Twelve players from CHL member Leagues named to roster for U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team for Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Toronto, Ont. – The three member Leagues of the Canadian Hockey League – the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League – will be represented by 12 players on the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Brno, Czechia, and Trencin, Slovakia, from August 11-16.
USA Hockey unveiled the 23-player roster, including three goaltenders, seven defencemen, and 13 forwards, following the conclusion of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Selection Camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., Saturday afternoon.
U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team – Players from CHL Member Leagues
| Last Name | First Name | Team (League) | Hometown | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| Harper | Levi | Saginaw Spirit (OHL) | Tampa, Fla. | 5’11” | 175 | D |
| McLaughlin | Will | Portland Winterhawks (WHL) | Hudson, Wisc. | 6’2” | 175 | D |
| Ta’amu | Alofa Tunoa | Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) | Encinitas, Calif. | 6’2” | 220 | D |
| Davidson | Noah | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) | Irvine, Calif. | 6’3” | 213 | F |
| Duskocy | Nolan | Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL) | Ellington, Conn. | 6’2” | 190 | F |
| Gillespie | Brody | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) | Vancouver, Wash. | 6’1” | 191 | F |
| Gordon-Carroll | Shaeffer | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) | Midway, Utah | 6’1” | 185 | F |
| Harvey | Caden | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) | Beaver, Penn. | 6’1” | 180 | F |
| Rogowski | Brooks | Oshawa Generals (OHL) | Brighton, Mich. | 6’6” | 228 | F |
| Salandra | Joseph | Barrie Colts (OHL) | Pleasantville, N.Y. | 5’10” | 190 | F |
| Varga | Kalder | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) | Geneva, Ill. | 6’0” | 180 | F |
| Williams | Jaxon | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) | Cary, N.C. | 5’10” | 165 | F |
Leading the group is Utah’s own Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, who helped the Medicine Hat Tigers win a WHL Championship in 2025. Selected by the Tigers with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, Gordon-Carroll made an immediate impact as a 16-year-old rookie, registering 25 points (6G-19A) in 55 regular season games, before adding another five points (2G-3A) in 17 WHL playoff games en route to the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Selected first overall by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, forward Brody Gillespie helped his Club claim a WHL Western Conference Championship, before bowing out to Gordon-Carroll and the Tigers in the 2025 WHL Championship Series. As a WHL rookie, Gillespie recorded 11 points (8G-3A) in 59 games, adding four points (1G-3A) in 18 WHL playoff games.
As an OHL rookie, forward Brooks Rogowski played a meaningful role for an Oshawa Generals team that advanced to the 2025 OHL Championship Series. In 66 regular season contests, the product of Brighton, Mich., collected 23 points (11G-12A), before tallying another six points (3G-3A) in 19 OHL playoff games. The Generals selected Rogowski in the second round (38th overall) of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.
Kelowna Rockets forward Kalder Varga will boost the U.S. forward group, coming off a season that included 24 points (10G-14A) in 58 games as a WHL rookie. Selected by the Rockets with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, Varga is primed to play a key role for a Rockets team that is set to host the 2026 Memorial Cup in May.
On the blueline, Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman Alofa Tunoa Ta’amu brings a 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame, following a rookie season in the WHL that featured six points (1G-5A) and a plus-4 rating in 43 games. Ta’amu is the son of former NFL player Ed Ta’amu, an offensive lineman who spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans. Alofa was selected by the Oil Kings with the third overall pick in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft.
Players set to debut with their respective Club this coming season include Noah Davidson (Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL), Nolan Duskocy (Charlottetown Islanders, QMJHL), Levi Harper (Saginaw Spirit, OHL), Caden Harvey (Windsor Spitfires, OHL), Will McLaughlin (Portland Winterhawks, WHL), Joseph Salandra (Windsor Spitfires, OHL), and Jaxon Williams (Ottawa 67’s, OHL).
U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team – Unsigned Prospects of CHL Member Leagues
| Last Name | First Name | Team (League) | Hometown | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| Knowling | Brady | Saginaw Spirit (OHL) | Chicago, Ill. | 6’5” | 205 | G |
| Smith | Kaenan | Penticton Vees (WHL) | Duluth, Minn. | 6’2” | 200 | G |
| Bogas | Nick | Sarnia Sting (OHL) | Bloomfield Hills, Mich. | 6’0” | 175 | D |
| Penner | Zaide | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) | Fargo, N.D. | 6’0” | 183 | D |
| Hextall | Jack | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) | Rolling Meadows, Ill. | 6’0” | 185 | F |
| Klepov | Nikita | Saginaw Spirit (OHL) | Deerfield Beach, Fla. | 5’11” | 165 | F |
| Zielinski | Blake | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) | Berlin, N.J. | 6’0” | 186 | F |
Team USA’s games will be televised live on NHL Network in the United States. The U.S. opens the Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Slovakia on Monday, August 11, before facing Sweden on Tuesday, August 12. The U.S. closes out Group B preliminary action against Germany on Wednesday, August 13, with the semifinals set for Friday, August 15, and medal games on Saturday, August 16.
Group A features Canada, Czechia, Finland, and Switzerland.
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