 8 at noon and 5 p.m. MT, respectively.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast all preliminary-round games, semifinals and medal games from Rogers Place.

Ticket packages for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup go on sale to the public on Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m. MT and can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

Packages include an exclusive bonus connected to the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship: tickets to a Team Canada pre-tournament game in December and the relegation game at Rogers Place. Fans can take advantage of presale access by signing up for the Hockey Canada Insider before May 6. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

The Coaches Site is moving its flagship coaching conference to the City of Champions, marking the event’s return to Canada for the first time since 2019. Hosted in partnership with the Hockey Canada Foundation and Hockey Alberta and set against the backdrop of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, TCS Live 2026 is poised to become the most impactful hockey coaching event ever held.

For more information on the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, please visit HlinkaGretzkyCup.ca or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team is into the playoff round at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, taking on Sweden in the quarterfinals Wednesday at Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium.

Last Game

Canada ran its consecutive shutout streak to three on Monday, blanking Finland 7-0 in its preliminary-round finale. Gavin Betts was perfect on the 19 shots he faced, running his personal shutout streak to 133 minutes and 49 seconds (and the team’s run to 191:17), and Adam Valentini and Beckett Hamilton scored twice to pace the Canadian offence.

The Swedes closed out their prelim schedule with a 10-1 romp over Denmark on Monday. Elton Hermansson finished with two goals and four assists, Alexander Command and Marcus Nordmark also scored twice, and Sweden reached double digits despite not getting to 40 shots on goal—they finished with a 39-7 edge.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Swedes last clashed in the gold medal game a year ago in Texas, where Canada defended its gold medal with a convincing 7-0 win. Brady Martin potted a pair of goals for the Canadians, who spread around the scoring—six players recorded goals and 14 had at least a point. Jack Ivankovic made it back-to-back shutouts in the medal round, turning aside all 28 shots he faced to help the Canadians win consecutive gold medals at U18 Men’s Worlds for the first time ever.

What to Watch

Things didn’t look good for Betts when he was helped off the ice in considerable pain early in the third period of Canada’s tournament-opening loss to Slovakia last Wednesday. But the Toronto native has bounced back from what was revealed to be severe cramping; he made 12 saves in his return to the net in an 8-0 win over Norway on Saturday before his 19-save effort against the Finns. Betts has been a workhorse wearing the Maple Leaf over the last two seasons; he played four of five games at the 2024 U17 World Challenge, backstopping Canada White to gold, and was between the pipes for four of five games at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, helping Canada win bronze. He also didn’t take too many nights off in the Ontario Hockey League this season; Betts was 12th among OHL netminders in minutes played (2,415), and ranked among the league leaders in saves (1,080 – 11th), goals-against average (1.81 – 13th) and save percentage (.905 – 13th).

With Viggo Björck not in Slovakia due to a dispute with the federation, Hermansson is the highest-ranked Swedish skater for the 2026 NHL Draft, slotting in at No. 5 among internationals by Central Scouting. The Örnsköldsvik product opened the scoring just 32 seconds in against the Danes and exploded for a goal and three assists in a span of 7:23 to pull even with U.S. forward Wyatt Cullen for the tournament scoring lead through the preliminary round with eight points (2-6—8). Hermansson— who scored the overtime winner against the United States in the bronze medal game at the 2024 U17 World Challenge—got his first taste of professional hockey this season; he suited up for 38 games with MODO Hockey in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish pro hockey, posting 21 points (11-10—21).

A Look Back

No country has been a more frequent foe for Canada at U18 Men’s Worlds than Sweden; this will be the 25th meeting between the longtime rivals dating back to 2003.

The Canadians have won 14 of the first 24 matchups, including three in a row. This will be the fourth meeting in a quarterfinal—Canada posted an 8-1 win in 2003 and a 5-3 victory in 2015 (thanks to three points from Mitchell Stephens), while Sweden earned a 7-3 win in 2017.

All-time record: Canada leads 14-10 (1-1 in OT)
Canada goals: 101
Sweden goals: 74

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team closes out the preliminary round Monday at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, taking on Finland with the top three spots in Group A very much undecided.

Last Game

Canada made it back-to-back shutouts on Saturday, getting 12 saves from Gavin Betts in an 8-0 win over Norway. Dima Zhilkin led the offence with a hat trick and an assist, Jaxon Jacobson scored twice and Tynan Lawrence recorded a goal and two helpers for the Canadians, who piled 66 shots against two Norwegian goaltenders.

