EDMONTON, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 22 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set for Aug. 3-8 at Rogers Place and the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton. 

The roster, which includes two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards, was selected by Program of Excellence (POE) general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), alongside POE head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and U18 assistant general manager Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL), with input from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations.

“After a competitive training camp and pre-tournament game against Sweden, we are excited to announce the 22 players who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on home ice in Edmonton,” Millar said. “This is a highly skilled group of young players that is motivated to accomplish our goal of winning a gold medal, and we know our players are excited to wear the Maple Leaf and play in front of Canadian fans.”

Of the 22 players, 21 suited up for Canada Red or Canada White at the U17 World Challenge, one player won a bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (DuPont) and one represented Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (Joseph). 

Canada opens the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Switzerland on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. MT. It will face Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5 to close out the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 8. Fans looking to secure their seat to watch the top under-18 players can purchase ticket packages and individual game tickets online at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets. 

Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada will close out the Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament schedule against Czechia on Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. MT at Rogers Place. 

Media representatives looking to attend the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup can apply for accreditation here.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Hockey Canada has selected 40 officials—20 referees and 20 linespersons—for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase and 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and a pair of series against the United States featuring Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and Canada’s National Women’s Development Team.

“This slate of summer events presents our officials with an opportunity to test themselves in international environments,” said Dan Hanoomansingh (Vancouver, BC), officiating manager for Hockey Canada. “Just like the players, our officials aspire to officiate top international competition. These events are crucial opportunities to measure their progress and receive high-level coaching in an elite environment.”

The Hockey Canada Officiating Program of Excellence (OPOE) provides a pathway for Canadian officials to be selected for top national and international assignments. All officials are recommended by their provincial or regional Member before attending development camps and receive ongoing feedback prior to event selections.

2026 World Junior Summer Showcase (Windsor, ON)

The officiating coaches for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase are Hanoomansingh and Scott Oakman (Toronto, ON).

2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Edmonton, AB)

The officiating coaches for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup are Mike Campbell (Surrey, BC), Hanoomansingh, Fraser Lawrence (Edmonton, AB) and Nathan Van Oosten (Victoria, BC).

Women’s Series vs. United States (Richmond, BC)

As part of an exchange with USA Hockey, referee Kaitlyn Sauser (Hockey Saskatchewan) and linesperson Shadei Saadé (Hockey Québec) will participate in the USA Hockey Elite Officiating Camp in Lake Placid, New York. American referee Tasha Adams and linesperson Aimee Konet will join the six Canadian officials selected for the series in Richmond. This collaboration strives to create stronger competition and success for Canadian officials at the international level.

The officiating coaches for the series are Gabrielle Ariano-Lortie (Laval, QC) and Cianna Murray (Saskatoon, SK).

For more information about the Hockey Canada Officiating Program, visit HockeyCanada.ca/Officials.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 27 players who will take part in Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team training camp ahead of the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set for Aug. 3-8 at Rogers Place and the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton.

The initial roster, which includes three goaltenders, nine defencemen and 15 forwards, was selected by Program of Excellence (POE) general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), alongside POE head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and U18 assistant general manager Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL), with input from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations.

“We are excited to unveil the 27 players who will begin the road to the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup at training camp in Edmonton. This is a talented and well-rounded group of young players,” Millar said. “Our staff have worked tirelessly to identify a roster that we believe gives us the best chance to be successful on home ice. We look forward to gathering in Edmonton next week to continue our preparations for the tournament, and for the opportunity to get Canada back on top of the podium in front of Canadian fans in August.”

Of the 27 players, 25 suited up for Canada Red or Canada White at the U17 World Challenge, one player won a bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (DuPont) and one represented Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (Joseph).

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team training camp, set for July 27-Aug. 1 at NAIT Arena and Rogers Place in Edmonton, will include practices and a game against Sweden on July 30. Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will also take on Czechia on Aug. 1 as part of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament schedule before the roster is finalized ahead of the start of the tournament.

Canada opens the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Switzerland on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. MT. It will face Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5 to close out the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 8. Ticket packages and individual game tickets can be purchased online at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

Media representatives looking to attend Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team training camp can apply for accreditation online. Media accreditation for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup can be requested here.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has named the coaching staff that will lead Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton.

Ryan Oulahen (Newmarket, ON/North Bay, OHL), who served as an assistant coach at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton when Canada last won gold, will take the reins as head coach as Canada looks for its 26th summer U18 gold medal. Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert, SK/Prince Albert, WHL), Brad MacKenzie (Charlottetown, PE/Halifax, QMJHL) and Kyle Chipchura (Westlock, AB/Edmonton, WHL) will serve as assistant coaches, with goaltending coach Jeff Harvey (St. Albert, AB/Saskatoon, WHL) and video coach Matthew Smith (Tatamagouche, NS/Newfoundland, QMJHL).

