22 CHL players named to Canada’s roster for 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
All 22 players represent 18 clubs across the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce that 22 players from across the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) have been named to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set for August 3-8 at Rogers Place and the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton, Alberta.
The roster, which includes two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards, was selected by Program of Excellence general manager Alan Millar, alongside Program of Excellence head scout Byron Bonora and U18 assistant general manager Yanick Lemay (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL), with input from Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy, director of hockey operations.
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The 22-player roster features nine players from the WHL, eight from the OHL and five from the QMJHL. In total, 18 CHL clubs are represented, with the Kingston Frontenacs (OHL), Newfoundland Regiment (QMJHL), Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) and Regina Pats (WHL) each sending two players to the tournament.
“After a competitive training camp and pre-tournament game against Sweden, we are excited to announce the 22 players who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on home ice in Edmonton,” Millar said. “This is a highly skilled group of young players that is motivated to accomplish our goal of winning a gold medal, and we know our players are excited to wear the Maple Leaf and play in front of Canadian fans.”
Canada will enter the tournament with extensive international experience. Twenty of the 22 players competed at the 2025 U17 World Challenge, where Canada Red defeated Canada White in the gold-medal game. Landon DuPont (Everett Silvertips / WHL) also captained Canada Red to a silver medal at the 2024 event, meaning 21 members of the roster have previously played at the U17 World Challenge.
Leif Oaten (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL), Brock Cripps (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL), Alexis Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL) and Maddox Schultz (Regina Pats / WHL) were named to the 2025 U17 World Challenge All-Star Team.
DuPont, the first defenceman granted exceptional-player status in WHL history, is the lone returning player from Canada’s bronze medal-winning team at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Joseph gained additional international experience at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.
The roster also carries significant CHL draft pedigree. Nineteen of the 22 players were selected in the first round of their respective CHL league drafts, including 16 top-10 selections. Among them are three first-overall picks: DuPont and Schultz were chosen first overall in the 2024 and 2025 WHL Prospects Drafts, respectively, while Joseph was selected first overall in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft.
Sixteen players are eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft, while all six 2028-eligible players invited to Canada’s training camp earned spots on the final roster. That group includes goaltenders Sam Berthiaume (Cape Breton Eagles / QMJHL) and Oaten, defenceman Quinn Norman (Newfoundland Regiment / QMJHL), and forwards Liam Pue (Regina Pats / WHL), Schultz and Benjamin Veitch (Newfoundland Regiment / QMJHL).
The final roster brings together the highest-scoring 16-year-old rookie from each CHL Member League in 2025-26. Joseph led QMJHL 16-year-old rookies with 60 points, Brock England (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL) paced the WHL with 51, and Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs / OHL) led the OHL with 49.
DuPont recorded 18 goals and 73 points in his second WHL season, leading all CHL players in his age group. The 2024-25 CHL and WHL Rookie of the Year was named to the 2025-26 CHL Third All-Star Team and helped Everett win its first WHL championship before advancing to the 2026 Memorial Cup final.
The CHL’s presence extends beyond Canada’s roster. Head coach Ryan Oulahen (North Bay Battalion / OHL) will work alongside assistant coaches Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL), Brad MacKenzie (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL) and Kyle Chipchura (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL).
Each member of the coaching staff will work with at least one player from his CHL club: Oulahen with Camryn Warren, McDonald with Cripps and Ben Harvey, MacKenzie with Malik L’Italien and Chipchura with Kayden Stroeder.
Along with Lemay and the four members of the coaching staff, seven additional CHL personnel will support Canada throughout the tournament:
- Goaltending coach Jeff Harvey (Saskatoon Blades / WHL)
- Video coach Matthew Smith (Newfoundland Regiment / QMJHL)
- Head equipment manager Andrew MacNeill (Charlottetown Islanders / QMJHL)
- Equipment manager J.R. Grant (Windsor Spitfires / OHL)
- Head athletic therapist Colton Reiley (Cape Breton Eagles / QMJHL)
- Athletic therapist Taylor Cochrane (Kamloops Blazers / WHL)
- Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (London Knights / OHL)
Canada will close out its pre-tournament schedule against Czechia on August 1 at 5 p.m. MT at Rogers Place.
Canada will open the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Switzerland on August 3 at 5 p.m. MT. It will face Slovakia on August 4 and Sweden on August 5 to complete the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on August 8.
Ticket packages and individual-game tickets can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.
22 CHL PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA’S NATIONAL MEN’S SUMMER UNDER-18 TEAM
Goaltenders (2)
Sam Berthiaume (Cape Breton Eagles / QMJHL)
Leif Oaten (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
Defencemen (7)
Brock Cripps (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL)
Landon DuPont (Everett Silvertips / WHL)
Matt Henderson (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
Malik L’Italien (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
Cooper McAslan (London Knights / OHL)
Quinn Norman (Newfoundland Regiment / QMJHL)
Boston Tait (Wenatchee Wild / WHL)
Forwards (13)
Brock Chitaroni (Ottawa 67’s / OHL)
Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs / OHL)
Brock England (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL)
Ben Harvey (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL)
Alexis Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
Aleks Kulemin (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds / OHL)
Liam Pue (Regina Pats / WHL)
Maddox Schultz (Regina Pats / WHL)
Kayden Stroeder (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL)
Benjamin Veitch (Newfoundland Regiment / QMJHL)
Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion / OHL)
Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm / OHL)
