56 CHL players and prospects to represent all eight countries at 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup

The group has ties to 33 CHL clubs, with at least 40 players expected to compete in the WHL, OHL or QMJHL in 2026–27—the most of any development league at the tournament

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce that 56 players and prospects from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) — representing 33 of the CHL’s 61 member clubs — will compete for their countries at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set for Aug. 3-8 at Rogers Place and the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton, Alberta.

Together, the 56 CHL players and prospects account for 29 per cent of the 193 players named to national-team rosters for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Of those, 30 appeared in at least one CHL regular-season game in 2025–26, while at least 40 are expected to compete in the CHL in 2026–27—16 in the WHL, 17 in the OHL and seven in the QMJHL.

That projected 40-player contingent — more than one-fifth of the tournament’s announced player pool — is the largest from any development league represented at the event.

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The CHL is the only development league represented on all eight national-team rosters. Canada leads all countries with 22 CHL players and prospects, followed by Czechia with 12 and the United States with 10. Slovakia features four, Germany has three, Finland and Sweden each have two, and Switzerland has one.

Of the 56 CHL players and prospects, the WHL leads with 23, followed by the OHL with 21 and the QMJHL with 12. A total of 33 clubs are represented—14 from the WHL, 12 from the OHL and seven from the QMJHL—meaning more than half of the CHL’s 61 member clubs have at least one player or prospect at the tournament.

The Brantford Bulldogs (OHL), Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), Flint Firebirds (OHL), Kingston Frontenacs (OHL), Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL), Newfoundland Regiment (QMJHL) and Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) lead all CHL clubs with three players or prospects apiece.

All 22 players on Canada’s roster have CHL ties, representing 18 clubs across the three Member Leagues: nine players from the WHL, eight from the OHL and five from the QMJHL. Nineteen of the 22 are first-round selections in their respective CHL league drafts, including 16 top-10 picks.

Canada’s leadership group features the roster’s three former first-overall selections in CHL Member League drafts. Landon DuPont (Everett Silvertips / WHL) will serve as captain, while Alexis Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL) and Maddox Schultz (Regina Pats / WHL) were named alternate captains. DuPont and Schultz were selected first overall in the 2024 and 2025 WHL Prospects Drafts, respectively, while Joseph was the first-overall selection in the 2025 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Among the 34 CHL players and prospects representing the other seven participating countries, 23 were selected in the 2026 CHL Import Draft, including 14 first-round picks. As of Aug. 3, eight had signed CHL Scholarship and Development Agreements with their respective clubs: Dominick Radim Byrtus (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL), Jiří Gombár (Kitchener Rangers / OHL), Dario Blengino (Everett Silvertips / WHL), Matyáš Čančík (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL), Adam Němec (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL), Jonáš Vaníček (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL), Luca Santala (London Knights / OHL) and Vilmer Salén Forsberg (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL).

The tournament provides an early best-on-best showcase for the 2027 NHL Draft class, with 44 of the 56 CHL players and prospects eligible for selection next June. The pathway from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup through the CHL and into the NHL was again evident at the 2026 NHL Draft: 22 of the 51 players selected after competing at the 2025 tournament — or 43 per cent — were CHL-developed. Overall, 106 CHL-developed players were selected in the 2026 NHL Draft—more than any development league worldwide—including 16 of the 32 first-round picks.

The CHL’s international impact was evident at the 2025 tournament, when 13 members of the United States’ gold-medal-winning roster went on to play in the CHL during the 2025–26 season — six in the WHL, six in the OHL, and one in the QMJHL. The Americans captured their first championship since the event was renamed the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2018 and their second title in tournament history, ending a 22-year gold-medal drought.

The CHL’s presence also extends beyond the ice and onto Canada’s bench. Head coach Ryan Oulahen (North Bay Battalion / OHL) is joined by assistant coaches Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL), Brad MacKenzie (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL) and Kyle Chipchura (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL). In all, 12 CHL personnel will support Canada during the tournament.

The 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup gets underway today with four preliminary-round games. Canada opens against Switzerland at 5 p.m. MT before facing Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5. The tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 8.

For schedules, scores, rosters and ticket information, visit HlinkaGretzkyCup.ca.

56 CHL players and prospects set to compete at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
An asterisk (*) denotes a player selected in the 2026 CHL Import Draft who had not signed a Scholarship and Development Agreement as of Aug. 3.

Canada (22)
(G) Sam Berthiaume (Cape Breton Eagles / QMJHL)
(G) Leif Oaten (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
(D) Brock Cripps (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL)
(D) Landon DuPont (Everett Silvertips / WHL)
(D) Matt Henderson (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
(D) Malik L’Italien (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
(D) Cooper McAslan (London Knights / OHL)
(D) Quinn Norman (Newfoundland Regiment / QMJHL)
(D) Boston Tait (Wenatchee Wild / WHL)
(F) Brock Chitaroni (Ottawa 67’s / OHL)
(F) Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs / OHL)
(F) Brock England (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL)
(F) Ben Harvey (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL)
(F) Alexis Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
(F) Aleks Kulemin (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
(F) Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds / OHL)
(F) Liam Pue (Regina Pats / WHL)
(F) Maddox Schultz (Regina Pats / WHL)
(F) Kayden Stroeder (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL)
(F) Benjamin Veitch (Newfoundland Regiment / QMJHL)
(F) Camryn Warren (North Bay Battalion / OHL)
(F) Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm / OHL)

Czechia (12)
(D) Dominick Radim Byrtus (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)
(D) Jiří Gombár (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)
(D) Lukáš Kachlíř (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL)*
(F) Dario Blengino (Everett Silvertips / WHL)
(F) Matyáš Čančík (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
(F) Michal Hartl (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL)*
(F) Petr Hörnig (Kelowna Rockets / WHL)*
(F) Melichar Kovář (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)*
(F) Maxmilián Mareš (Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL)*
(F) Adam Němec (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL)
(F) Jonáš Vaníček (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL)
(F) Oliver Vaňha (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL)*

Finland (2)
(F) Paavo Fugleberg (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL)*
(F) Luca Santala (London Knights / OHL)

Germany (3)
(F) Nikita Bloch (Newfoundland Regiment / QMJHL)*
(F) Max Calce (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL)*
(F) Jonas Schwarz (Spokane Chiefs / WHL)*

Slovakia (4)
(D) Oliver Botka (Vancouver Giants / WHL)*
(F) Max Melicherik (Portland Winterhawks / WHL)*
(F) Oliver Ozogány (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)*
(F) Tomáš Selič (Flint Firebirds / OHL)*

Sweden (2)
(G) Vilmer Salén Forsberg (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL)
(F) Benjamin Nyström (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)*

Switzerland (1)
(F) Alessandro Domenichelli (Portland Winterhawks / WHL)

United States (10)
(G) Mason Courville (Flint Firebirds / OHL)
(G) Kaeden Tate (Kamloops Blazers / WHL)
(D) Cameron Minella (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
(F) Ty Bergeron (Windsor Spitfires / OHL)
(F) Gavin Burcar (Spokane Chiefs / WHL)
(F) Brooks DeMars (Penticton Vees / WHL)
(F) Gerry DiCunzolo (Peterborough Petes / OHL)
(F) Colin Grubb (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL)
(F) Nolan Snyder (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
(F) Michael Tang (Niagara IceDogs / OHL)