The coaching staff was selected by Program of Excellence general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL), assistant general manager of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ryan, Ryan, Brad and Kyle to the staff for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup,” said Millar. “Each brings a pedigree of coaching experience, particularly in short-term international competition, which will be a tremendous asset as we prepare for the tournament. We’re excited to continue the process of building a team and working with a group of players who will proudly represent Canada and showcase their talent to hockey fans in Edmonton in August.”

Oulahen just completed his seventh season as head coach of the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and second season as assistant general manager. Prior to joining North Bay, he spent three seasons as head coach of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds and six seasons as an assistant coach with the Battalion (2010-16). Oulahen has previously served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, winning a gold medal in 2024 and 2018. He also served as an assistant coach at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with Canada Red (2014) and Canada Black (2015), and as head coach of Canada White (2017).

McDonald completed his first full season as head coach of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, guiding the Raiders to their first 50-win season since 2018-19 and to the WHL championship series. Prior to being named head coach, he also served as assistant coach with the Raiders from 2020 until he was named interim head coach in March 2025. McDonald won a gold medals as head coach of Canada Red (2025) and as an assistant coach alongside MacKenzie with Canada White (2024) at the U17 World Challenge, and won a silver medal as head coach of Team Saskatchewan at the 2023 Canada Winter Games. He also spent four seasons with the Warman Wildcats AAA program at both the U15 and U18 levels.

MacKenzie was promoted to head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in July 2025 and guided them to the playoffs in his first season at the helm. He served one season as associate coach with the Mooseheads (2024-25) and three as an assistant coach (2022-24). Prior to joining the Mooseheads, he was head coach of the Grand Falls Rapids of the Maritime Hockey League (2019-21), earning MHL Coach of the Year honours in 2020-21. MacKenzie also won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada White at the 2024 U17 World Challenge.

Chipchura completed his second season as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Prior to joining the coach staff, he served as the team’s development coach in 2023-24. Chipchura spent two seasons with the Northern Alberta Xtreme of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), serving as head coach of the U17 Prep team in 2022-23 following one season as an assistant coach with the U15 Prep team in 2021-22. Chipchura was also an assistant coach with Canada White at the 2025 U17 World Challenge.

The support staff that will work with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup includes:

• Head athletic therapist Colton Reiley (Sydney, NS/Cape Breton, QMJHL)
• Athletic therapist Taylor Cochrane (Elk Point, AB/Kamloops, WHL)
• Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (London, ON/London, OHL)
• Head equipment manager Andrew MacNeill (Charlottetown, PE/Charlottetown, QMJHL)
• Equipment manager J.R. Grant (Windsor, ON/Windsor, OHL)
• Hockey operations head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB)
• Hockey operations manager Mitchell Furlotte (Bathurst, NB)
• Hockey operations coordinator Jake Grison (Lion's Head, ON)
• Media relations manager Spencer Sharkey (Hamilton, ON)

The roster for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team training camp will be announced at a later date.

Canada will play its opening game of the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. MT. It will also face Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5 to close out the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 8. Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will hold a training camp prior to the start of the tournament, set for July 27-30 at NAIT Arena in Edmonton, which will include practices and a game against Sweden on July 30. It will also take on Czechia on Aug. 1 as part of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament schedule.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers that will comprise the Program of Excellence (POE) management group for the 2026-27 season, under the leadership of POE general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON).

Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL) returns for his second-consecutive stint with the POE, guiding the under-17 program through the 2026 U17 World Challenge in Oakville, Ontario, while Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) returns for the third-straight year to support the under-18 program through the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, Alberta. Dave Brown (Niagara on the Lake, ON/Erie, OHL) returns to the POE management group, working with Canada’s National Junior Team for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta.

The management group was selected by Millar, Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations.

“We are very pleased to have Dave, Yanick, and Mike return to the POE Management Group,” said Millar. “All three individuals bring great leadership, CHL management, and international experience to our National Teams. Dave, Yanick, and Mike, will play a significant role in player evaluations, team build, and establishing the standard for culture and expectations across all our programs.”