The Finns moved into top spot in Group A with a 5-4 overtime win over host Slovakia on Saturday. Samu Alalauri tied the game with 4:51 left and Oliver Suvanto provided the overtime winner for Finland just 1:50 into the extra period, putting the Scandinavians (2-1-0-0, eight points) ahead of the Slovaks (2-0-1-0, seven points) and Canadians (2-0-0-1, six points).

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Finns last met at the U18 level in the bronze medal game of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer in, ironically, Trencin. Cooper Williams, Ethan Belchetz and Daxon Rudolph scored in the first, second and third periods, respectively, and Betts stopped all 22 shots he faced for the shutout in a 3-0 win.

At U18 Men’s Worlds, the teams most recently faced off in the preliminary round of the 2025 tournament in Texas. Ben Kindel, Brady Martin and Xavier Villeneuve each recorded a goal an an assist as the Canadians recorded a 5-1 win despite being outshot 40-20. Jack Ivankovic was terrific between the pipes in a 39-save effort.

What to Watch

Zhilkin has been terrific for the Canadians, sitting tied with Finnish forward Luca Santala (more on him below) for the scoring lead with six points (4-2—6) in three games. His hat trick against Norway was the 20th by a Canadian in tournament history and the first since Gavin McKenna potted three goals in the classic 2024 gold medal game against the United States. Named captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit in early January despite being just 16 years old when the puck dropped on the 2025-26 campaign (his birthday is Oct. 8, 2008), Zhilkin recorded 75 points (36-29—75) in 59 games, almost doubling his scoring efforts from his rookie season (43 points). A member of Canada’s bronze medal-winning team at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Zhilkin doesn’t need to go far to find out what it takes to be successful at U18 Men’s Worlds—his brother, Danny, won gold with Canada at the 2021 tournament.

Santala is turning heads as an underager—as a 2009-born player, he isn’t eligible for the NHL Draft until 2027. Santala, who represented his country at the 2025 U17 World Challenge in Truro, Nova Scotia, last fall, came out firing, matching Zhilkin’s performance against Norway hat trick and assist of his own against the Norwegians. With the absence of Oscar Hemming (No. 11 among North American skaters) due to a dispute with the Finnish association, Suvanto is the notable name among draft watchers, finishing at No. 3 among international skaters according to NHL Central Scouting. Suvanto spent this season with Tappara in the Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, posting 11 points (2-9—11) in 48 games. He was well-travelled internationally this year, appearing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and World Juniors prior to U18 Men’s Worlds.

A Look Back

As they usually are at major international tournaments, the Canadians and Finns have been frequent foes at U18 Men’s Worlds, with Canada winning eight of 15 meetings (with one tie) dating back to 2002.

Those matchups have come largely in the prelims, with only one including a medal up for grabs; at the 2012 tournament in Czechia, Hunter Shinkaruk scored at 2:05 of overtime to finish his hat trick and give Canada a 5-4 win and the bronze medal.

All-time record: Canada leads 8-6-1 (1-3 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 48
Finland goals: 44

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team is back on the ice Saturday at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, facing off against Norway in the penultimate game of preliminary-round play in Trencin.

Last Game

Canada bounced back from a tournament-opening loss with a 6-0 blanking of Latvia on Thursday. Thomas Vandenberg opened the scoring just 52 seconds in and the Canadians were in control from there, outshooting the Latvians 42-19. Adam Valentini and Dima Zhilkin led the charge with a goal and an assist apiece, and Carter Esler was perfect, turning aside all 19 shots he faced to record the shutout.

The Norwegians fell 6-1 to Slovakia on Thursday, its second defeat in as many games by that same scoreline. August Jones-Nilsson provided the lone goal for Norway, briefly cutting the Slovak lead in half early in the second period, but the hosts scored the final four goals and outshot Norway 40-22.

Last Meeting

The teams met in the same stage a year ago in Texas, with Canada coming away with an 8-1 win to close out the preliminary round. Braeden Cootes and Lev Katzin scored a pair of goals each and Ryan Roobroeck added a goal and three assists for the Canadians, who piled up 64 shots in the win—32 of them in the second period, tying the third-most in a single frame in U18 Men’s Worlds history.

What to Watch

Among the Canadians forwards in Trencin, Tynan Lawrence is the highest-ranked North American forward on the final NHL Central Scouting ranking for the 2026 NHL Draft, slotting in at No. 7. The Fredericton, New Brunswick, product made the move from the USHL to college hockey in January, recording seven points (2-5—7) in 18 games with Boston University. Lawrence has been a frequent appearance in the Maple Leaf across the last two-plus years, with 16 points (7-9—16) across appearances at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, 2024 U17 World Challenge (winning gold with Canada White), 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (winning bronze) and 2026 U18 Men’s Worlds. He is a year removed from winning the Clark Cup with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, claiming playoff MVP honours after putting up 18 points (8-10—18) in 14 postseason games.

