[{"id":30004,"date":"2026-04-13T19:09:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/?p=30004"},"modified":"2026-04-13T19:09:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:09:17","slug":"hamilton-among-nine-whl-players-named-to-canadas-pre-tournament-camp-roster-for-2026-iihf-u18-world-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/article\/hamilton-among-nine-whl-players-named-to-canadas-pre-tournament-camp-roster-for-2026-iihf-u18-world-championship","title":{"rendered":"Hamilton among nine WHL players named to Canada’s pre-tournament camp roster for 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calgary, Alta. \u2013<\/strong> Nine Western Hockey League players have been named to the pre-tournament camp roster for Canada\u2019s National Men\u2019s U-18 Team ahead of the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship, Hockey Canada announced Monday.<\/p>\n

The WHL will be represented by two goaltenders, two defencemen, and five forwards on Canada\u2019s pre-tournament roster. In total, Hockey Canada named three goaltenders, seven defencemen, and 13 forwards to the roster, which was selected by General Manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.) and Head Scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, Alta.), with support from Director of Hockey Operations Benoit Roy (Sudbury, Ont.), Senior Vice-President of High Performance and Hockey Operations Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), and Coordinator of Hockey Operations Jared Power (Calgary, Alta.).<\/p>\n

Seven WHL Clubs will be represented on Canada\u2019s roster, with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Vancouver Giants both boasting two players. Also represented are the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Red Deer Rebels Regina Pats, Seattle Thunderbirds, and Spokane Chiefs.<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s National Men\u2019s U-18 Team \u2013 Pre-Tournament Camp, WHL Players<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Last Name<\/strong><\/td>\nFirst Name<\/strong><\/td>\nWHL Club<\/strong><\/td>\nHometown<\/strong><\/td>\nHt<\/strong><\/td>\nWt<\/strong><\/td>\nPos<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oaten<\/td>\nLeif<\/td>\nLethbridge Hurricanes<\/td>\nCalgary, Alta.<\/td>\n6-3<\/td>\n194<\/td>\nG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Esler<\/td>\nCarter<\/td>\nSpokane Chiefs<\/td>\nOkotoks, Alta.<\/td>\n5-11<\/td>\n165<\/td>\nG<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lin<\/td>\nRyan<\/td>\nVancouver Giants<\/td>\nRichmond, B.C.<\/td>\n5-11<\/td>\n176<\/td>\nD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pantelas<\/td>\nGiorgos<\/td>\nBrandon Wheat Kings<\/td>\nVictoria, B.C.<\/td>\n6-2<\/td>\n214<\/td>\nD<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Preston<\/td>\nMathis<\/td>\nVancouver Giants<\/td>\nPenticton, B.C.<\/td>\n5-11<\/td>\n176<\/td>\nF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lansard<\/td>\nZach<\/td>\nRegina Pats<\/td>\nSte. Anne, Man.<\/td>\n6-0<\/td>\n174<\/td>\nF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
England<\/td>\nBrock<\/td>\nSeattle Thunderbirds<\/td>\nRed Deer, Alta.<\/td>\n5-11<\/td>\n174<\/td>\nF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jacobson<\/td>\nJaxon<\/td>\nBrandon Wheat Kings<\/td>\nBrandon, Man.<\/td>\n5-10<\/td>\n183<\/td>\nF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hamilton<\/td>\nBeckett<\/td>\nRed Deer Rebels<\/td>\nSaskatoon, Sask.<\/td>\n5-11<\/td>\n172<\/td>\nF<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Also named to the team is former Victoria Royals defenceman Keaton Verhoeff. 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 2026 IIHF U18 Men\u2019s World Championship will be announced prior to the start of the tournament.<\/p>\n

Oaten<\/strong> appeared in 31 games with the Hurricanes this season, going 6-19-2-0. He won gold with Canada Red at the 2025 U17 World Hockey Challenge. Oaten was originally selected by Lethbridge in the third round (58th overall) of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. He is eligible for the 2028 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n

In his second season with the Chiefs, Esler<\/strong> went 24-18-1-0 with a 2.80 goals-against average, .903 save percentage and five shutouts in 44 appearances. Internationally, he most recently helped Canada to a bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He was named a finalist for the WHL\u2019s Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy, which is presented annually to the WHL\u2019s Humanitarian of the Year. Esler is eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n

Lin<\/strong> enjoyed a second consecutive campaign with 50+ points on the Giants blueline, registering 57 points (14G-43A) in 53 games. He represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and was also named to the roster for Team West at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass, but was unable to compete due to injury. Internationally, Lin most recently helped Canada claim bronze at the 20225 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He was also a member of Canada\u2019s gold-medal winning team at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Lin is listed 13th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings.<\/p>\n