Johnston returns to the POE management group after helping guide Canada Red and Canada White to gold and silver, respectively, at the 2025 U17 World Challenge. He also served as an assistant coach for Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and has been senior vice-president and general manager of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for 14 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-26). He recently stepped down as head coach after 12 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-24), winning executive of the year and coach of the year honours in the U.S. Division in 2023-24. He has also served as an assistant (1999-2003) and associate coach (2003-04) with the Vancouver Canucks, an associate coach with the Los Angeles Kings (2005-08) and head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins (2014-16). Johnston coached Canada’s National Men’s Team from 1994-99, winning two gold medals (1997, 2007), two silver (1996, 2008) and one bronze (1995) at the IIHF World Championship. He also won gold at three IIHF World Junior Championships (1994, 1995, 1996) as an assistant coach, was an assistant at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games and head coach at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship, and won the Spengler Cup in 1993.

Lemay returns to the POE management group for the third-straight season after helping guide Canada White and Canada Red to gold and silver, respectively, at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and leading Canada to a bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is entering his third season as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Prior to joining Drummondville, he served as an amateur scout with the Winnipeg Jets for 12 seasons (2011-23), was head scout of the QMJHL’s Junior de Montréal for three seasons (2008-11) and spent 10 seasons with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles as a scout (1998-2002) and head scout (2002-08).

Brown returns to the POE management group after helping lead Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship in Finland and gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also helped Canada White to gold at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Brown is currently in his 11th season (2015-26) as general manager of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving four seasons (2011-15) as director of hockey operations. He helped lead Erie to an OHL championship in 2017 and contributed to a CHL record of four-consecutive 50-win seasons (2011-15). Prior to joining the Otters, Brown spent seven seasons with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs, serving as assistant general manager (2003-05) and general manager (2005-10).

The management group will work alongside Salmond, Millar, Roy and POE head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), as well as the organization’s hockey operations staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

The Program of Excellence is overseen by Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer; Misha Donskov (London, ON), vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach; Salmond; Millar; Roy; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, ON), CHL president; Bryan Crawford (Hamilton, ON), OHL commissioner; Mario Cecchini (Saint-Lambert, QC), QMJHL commissioner; and Dan Near (Markham, ON), WHL commissioner.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada announced the schedule for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Aug. 3-8 at Rogers Place and the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton.

A premier international under-18 tournament featuring the world’s top NHL draft eligible players, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a partnership with Hockey Alberta, OEG Sports & Entertainment, the City of Edmonton, Explore Edmonton and the Government of Alberta.

“We are proud to have Edmonton host this prestigious best-on-best competition for the third time, giving fans a chance to celebrate some of the best young hockey players in the world,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “Albertans are passionate about hockey, and we are proud to have the support of our partners to ensure fans and teams have an incredible experience in the summer.”

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team has captured a record 25 gold medals and will be looking for its first gold since winning in Edmonton in 2024. Canada is joined by Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland in Group A, while Czechia, Finland, Germany and the United States, the 2025 champions, will form Group B.

The puck drops Aug. 3 at 1 p.m. MT when the United States faces Czechia, while Canada will play its opening game against Switzerland at 5 p.m. MT. Canada will also take on Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5 to close out the preliminary round. The semifinals are set for Aug. 7, with the medal games on Aug. 8 at noon and 5 p.m. MT, respectively.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast all preliminary-round games, semifinals and medal games from Rogers Place.

Ticket packages for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup go on sale to the public on Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m. MT and can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

Packages include an exclusive bonus connected to the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship: tickets to a Team Canada pre-tournament game in December and the relegation game at Rogers Place. Fans can take advantage of presale access by signing up for the Hockey Canada Insider before May 6. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

The Coaches Site is moving its flagship coaching conference to the City of Champions, marking the event’s return to Canada for the first time since 2019. Hosted in partnership with the Hockey Canada Foundation and Hockey Alberta and set against the backdrop of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, TCS Live 2026 is poised to become the most impactful hockey coaching event ever held.

For more information on the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, please visit HlinkaGretzkyCup.ca or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team is into the playoff round at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, taking on Sweden in the quarterfinals Wednesday at Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium.

Last Game

Canada ran its consecutive shutout streak to three on Monday, blanking Finland 7-0 in its preliminary-round finale. Gavin Betts was perfect on the 19 shots he faced, running his personal shutout streak to 133 minutes and 49 seconds (and the team’s run to 191:17), and Adam Valentini and Beckett Hamilton scored twice to pace the Canadian offence.