Niklas Aaram-Olsen is back for his third U18 Men’s Worlds after almost single-handedly keeping Norway in the top division a year ago. He scored twice and added two assists in the relegation game against Switzerland, helping set up Alexander Kionig for the game-tying goal with less than 10 minutes to go before the Norwegians prevailed in a six-round shootout. Aaram-Olsen—the 15th-ranked international skater by NHL Central Scouting—had 40 points (20-20—40) in 29 games this season with the U20 program with Örebro HK in Sweden. In addition to his U18 Men’s Worlds experience, he has played at the last two World Juniors Division 1A tournaments; in December, he posted 10 points (6-4—10) in five games to help Norway go undefeated and secure their return to the top division in Edmonton next year.

A Look Back

Canada and Norway have met four previous times at U18 Men’s Worlds, with the Canadians winning all four.

Justin Azevedo had a hat trick in a 9-2 win at the 2006 tournament in Sweden, and Mark Scheifele finished with two goals and an assist in a 5-0 win in 2011 in a game that saw Canada outshot the Norwegians 63-19.

All-time record: Canada leads 4-0
Canada goals: 26
Norway goals: 6

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team looks for a quick bounce back when it returns to the ice Thursday to take on Latvia as preliminary-round play continues at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.

Last Game

Canada dropped its tournament opener Wednesday, falling 2-1 to host Slovakia. Mathis Preston scored the lone Canadian goal, tying the game on the power play late in the second period, but the Slovaks converted on a penalty shot in the third period to leave Canada with its first opening-game loss since 2023.

The Latvians last played Sunday, closing out their pre-tournament schedule with an 8-1 loss to Sweden in Bratislava. Martin Klaucans provided the offence, scoring shorthanded midway through the second period to briefly tie the game, but the Swedes scored the game’s final seven goals.

Last Meeting

The most recent clash between Canada and Latvia came in the preliminary round a year ago in Texas, a 7-1 Canadian win. Canada spread around the scoring, with six different players netting goals and 12 recording at least a point. Ryan Roobroeck scored twice, and Alessandro Di Iorio, Lev Katzin and Xavier Villeneuve contributed a goal and an assist apiece for the Canadians, who led by two goals after one period and by five after two.

What to Watch

Carter Esler made his first appearance a little earlier than previous planned, coming into a 1-1 game against the Slovaks when Gavin Betts departed with an apparent lower-body injury. The Okotoks, Alberta, product was terrific between the pipes with the Spokane Chiefs this season, ranking eighth among all Western Hockey League goaltenders in goals-against average (2.80) and 12th in save percentage (.903) while posting a league-leading five shutouts. Esler is also no stranger to international competition; he turned in a 2.58 GAA across four appearances at the 2024 Youth Olympics, backstopped Canada Red to silver at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and won his lone start in Canada’s bronze medal effort at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The Latvians are not short on experience; eight players are back from the team that lost to the United States a year ago in Texas—Avotins, Klaucans, Laugalis, Murnieks, Obuks, Plumins, Reidzans and Rutkis. Klaucans (with the Sherbrooke Phoenix) and Murnieks (with the Saint John Sea Dogs) both spent their seasons in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, and both saw the ice at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship—Klaucans earned an assist in five games, while Murnieks added a goal and three helpers. Murnieks also cracked the final NHL Central Scouting rankings for the NHL Draft, coming in 98th among North American skaters.

A Look Back

Canada has an unblemished 8-0 record against Latvia at U18 Men’s Worlds, outscoring the Eastern European nation 47-13.

The teams played one of the wildest games in tournament history in 2015; the Canadians trailed 3-2 after 20 minutes before scoring six times unanswered in the second period to take control, and there were six goals in a span of 6:49 in the third as Canada earned a frenetic 11-6 victory.

All-time record: Canada leads 8-0
Canada goals: 47
Latvia goals: 13

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team gets its quest for a third-consecutive gold medal underway Wednesday as it opens preliminary-round play at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship against host Slovakia.

Last Game

Canada closed out pre-tournament play Sunday with a 6-2 win over Czechia. Tynan Lawrence led the offensive charge with a hat trick and an assist, and Dima Zhilkin added three helpers for the Canadians, who opened up a 5-0 lead by the 14-minute mark of the second period.

