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.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON) will serve as the first full-time general manager of the Program of Excellence.

Millar returns to Hockey Canada after spending three years as director of player personnel with the POE from 2021-24, winning two IIHF World Junior Championship gold medals (2022, 2023) and two Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medals (2022, 2023). He also won gold at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship as director of player personnel, and at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup as general manager.

In his new role, Millar will serve as general manager of Canada's National Junior Team, and Canada's National Men's Under-18 Team at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and IIHF U18 Men's World Championship. He will also oversee the national under-17 program and ensure the long-term sustainability of the Program of Excellence.

“We are excited to have a dedicated, full-time general manager to oversee Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, and after an open and extensive search process, we are confident Alan is the right person to lead it,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations. “He has spent a large portion of his career working alongside Hockey Canada in various roles and has helped build several world championship-winning teams. His experience in the AHL and CHL, along with his familiarity of our staff and programs, will be extremely helpful as he begins this new role.”

Millar has spent the last two seasons (2023-25) as vice-president of hockey operations and general manager of the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Prior to his first stint with Hockey Canada, he served as general manager of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors for nine seasons (2012-21). He also had a two-year stint as director of hockey operations (2010-12) and served five seasons as general manager of the Sarnia Sting (2004-09) of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Millar also served as director of operations for Team Ontario at the 2004 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, helping the team to a gold medal. He spent the 2003-04 season with the OHL’s Toronto St. Michael’s Majors as director of player personnel and was general manager and alternate governor of the OHL’s Guelph Storm for six seasons (1997-2003), winning an OHL championship in 1998. Millar also served as director of operations and alternate governor with the Saint John Flames of the American Hockey League (AHL) for four seasons (1993-97).

“I am truly honoured to return to Hockey Canada as the general manager of the Program of Excellence,” said Millar. “It is a privilege to represent Canada on the world stage, and I have been fortunate to have had a number of opportunities to do just that. I am excited to work with the leadership and staff to build on the recent successes at the U17 and U18 levels, and bring our National Junior Team back to the podium. I look forward to the challenge of evaluating the best players in the country and building teams that will compete for gold. I’d like to thank Scott Salmond, Katherine Henderson and the Hockey Canada leadership team for this special opportunity.”

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.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada and its Member partners – Hockey Nova Scotia, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador, and Hockey Quebec - have announced the host communities and tournament dates for two of its international events – the 2025 U17 World Challenge and 2025 Junior A World Challenge, along with the U18 Women’s National Championship.  

“Hockey Canada takes great pride in welcoming premier hockey events and hockey talent to communities across the country,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact with Hockey Canada. “From sponsors to volunteers, communities over the years have proven to be excellent hosts, ensuring lasting memories and legacy for all participants.”

The U17 World Challenge will return to Nova Scotia for a third time (and first since January 2014) when Truro plays host from Oct. 31-Nov. 8. The tournament is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence and includes two Canadian teams and four international entries.

The U18 Women’s National Championship will be hosted in Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time when the City of Mount Pearl and Town of Conception Bay South welcome eight provincial and regional teams – Alberta, Atlantic, B.C., Manitoba, Ontario Blue, Ontario Red, Quebec and Saskatchewan – to compete for a national championship from Nov. 3-9.

The Junior A World Challenge will be hosted in Quebec for the first time, Dec. 7-13 in Trois-Rivières. An international showcase of some of the best young hockey talent, more than 300 NHL draft picks have played at the tournament since 2006, including 45 first-round draft picks.

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

SARNIA, Ontario – Canada White has won back-to-back gold medals at the U17 World Challenge after defeating Canada Red 3-1 in the gold medal game on Saturday evening.

After a scoreless opening period, Canada White found the back of the net twice in 3:02 to take a 2-0 lead. Jean-Christoph Lemieux (Belleville, ON/Windsor, OHL) opened the scoring before Mathis Preston (Penticton, BC/Spokane, WHL) buried a one-timer that stood as the game-winner with less than five minutes remaining in the second period. Preston’s clincher was his tournament-leading sixth goal.

“This is the best feeling in the world, and I am so proud of these guys. We had to face a bit of adversity throughout the tournament, but I am so happy we were able to [win gold] today,” said Preston. “The puck was not going in for me in the preliminary round, but I kind of broke through in the medal round and I am happy I was able to contribute. I could not have done it without such great teammates around me.”

Adam Valentini (Toronto, ON/Chicago, USHL) rounded out the scoring for White less than four minutes into the third period, firing a shot from the slot past Canada Red netminder Carter Esler (Okotoks, AB/Spokane, WHL). Red would pull within two on a Braidy Wassilyn (Campbellville, ON/Niagara, OHL) goal, but it fell short as White goaltender Gavin Betts (Toronto, ON/Pickering, OJHL) turned in an exceptional 38-save performance.