The Swedes closed out their prelim schedule with a 10-1 romp over Denmark on Monday. Elton Hermansson finished with two goals and four assists, Alexander Command and Marcus Nordmark also scored twice, and Sweden reached double digits despite not getting to 40 shots on goal—they finished with a 39-7 edge.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Swedes last clashed in the gold medal game a year ago in Texas, where Canada defended its gold medal with a convincing 7-0 win. Brady Martin potted a pair of goals for the Canadians, who spread around the scoring—six players recorded goals and 14 had at least a point. Jack Ivankovic made it back-to-back shutouts in the medal round, turning aside all 28 shots he faced to help the Canadians win consecutive gold medals at U18 Men’s Worlds for the first time ever.

What to Watch

Things didn’t look good for Betts when he was helped off the ice in considerable pain early in the third period of Canada’s tournament-opening loss to Slovakia last Wednesday. But the Toronto native has bounced back from what was revealed to be severe cramping; he made 12 saves in his return to the net in an 8-0 win over Norway on Saturday before his 19-save effort against the Finns. Betts has been a workhorse wearing the Maple Leaf over the last two seasons; he played four of five games at the 2024 U17 World Challenge, backstopping Canada White to gold, and was between the pipes for four of five games at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, helping Canada win bronze. He also didn’t take too many nights off in the Ontario Hockey League this season; Betts was 12th among OHL netminders in minutes played (2,415), and ranked among the league leaders in saves (1,080 – 11th), goals-against average (1.81 – 13th) and save percentage (.905 – 13th).

With Viggo Björck not in Slovakia due to a dispute with the federation, Hermansson is the highest-ranked Swedish skater for the 2026 NHL Draft, slotting in at No. 5 among internationals by Central Scouting. The Örnsköldsvik product opened the scoring just 32 seconds in against the Danes and exploded for a goal and three assists in a span of 7:23 to pull even with U.S. forward Wyatt Cullen for the tournament scoring lead through the preliminary round with eight points (2-6—8). Hermansson— who scored the overtime winner against the United States in the bronze medal game at the 2024 U17 World Challenge—got his first taste of professional hockey this season; he suited up for 38 games with MODO Hockey in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish pro hockey, posting 21 points (11-10—21).

A Look Back

No country has been a more frequent foe for Canada at U18 Men’s Worlds than Sweden; this will be the 25th meeting between the longtime rivals dating back to 2003.

The Canadians have won 14 of the first 24 matchups, including three in a row. This will be the fourth meeting in a quarterfinal—Canada posted an 8-1 win in 2003 and a 5-3 victory in 2015 (thanks to three points from Mitchell Stephens), while Sweden earned a 7-3 win in 2017.

All-time record: Canada leads 14-10 (1-1 in OT)
Canada goals: 101
Sweden goals: 74

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team closes out the preliminary round Monday at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, taking on Finland with the top three spots in Group A very much undecided.

Last Game

Canada made it back-to-back shutouts on Saturday, getting 12 saves from Gavin Betts in an 8-0 win over Norway. Dima Zhilkin led the offence with a hat trick and an assist, Jaxon Jacobson scored twice and Tynan Lawrence recorded a goal and two helpers for the Canadians, who piled 66 shots against two Norwegian goaltenders.

The Finns moved into top spot in Group A with a 5-4 overtime win over host Slovakia on Saturday. Samu Alalauri tied the game with 4:51 left and Oliver Suvanto provided the overtime winner for Finland just 1:50 into the extra period, putting the Scandinavians (2-1-0-0, eight points) ahead of the Slovaks (2-0-1-0, seven points) and Canadians (2-0-0-1, six points).

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Finns last met at the U18 level in the bronze medal game of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer in, ironically, Trencin. Cooper Williams, Ethan Belchetz and Daxon Rudolph scored in the first, second and third periods, respectively, and Betts stopped all 22 shots he faced for the shutout in a 3-0 win.

At U18 Men’s Worlds, the teams most recently faced off in the preliminary round of the 2025 tournament in Texas. Ben Kindel, Brady Martin and Xavier Villeneuve each recorded a goal an an assist as the Canadians recorded a 5-1 win despite being outshot 40-20. Jack Ivankovic was terrific between the pipes in a 39-save effort.

What to Watch

Zhilkin has been terrific for the Canadians, sitting tied with Finnish forward Luca Santala (more on him below) for the scoring lead with six points (4-2—6) in three games. His hat trick against Norway was the 20th by a Canadian in tournament history and the first since Gavin McKenna potted three goals in the classic 2024 gold medal game against the United States. Named captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit in early January despite being just 16 years old when the puck dropped on the 2025-26 campaign (his birthday is Oct. 8, 2008), Zhilkin recorded 75 points (36-29—75) in 59 games, almost doubling his scoring efforts from his rookie season (43 points). A member of Canada’s bronze medal-winning team at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Zhilkin doesn’t need to go far to find out what it takes to be successful at U18 Men’s Worlds—his brother, Danny, won gold with Canada at the 2021 tournament.