The Slovaks cruised to a 7-0 victory over Denmark in their lone pre-tournament game Sunday, getting two goals from Oliver Ozokany, and goal-and-an-assist efforts from Jakub Floris, Timothy Kazda and Ivan Matta. Denis Celko and Samuel Hrenak shared the shutout.

Last Meeting

Canada and Slovakia most recently met a year ago in the semifinals in Texas, with the Canadians earning a 4-0 win to move into the gold medal game. Xavier Villeneuve provided the game-winning goal early in the second period before Cole Reschny, Jack Nesbitt and Ryan Roobroeck added insurance in the third. Jack Ivankovic stopped all 24 shots he faced for the shutout, his first of two in the medal round (he made 28 stops in the win over Sweden for gold).

What to Watch

Keaton Verhoeff has become a Team Canada veteran in very short order; U18 Men’s Worlds will be his sixth appearance in the Maple Leaf in just over two years—2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, 2024 U17 World Challenge (gold), 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (gold), 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (bronze), 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship (bronze) and now a second tour of duty at U18 Men’s Worlds. The Fort Saskatchewan product—a projected top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft—was terrific as a rare 17-year-old freshman defenceman at the University of North Dakota, recording 20 points (6-14—20) in 36 games and earning a place on the NCHC All-Rookie Team while helping the Fighting Hawks reach the Frozen Four.

The Slovaks bring back four players from the team that pushed the United States to overtime in the bronze medal game a year ago in Texas—Hrenak, Kadza, Adam Goljer and Filip Kovalcik. Goljer and Kovalcik were the lone 2008-born players to crack the Slovakia roster for the World Juniors in Minnesota, but didn’t make much of a mark; Kovalcik contributed an assist in four games, while Goljer was held off the scoresheet in his five appearances. Goljer is the highest-ranked Slovak by NHL Central Scouting for the 2026 draft, coming in at 14th among international skaters.

A Look Back

Canada owns a perfect record against Slovakia at U18 Men’s Worlds, with 12 wins in as many meetings.

The last time the Canadians and Slovaks faced off to begin prelim play was back in 2013 in Sochi, Russia, when 16-year-old Connor McDavid set the stage for an MVP performance with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win.

All-time record: Canada leads 12-0 (2-0 in OT)
Canada goals: 43
Slovakia goals: 17

TRENCIN, Slovakia – Twenty-five players will begin the tournament with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team as it looks for its third-consecutive gold medal at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, April 22-May 2 in Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia.

Three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards – representing eight Members – were selected by general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON) and head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), with support from Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and coordinator of hockey operations Jared Power (Calgary, AB).

Head coach Drew Bannister (Sudbury, ON), assistant coaches Matt Anholt (Prince Albert, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Mark O’Leary (Owen Sound, ON/Moose Jaw, WHL), and goaltending coach Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC/ Kamloops, WHL) also provided input.

The roster includes three players who won a gold medal at the 2025 U18 Men’s Worlds (Di Iorio, Lin, Verhoeff) and 12 who won bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Betts, Chartrand, Di Iorio, Esler, Lawrence, Lemieux, Lin, Preston, Rousseau, Valentini, Verhoeff, Zhilkin). It also includes 18 players who have represented Canada at the U17 World Challenge—nine who won gold (Betts, Croskery, Joseph, Lawrence, Lemieux, Lin, Preston, Valentini, Verhoeff) and nine who took home silver (Ambrosio, Chartrand, Dagenais, Di Iorio, Eshkawkogan, Esler, Hicks, Jacobson, Olson)—and six players making their Program of Excellence debuts (Cali, Déniger, Hamilton, MacBeath, Olsen, Vandenberg).

“Following a competitive camp, we are pleased to announce this group of 25 players who will begin the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship for Canada,” said Millar. “We are excited about our group’s competitiveness, talent and character as we prepare to open the tournament tomorrow against the host Slovaks. This team will represent Canada and their respective hometowns with pride and humility." 

Canada opens the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship on Wednesday, April 22, facing Slovakia at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. Canada will also play Latvia, Norway and Finland in the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 2.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 16 and 10 tournament games, respectively. TSN will broadcast all Team Canada preliminary-round games, as well as the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games, while RDS will broadcast all Team Canada preliminary-round games, two quarterfinals, the semifinals and medal games.

For more information on the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, please visit the official tournament website at IIHF.com.

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

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the first 23 players who have been named to Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team pre-tournament camp roster ahead of the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship in Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia.

Three goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards were selected by general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON) and head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), with support from Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and coordinator of hockey operations Jared Power (Calgary, AB). The coaching staff also provided input.

