Hood & Lin Named to Hockey Canada’s U18 Camp Roster
Calgary, Alta. – Vancouver Giants goaltender Burke Hood and defenceman Ryan Lin have both been invited to attend Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team pre-tournament camp, set for April 12-15 in Oakville, Ontario, ahead of the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.
Hockey Canada announced their 18-player camp roster on Saturday, which was selected by Scott Walker – who will serve as General Manager – and Byron Bonora – who is the head scout, with support from Kyle Turris, Benoit Roy and Dan De Palma. The 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship kicks off on April 23 in Frisco and Allen, Texas.
“We’re incredibly proud of our two Vancouver Giants who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2025 U18 World Championship,” Giants General Manager Barclay Parneta said. “It’s a testament to their hard work, dedication and the commitment they bring to the game every day. We know they’ll wear the Maple Leaf with pride and make the entire Giants organization proud.”
CLICK FOR FULL U18 ROSTER | CLICK FOR U18 STAFF
Hood, who is in his first year of NHL Draft eligibility, went 19-13-6 in 42 appearances in his rookie season in the WHL with a .910 save percentage, which was tied for 5th-best amongst all WHL goaltenders who played in at least 25 games. The 17-year-old recorded a .923 save percentage in 30 appearances since Dec. 1, with a 16-9-3 record. According to SportLogiq, Hood ranked third in the WHL in Goals Saved Above Expected (20.7). The Brandon, Man. native recorded a .900 save percentage or better in 12 of his last 15 regular season appearances.
This will be Hood’s first time representing Canada on the international stage, though he did play for Manitoba at the 2023 Canada Winter Games.
Lin is one of eight underagers (born in 2008) named to Hockey Canada’s U18 preliminary roster. The 16-year-old defenceman recorded 53 points this year, becoming just the second rookie WHL defenceman aged 16 or younger to hit the 50-point mark in 35 years, joining Everett’s Landon Dupont as the only two to accomplish the feat since Hockey Hall of Famer and Kamloops Blazers legend Scott Niedermayer in 1989-90. Lin’s play in all situations is what really impressed scouts, as the Richmond, B.C. product showed maturity away from the puck. His +11 plus-minus rating was tied for the second-best on the Giants.
Lin won gold with Hockey Canada at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in November of 2024.
Canada’s U18 preliminary roster includes three goaltenders, six defencemen and nine forwards, and features 17 players who have represented Canada at the U17 World Challenge (including Lin) and six who played for Canada at the 2023 Youth Olympic Winter Games (also including Lin).
“We are excited to unveil the 18 players who will attend camp in Oakville ahead of U18 Men’s Worlds, as we believe this is a talented group that brings important international experience and success on the international stage,” Walker said. “We believe we have a great staff in place to help our players be successful, and while we continue to follow the Canadian Hockey League playoffs, we are excited to begin our journey to defend gold in Texas later this month.”
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 2025 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 gather at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville before travelling to Texas. It will take on Germany on April 19 at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT and Sweden on April 21 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT in pre-tournament action at the Children’s Health StarCenter in Farmers Branch, Texas.
The 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship kicks off on April 23, with Canada taking on Slovakia, Latvia, Finland and Norway in the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 3.
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 16 tournament games, including all Team Canada preliminary-round games, as well as the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games.
In related news, Giants prospect Tobias Tomik has been named to Slovakia’s final roster for the same tournament. Tomik has already played for his country at both the U18 World Championship and the U20 World Junior Championship. He played in Slovakia’s top men’s league this season for HK Dukla Trencin, recording six goals and eight points in 40 games.
Tomik was selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2024 CHL Import Draft, 29th overall.