Santala is turning heads as an underager—as a 2009-born player, he isn’t eligible for the NHL Draft until 2027. Santala, who represented his country at the 2025 U17 World Challenge in Truro, Nova Scotia, last fall, came out firing, matching Zhilkin’s performance against Norway hat trick and assist of his own against the Norwegians. With the absence of Oscar Hemming (No. 11 among North American skaters) due to a dispute with the Finnish association, Suvanto is the notable name among draft watchers, finishing at No. 3 among international skaters according to NHL Central Scouting. Suvanto spent this season with Tappara in the Liiga, the top professional league in Finland, posting 11 points (2-9—11) in 48 games. He was well-travelled internationally this year, appearing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and World Juniors prior to U18 Men’s Worlds.

A Look Back

As they usually are at major international tournaments, the Canadians and Finns have been frequent foes at U18 Men’s Worlds, with Canada winning eight of 15 meetings (with one tie) dating back to 2002.

Those matchups have come largely in the prelims, with only one including a medal up for grabs; at the 2012 tournament in Czechia, Hunter Shinkaruk scored at 2:05 of overtime to finish his hat trick and give Canada a 5-4 win and the bronze medal.

All-time record: Canada leads 8-6-1 (1-3 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 48
Finland goals: 44

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team is back on the ice Saturday at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, facing off against Norway in the penultimate game of preliminary-round play in Trencin.

Last Game

Canada bounced back from a tournament-opening loss with a 6-0 blanking of Latvia on Thursday. Thomas Vandenberg opened the scoring just 52 seconds in and the Canadians were in control from there, outshooting the Latvians 42-19. Adam Valentini and Dima Zhilkin led the charge with a goal and an assist apiece, and Carter Esler was perfect, turning aside all 19 shots he faced to record the shutout.

The Norwegians fell 6-1 to Slovakia on Thursday, its second defeat in as many games by that same scoreline. August Jones-Nilsson provided the lone goal for Norway, briefly cutting the Slovak lead in half early in the second period, but the hosts scored the final four goals and outshot Norway 40-22.

Last Meeting

The teams met in the same stage a year ago in Texas, with Canada coming away with an 8-1 win to close out the preliminary round. Braeden Cootes and Lev Katzin scored a pair of goals each and Ryan Roobroeck added a goal and three assists for the Canadians, who piled up 64 shots in the win—32 of them in the second period, tying the third-most in a single frame in U18 Men’s Worlds history.

What to Watch

Among the Canadians forwards in Trencin, Tynan Lawrence is the highest-ranked North American forward on the final NHL Central Scouting ranking for the 2026 NHL Draft, slotting in at No. 7. The Fredericton, New Brunswick, product made the move from the USHL to college hockey in January, recording seven points (2-5—7) in 18 games with Boston University. Lawrence has been a frequent appearance in the Maple Leaf across the last two-plus years, with 16 points (7-9—16) across appearances at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, 2024 U17 World Challenge (winning gold with Canada White), 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (winning bronze) and 2026 U18 Men’s Worlds. He is a year removed from winning the Clark Cup with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, claiming playoff MVP honours after putting up 18 points (8-10—18) in 14 postseason games.

Niklas Aaram-Olsen is back for his third U18 Men’s Worlds after almost single-handedly keeping Norway in the top division a year ago. He scored twice and added two assists in the relegation game against Switzerland, helping set up Alexander Kionig for the game-tying goal with less than 10 minutes to go before the Norwegians prevailed in a six-round shootout. Aaram-Olsen—the 15th-ranked international skater by NHL Central Scouting—had 40 points (20-20—40) in 29 games this season with the U20 program with Örebro HK in Sweden. In addition to his U18 Men’s Worlds experience, he has played at the last two World Juniors Division 1A tournaments; in December, he posted 10 points (6-4—10) in five games to help Norway go undefeated and secure their return to the top division in Edmonton next year.

A Look Back

Canada and Norway have met four previous times at U18 Men’s Worlds, with the Canadians winning all four.

Justin Azevedo had a hat trick in a 9-2 win at the 2006 tournament in Sweden, and Mark Scheifele finished with two goals and an assist in a 5-0 win in 2011 in a game that saw Canada outshot the Norwegians 63-19.

All-time record: Canada leads 4-0
Canada goals: 26
Norway goals: 6