In his second season with the Wheat Kings, Pantelas<\/strong> posted career highs in goals (6), assists (31), and points (37), while taking to the ice for 68 regular season games. He represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and also competed for Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Internationally, Pantelas most recently represented Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, helping his nation to a bronze medal. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Pantelas is listed 58th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings.<\/p>\n

Preston<\/strong> registered 44 points (18G-26A) in 46 games split between the Giants and Spokane Chiefs this past season. He represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge and was named to the roster for Team West at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass, but was unable to compete due to injury. Preston was a member of Canada\u2019s bronze-medal squad at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, he is listed 24th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings.<\/p>\n

Lansard<\/strong> tallied 56 points (24G-32A) in 68 games in his second season with the Pats. He represented Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. He has yet to represent Canada on the international stage. Originally selected by the Pats in the fourth round (78th overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Lansard is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft and is listed 72nd among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings.<\/p>\n

England<\/strong> impressed in his WHL rookie campaign, posting 51 points (21G-30A) in 64 games with the Thunderbirds. Internationally, he helped Canada Red claim gold at the 2025 U17 World Hockey Challenge. Originally selected by the Thunderbirds in the first round (11th overall) of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, England is considered a top prospect eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n

In his second WHL season, Jacobson<\/strong> excelled with the Wheat Kings, posting 85 points (25G-60A) in 63 games, earning a place on the WHL\u2019s Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team. Internationally, Jacobson earned a silver medal with Canada Red at the 2024 U17 World Hockey Challenge. Originally selected by the Wheat Kings in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Jacobson is considered a top prospect eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft.<\/p>\n

Recently named captain of the Rebels, Hamilton<\/strong> emerged with 62 points (24G-38A) in 67 games this past season. He represented Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Originally selected by the Rebels in the first round (18th overall) of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, Hamilton is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, listed 75th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings. He has yet to represent Canada on the international stage.<\/p>\n

Verhoeff<\/strong> spent the 2025-26 campaign with the University of North Dakota following 75 games over two seasons with the Victoria Royals. From 2023-24 through 2024-25, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound right-shot defenceman tallied 47 points (21G-26A) as a member of the Royals. Most recently, he patrolled the blueline for Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, bringing home a bronze medal. Verhoeff is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, listed second among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting\u2019s midterm rankings.<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s National Men\u2019s U-18 Team will play two pre-tournament games, taking on Sweden at Ondrej Nepala Arena in Bratislava on April 17 and Czechia at the Pavol Demitra Ice Hockey Arena in Trencin on April 19. The 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship begins April 22, with Canada taking on Slovakia, Latvia, Norway, and Finland in the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with medal games May 2.<\/p>\n

For more information on the 2026 IIHF U18 Men\u2019s World Championship, please visit IIHF.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada\u2019s National Men\u2019s U-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About the Western Hockey League<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regarded as the world\u2019s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada\u2019s National Junior Hockey Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The WHL will be represented by two goaltenders, two defencemen, and five forwards on Canada\u2019s pre-tournament roster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":30005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[103],"tags":[{"term_id":117,"name":"Beckett Hamilton","slug":"beckett-hamilton","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":117,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":63,"filter":"raw","term_order":"199"}],"class_list":["post-30004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-beckett-hamilton","category-103","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/04\/13111617\/U18-Camp_1920.png",1920,1080,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30004"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30004\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":30003,"date":"2026-04-10T16:41:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T16:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/?p=30003"},"modified":"2026-04-10T16:41:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T16:41:20","slug":"hamilton-has-all-the-tools-to-lead-rebels-as-captain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/article\/hamilton-has-all-the-tools-to-lead-rebels-as-captain","title":{"rendered":"Hamilton has all the tools to lead Rebels as captain"},"content":{"rendered":"

By DANNY RODE – <\/strong>It only seemed right that Beckett Hamilton would be named the next Red Deer Rebels captain.<\/p>\n

After all the 18-year-old native of Saskatoon has all the ingredients needed to be the 30th\u00a0captain in team history, taking over the reins from Talon Brigley.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s an outstanding kid and a very good hockey player,\u201d said Rebels owner\/president\/General Manager Brent Sutter. \u201cHe\u2019s thrilled to come back next year, and we\u2019re thrilled to have him as our captain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fully focused on coming to Red Deer next year and hopefully make a huge push in the playoffs and see what we can do,\u201d said the high scoring forward on exit interview day.<\/p>\n