“This feels surreal. Representing Canada and winning a gold medal is something that I have dreamed about since I was a young kid, and to be able to take in this moment with our group is an incredible feeling,” said Betts. “I do not think I will every forget the moments we experienced at this tournament, and it has been an incredible experience getting to wear the Maple Leaf.”

“Everything started to click for us in our quarterfinal game. Going through the loss against Sweden [to finish the preliminary round] made us stronger and prepared us for the gold medal game, and I believe that helped us come out on top,” said Canada White head coach Mathieu Turcotte (Kirkland, QC/Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL). “I am extremely proud of our guys, and I think our team had one of the best performances I have ever seen, especially considering these are 16-year-olds in a high-pressure game. They are champions for life and they all deserve it.”

A full game summary game be found HERE. 

Following the gold medal game, Hockey Canada announced the 2024 U17 World Challenge all-star team:

• Goaltender – Betts, Canada White
• Defence – Keaton Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan, AB/Victoria, WHL), Canada Red
• Defence – Landon DuPont (Calgary, AB/Everett, WHL), Canada Red
• Forward – Preston, Canada White
• Forward – Marcus Nordmark, Sweden
• Forward – Victor Plante, United States

Sweden defeats U.S. 5-4 in overtime to win bronze; Finland finishes in fifth place

Earlier in the day, Sweden rebounded from a 6-4 loss to Canada White in the semifinals to win the bronze medal for the second year in a row, defeating the United States 5-4 in overtime. 

Elton Hermansson was the overtime hero, firing a shot past American goaltender Luke Carrithers on a breakaway 16 seconds into the extra frame to secure Sweden’s 10th medal at the U17 World Challenge, and sixth bronze.

The teams traded goals in the first period before Vilgot Lidén gave Sweden a 3-2 lead just over two minutes into the middle frame. Casey Mutryn evened the score on the power play less than five minutes into the third before Nils Bartholdsson netted a power-play goal of his own to give the Swedes a 4-3 lead. With less than two minutes remaining and the American net empty, Mutryn jammed home his second of the afternoon to send the game to overtime.

In the fifth-place game, Vilho Vanhatalo netted the lone goal 3:33 into the second period to secure a 1-0 win for Finland over Czechia. Oskari Ahmajärvi turned in a 28-save shutout, while Martin Psohlavec made 31 saves for the Czechs.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the U17 World Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 44 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada Red and Canada White at the 2024 U17 World Challenge, set for Nov. 3-9 at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ontario.

The rosters were selected by U17 head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations. Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations also provided input, along with regional scouts Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Rob Simpson (Ontario), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario), as well as Member representatives.

All 44 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League (CHL) teams (21 from the OHL, 15 from the WHL and eight from the QMJHL), while 15 represented Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (Chartrand, Croskery, Di Iorio, Edwards, Ellsworth, Esler, Lawrence, Lin, Preston, Wassilyn, L. Ruck, M. Ruck, Rudolph, Valentini, Verhoeff).

“Following a competitive summer camp and exciting start to the CHL season, we are thrilled to unveil the 44 athletes that will take the next step in the Program of Excellence and represent Canada at the U17 World Challenge,” Roy said. “We believe we have assembled two strong teams that will give us the best chance to defend our gold medal, and we know all 44 players are excited to wear the Maple Leaf with Canada Red and Canada White in Sarnia next month.”

The 2024 U17 World Challenge kicks off on Nov. 3, with Canada White taking on Czechia at 3:30 p.m. ET and Canada Red facing off against Finland at 7:30 p.m. ET. Teams will play two preliminary-round games before the medal round, which concludes on Nov. 9 with the medal games, as well as the fifth-place game. The event will also feature pre-tournament games in Sarnia, Petrolia and Forest on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. ET.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the bronze and gold medal games; check local listings for details.

Fans looking to secure their seat to watch the top under-17 players from five countries can purchase a variety of ticket options at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets, with full-event ticket packages starting as low as $140 for youth and $210 for adults (plus fees). A Group A or Group B three-game package is also available starting as low as $50 (plus fees), as well as a seven-game medal round package that starts at $130 (plus fees) and includes one ticket to both quarterfinals, both semifinals, the placement game, and the bronze and gold medal games. Pending availability, single-game tickets will be available in the coming weeks.

As a legacy of hosting the event, Sarnia will receive net proceeds from all ticket sales to support grassroots hockey within the community.