The roster features three players who won a gold medal at the 2025 U18 Men’s Worlds (Di Iorio, Lin, Verhoeff) and 13 players who won bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Betts, Chartrand, Di Iorio, Esler, Lawrence, Lemieux, Lin, Pantelas, Preston, Rousseau, Valentini, Verhoeff, Zhilkin). It also includes 19 players who have represented Canada at the U17 World Challenge; 12 who won gold (Betts, England, Joseph, Lawrence, Lemieux, Lin, Mitchell, Oaten, Pantelas, Preston, Valentini, Verhoeff) and seven who took home silver (Ambrosio, Chartrand, Di Iorio, Esler, Hicks, Jacobson, Wycisk).

"We are pleased to announce the roster that will participate in the pre-tournament camp in Slovakia,” Millar said. “Our group will continue to monitor the Canadian Hockey League playoffs, and we expect to add players prior to the start of the world championship. At this time, we are pleased with the level of talent and international experience we have on our projected roster and are excited to gather in Slovakia in preparation to defend our gold medal."

Roster additions will be announced in the coming weeks following the conclusion of the second round of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) playoffs, while the final roster for the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship will be announced prior to the start of the tournament.

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team will play two pre-tournament games, taking on Sweden at Ondrej Nepala Arena in Bratislava on April 17 and Czechia at the Pavol Demitra Ice Hockey Arena in Trencin on April 19.

The 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship kicks off on April 22, with Canada taking on Slovakia, Latvia, Norway and Finland in the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 2. TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 16 and 10 tournament games, respectively. TSN will broadcast all Team Canada preliminary-round games, as well as the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games, while RDS will broadcast all Team Canada preliminary-round games, two quarterfinals, the semifinals and medal games.

For more information on the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, please visit the official tournament website at IIHF.com.

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

With less than a month until the puck drops at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, Hockey Canada has announced the staff that will build and guide Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team in Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia.

Former National Hockey League bench boss Drew Bannister (Belleville, ON) will serve as head coach, working alongside assistant coaches Matt Anholt (Prince Albert, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Mark O’Leary (Owen Sound, ON/Moose Jaw, WHL), goaltending coach Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC/Kamloops, WHL), who returns for the third-consecutive year, and video coach Ryan Aasman (Medicine Hat, AB/Lethbridge, WHL).

The coaching and support staffs were selected by general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON) and director of hockey operations Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), with support from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.

“We are thrilled to announce the coaching staff that is tasked with leading Team Canada at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship with the goal of winning a third-straight gold medal,” Millar said. “With Drew’s résumé as a head coach in the National Hockey League, he is poised to be a great leader for our team, and Matt and Mark bring many years of experience in the Canadian Hockey League, as well as in international competition. We are confident in this group’s ability to proudly represent Canada in Slovakia.”

Bannister last served as head coach of the St. Louis Blues during the 2024-25 season after being promoted from the American Hockey League’s Springfield Thunderbirds, where he served more than two seasons (2021-23) as head coach. He also spent three seasons (2015-18) as head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Internationally, Bannister served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2025 Spengler Cup, won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup and was an assistant with Ontario at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. As a player, he won a gold medal with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 1994 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Anholt recently completed his first season as head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) after being named associate coach in 2025. He has also served as an assistant coach with Canada Red at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2023 and 2024.

O’Leary is entering his sixth season as head coach of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors after serving as an assistant coach since the 2012-13 season, winning the WHL championship for the first time in franchise history in 2024. Internationally, he was head coach of Canada Black at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and was an assistant coach for Canada Red at the 2018 edition of the tournament.

The support staff that will work with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship includes: 

• Athletic therapists Colton Reiley (Sydney, NS/Cape Breton, LHJMQ) and Terence Robertson (Red Deer, AB/Red Deer, WHL)
• Team physician Dr. RJ MacKenzie (Albert Bridge, NS/Cape Breton, LHJMQ)
• Equipment manager A.J. Murley (St. John’s, NL)
• Academic advisor Stacey Meyer (Calgary, AB)
• Coordinator of hockey operations Jared Power (Calgary, AB)

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team will take on Sweden at Ondrej Nepala Arena in Bratislava on April 17 and Czechia at the Pavol Demitra Ice Hockey Arena in Trencin on April 19 in pre-tournament action.

The 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship kicks off on April 22, with Canada taking on Slovakia, Latvia, Norway and Finland in the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 2. TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 16 and 10 tournament games, respectively. TSN will broadcast all Team Canada preliminary-round games, as well as the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games, while RDS will broadcast all Team Canada preliminary-round games, two quarterfinals, the semifinals and medal games.

For more information on the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, please visit the official tournament website at IIHF.com.

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