Outside of his offensive capabilities he consistently plays the game at a high level and is one of the off-ice leaders on a team that had only three 20-year-olds and no 19-year-olds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe switched our team quite a bit this year and props to everyone in that room,\u201d said Hamilton, who turned 18 on March 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a young team, an inexperienced team, and it wasn\u2019t easy for a group of 17-year-olds to basically push their way into the playoffs. But we found a way. It wasn\u2019t the end we wanted but we learned a lot … everyone in there learned a lot about themselves and about the team. That\u2019s a positive for us going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rebels roster finished the season with 11 players born in 2008 and classified as 17-year-olds. They have seven players born in 2007, or playing as 18-year-olds, along with Grayden Peterson still 16.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an unbelievable future,\u201d added Hamilton. \u201cWe\u2019re a young team with good chemistry and a good room. I only see this group going up with us building together. I think there will be a huge off season for everyone and I\u2019m excited to see what we can do when we come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rebels need his offence and his leadership.<\/p>\n

In only his second season with the club he led the team with 62 points in 67 games on 24 goals and 38 assists. He also tied for team lead in scoring in the playoffs with two goals and three assists in five games, equalling those totals put up by Kalder Varga.<\/p>\n

Hamilton realizes he\u2019s expected to be a leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was different coming back this year after my 16-year-old season and taking some leadership. I think I learned a lot and it developed me a lot as a player and it only helped me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He showed his growth as a player as the season wore on. He was especially solid the second half.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the team helped me a lot. The guys in that room helped me a lot. The experience playing in this league for a longer time you learn more about yourself, you get more confidence. One thing goes right and you get on a roll. I give credit to everyone in there and the coaches really helped me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a stretch where I wasn\u2019t doing well but everyone in that room helped me and I got back on track. Full credit to those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamilton was on a streak for sure to close out the season as he scored in nine of the final 10 games, accumulating 14 points.<\/p>\n

He helped the Rebels get into the playoffs where they drew the top-seeded Prince Albert Raiders in the best-of-seven first round, losing out in the fifth game in overtime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe playoffs were a grind of a series, but we battled through to win that fourth game,\u201d said Hamilton. \u201cWe just couldn\u2019t get it back here (in the fifth game), but we battled and did what we could with the young team we had.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamilton can now look forward to the NHL Draft, going in ranked 75th<\/sup> amongst North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t thought much about it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a tough couple of days here just saying goodbye to everyone. It\u2019s in the back of my mind a little bit but I\u2019m trying not to worry about it much.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the players Hamilton will miss more than others is Brigley.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d he stressed. \u201cLast year when I came in, he was one of those guys I followed and he led me. He was an unbelievable teammate.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe led in all aspects, on the ice, off the ice, in the gym. He\u2019s a smart guy. You look at his compete level, all he wants to do is win. He has a winning mindset, and he showed the group how to lead, full respect to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a great guy, will be a great player in the future (at Scared Heart University) and I have nothing but respect for him and the best is ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s also the case for the Rebels new captain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By DANNY RODE – It only seemed right that Beckett Hamilton would be named the next Red Deer Rebels captain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":29552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"article","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[103],"tags":[{"term_id":117,"name":"Beckett Hamilton","slug":"beckett-hamilton","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":117,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":63,"filter":"raw","term_order":"199"}],"class_list":["post-30003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-beckett-hamilton","category-103","description-off"],"acf":[],"featured_image":["https:\/\/media.chl.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/21174521\/Hamilton-_DSC6238-scaled.jpg",2560,1828,false],"hide_from_app_feed":false,"video":false,"gallery":null,"ht_game_id":0,"target_video":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30003\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":30001,"date":"2026-04-09T15:58:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:58:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/?p=30001"},"modified":"2026-04-10T17:32:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T17:32:03","slug":"sutter-rebels-poised-to-learn-from-build-on-season-of-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chl.ca\/whl-rebels\/article\/sutter-rebels-poised-to-learn-from-build-on-season-of-change","title":{"rendered":"Sutter: Rebels poised to learn from, build on season of change"},"content":{"rendered":"

By DANNY RODE – <\/strong>Every year Red Deer Rebels owner\/president\/General Manager Brent Sutter sits down with the media following at season\u2019s end to evaluate what took place over the past seven months.<\/p>\n

Each year it\u2019s different. There are times when he can sit back and smile. There are times when he has to make a number of drastic changes.<\/p>\n

This year he can feel more comfortable with what he saw over the second half of the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second half was way better after we made the changes,\u201d he stressed. \u201cThe first half we were 10 games under .500 but the second half we were .500 with the young group of players.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made our team different at the trade deadline when we got more skill and got faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still there are things to continue to work on, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpecialty teams were a struggle for us all year. They hurt us in certain games for sure. Those are points you don\u2019t get back when getting power plays and not getting any goals on them and losing by a goal or two. That was the difference in those games.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut moving forward there\u2019s encouraging signs for sure. We have a good group coming back, a really good group of young prospects who will push to be on the team next year.\u201d<\/p>\n