More than 2,000 NHL draft picks have suited up since the inception of the U17 World Challenge (previously known as the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and Quebec Esso Cup) in 1986, including 17 first-overall draft picks since 2001 (Ilya Kovalchuk, 2001; Rick Nash, 2002; Marc-André Fleury, 2003; Alexander Ovechkin, 2004; Erik Johnson, 2006; Patrick Kane, 2007; John Tavares, 2009; Taylor Hall, 2010, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 2011; Nathan MacKinnon, 2013; Aaron Ekblad, 2014; Connor McDavid, 2015; Auston Matthews, 2016; Jack Hughes, 2019; Alexis Lafrenière, 2020; Owen Power, 2021; Macklin Celebrini, 2024).

For more information on Hockey Canada and the U17 World Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers that will make up the Program of Excellence management group for the 2024-25 season.

Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) will make his debut as a member of the POE management group, guiding the under-17 program through the 2024 U17 World Challenge in Sarnia, Ontario, while Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL) returned to the POE for the second year in a row, serving as under-18 lead by helping Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team win its third-straight gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton in August. Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) is part of the management group for the fourth-consecutive season and leading the under-20 program for the second time in as many years, advising Canada’s National Junior Team through the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

In addition, Team Canada alumni Kyle Turris (New Westminster, BC) and Brent Seabrook (Tsawwassen, BC) have joined the management group of the under-17 and under-20 programs, respectively. Turris will work alongside Lemay, making his management debut, while Seabrook returns to the under-20 program for the second-straight year to work alongside Anholt. 

“We are grateful for Yanick, Dave, Peter, Kyle and Brent’s commitment and dedication to the Program of Excellence, as these three general managers and two recognized alumni bring a wealth of experience and leadership to Hockey Canada’s under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations. “The POE has been successful to start the new season, with Dave helping our under-18 program capture gold on home ice, and we know Yanick, Kyle, Peter and Brent are excited to continue to contribute to Canada’s success on the international stage in the coming months.”

Lemay is currently in his second season as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Last season, he helped lead the Voltigeurs to a 102-point season, winning the Trophée Gilles-Courteau as QMJHL champions and earning a spot in the Memorial Cup. Prior to joining Drummondville, he served as an amateur scout with the Winnipeg Jets for 12 seasons (2011-23), was the head scout of the QMJHL’s Montréal Junior 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 guided the under-17 program in 2023-24, helping Canada White to a gold medal at the 2023 U17 World Challenge. He is currently in his 10th season (2015-24) as general manager of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving four seasons as director (2014-15) and assistant director (2011-14) of hockey operations with the team. Brown led 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, he spent seven seasons with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs, serving as assistant general manager (2003-05) and general manager (2005-10).

Anholt led the under-20 program last season, as well as the under-18 program for two seasons (2021-23), helping Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team win a gold medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is currently in his ninth full season (2015-24) as general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) after being promoted from assistant general manager in 2014. Anholt also spent time as head coach of the Hurricanes for part of the 2014-15 season, and has won the WHL Executive of the Year award twice (2015-16, 2019-20). He brings a wealth of WHL experience as a head coach, assistant coach and scout, including stints with the Prince Albert Raiders (1986-89, 2002-07), Seattle Thunderbirds (1989-92, 2012-14), Red Deer Rebels (1992-95, 1998-2000, 2007-08, 2011-12) and Kelowna Rockets (1996-98).

Turris played in 776 NHL games over 14 seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes (2008-11), Ottawa Senators (2011-17), Nashville Predators (2017-20) and Edmonton Oilers (2020-22), amassing 424 points (168 goals, 256 assists). He suited up for Canada at all levels of the POE, winning gold medals at the 2006 U18 Junior World Cup and 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, and won gold with Canada West at the inaugural World Junior A Challenge in 2006, where he led the tournament in scoring and was named Most Valuable Player. Turris also played at three IIHF World Championships (2014, 2018, 2019), serving as captain and winning a silver medal in 2019.

Seabrook played in 1,114 NHL games over 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (2005-20), recording 464 career points (103 goals, 361 assists), serving as an alternate captain for 11 seasons and winning the Stanley Cup three times (2010, 2013, 2015). He won a silver medal at the 2002 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, gold medals at the 2002 Eight Nations Cup and 2003 IIHF World U18 Championship, and gold (2005) and silver (2004) at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Seabrook also suited up for Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Championship and won gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Prior to his professional career, he played four WHL seasons (2001-05) for Lethbridge, serving as Hurricanes captain for two seasons (2003-05).

The management group will work alongside Salmond, Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, U20 head scout Al Murray (Regina, SK), U17 head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and Scott Walker (Cambridge, ON), player development coach, 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; Pat McLaughlin (Saint John, NB), Hockey Canada’s chief operating officer and executive vice-president, strategy; Salmond; 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.