The squad was 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).

“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.”

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 19 players who have represented Canada at the U17 World Challenge—nine who won gold (Betts, Croskery, Joseph, Lawrence, Lemieux, Lin, Preston, Valentini, Verhoeff) and 10 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).

Canada – who has won gold six times previously – opens its tournament Wednesday against Slovakia and will also face Latvia (April 23), Norway (April 25) and Finland (April 27) in the round-robin. The gold medal game is set for May 2.

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Goaltenders (3)

Gavin Betts (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
Carter Esler (Spokane Chiefs / WHL)
*Patrick Déniger (Quebec Remparts / QMJHL)

Defensemen (8)

Lucas Ambrosio (Erie Otters / OHL)
*Cameron Chartrand (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
Callum Croskery (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)
Kohyn Eshkawkogan (Ottawa 67/s / OHL)
Carter Hicks (Brampton Steelheads / OHL)
Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants / WHL)
Ben MacBeath (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals / WHL)

Forwards (12)

Ryder Cali (North Bay Battalion / OHL)
*Maddox Dagenais (Quebec Remparts / QMJHL)
Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting / OHL)
Beckett Hamilton (Red Deer Rebels / WHL)
Jaxon Jacobson (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL)
*Alexis Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
Jean-Cristoph Lemieux (Sudbury Wolves / OHL)
Zach Olsen (Saskatoon Blades / WHL)
Mathis Preston (Vancouver Giants / WHL)
*Thomas Rousseau (Sherbrooke Phoenix / QMJHL)
Thomas Vandenberg (Ottawa 67’s / OHL)
Dimian Zhilkin (Saginaw Spirit / OHL)