CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has invited 88 players to participate in Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp and Canada’s National Junior Team summer camp, set to take place this July at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

As part of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, 44 players – four goaltenders, 14 defencemen and 26 forwards – will compete for an opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, Alta. The selection camp, which takes place July 20-23, will include a variety of on- and off-ice sessions. Following the selection of the final roster on July 24, Team Canada will play a pair of games against Red and White teams from Canada’s National Junior Team summer camp.

Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.) , Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel, led the player selection process with assistance from Tyler Dietrich (Vancouver, B.C.), senior manager of hockey operations, and Byron Bonora (Brooks, Alta.), manager of hockey operations and U17 head scout.

The player selection process also included Peter Anholt (Prince Albert, Sask./Lethbridge, WHL) and James Boyd (Mississauga, Ont./Ottawa, OHL) of the Program of Excellence management group, and the Canadian Hockey League general managers committee, made up of Pierre Cloutier (Rouyn-Noranda, Que./Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL), Kirt Hill (Winnipeg, Man./Edmonton, WHL), Jim Hulton (Wolfe Island, Ont./Charlottetown, QMJHL), John Paddock (Oak River, Man./Regina, WHL), Barclay Parneta (Saskatoon, Sask./Vancouver, WHL), Cam Russell (Halifax, N.S./Halifax, QMJHL) and Steve Staios (Hamilton, Ont./Hamilton, OHL).

“We are excited to bring together a group of 44 athletes with a solid foundation of junior and international experience for selection camp,” said Millar. “As our players are preparing to compete in short-term competition, we know all 44 players will come to camp ready to compete for a spot on the team and the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf in international competition.”

44 players – four goaltenders, 14 defenceman and 26 forwards – will also be on the ice in Calgary for Canada’s National Junior Team summer camp, set for July 23-27.

The camp roster features 26 players that have been selected in the NHL Draft, including eight first-round picks: Nolan Allan (CHI), Brandt Clarke (LAK), Corson Ceulemans (CBJ), Zach Dean (VGK), Wyatt Johnston (DAL), Zachary L’Heureux (NSH), Brennan Othmann (NYR) and Chase Stillman (NJD).

“This is an exciting first step as we begin preparations for the upcoming season and the opportunity to compete at the 2023 World Juniors on home ice in Halifax and Moncton this December,” Millar added. “We are excited about this group of players, and we look forward to returning to the ice for a highly-competitive camp to kick off a new season.”

Canada’s National Junior Team summer camp staff will feature six experienced coaches from across the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), including Shaun Clouston (Viking, Alta./Kamloops, WHL), Steve Hartley (Hawkesbury, Ont./Drummondville, QMJHL) , Jim Hulton (Kingston, Ont./Charlottetown, QMJHL), Brent Kisio (Calgary, Alta./Lethbridge, WHL), Brad Lauer (Humboldt, Sask./Edmonton, WHL) and Ryan Oulahen (Newmarket, Ont./North Bay, OHL).

Clouston recently completed his third season as head coach of the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, guiding the Blazers to a 48-17-3-0 record, good for top spot in the B.C Division. He was an assistant coach for Canada at back-to-back Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournaments in 2014 and 2015, and was behind the Canadian bench as head coach at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Hartley has served as head coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for four seasons (2019-22) after serving two seasons (2017-18) as an assistant. Hartley was a camp coach at Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team summer development camp last year. He also served as an assistant coach with Team Canada Black at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Hulton just completed his sixth season as head coach and general manager of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders, guiding the franchise to its first-ever championship series appearance following a club-record 48-win season. Hulton was an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship and won silver and gold as an assistant coach at the 2004 and 2005 IIHF World Junior Championships, respectively.

Kisio recently finished his seventh season as head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He most recently served as assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. Kisio previously coached Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, winning a gold medal, and has twice served on the coaching staff at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, winning a silver medal with Team Pacific in 2014.

Lauer is in his fourth season as head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL), guiding the team to a WHL championship following a 50-win season. The recipient of the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL coach of the year in 2019-20, Lauer made his debut with the Program of Excellence last summer, serving as a camp coach at Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team summer development camp.

Oulahen just completed his second full season as head coach of the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after being named interim head coach during the 2019-20 campaign. He spent just over two seasons as head coach of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds (2017-18) following six seasons as an assistant coach with Battalion. Oulahen won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, was head coach of Team Canada White at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and twice served as an assistant, with Team Canada Red in 2014 and Team Canada Black in 2015.

Hockey Canada announced in May that the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held in Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B., Dec. 26, 2022 to Jan. 5, 2023.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada will lean on 20 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) coaches to guide Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as well as Canada’s national under-17 program for the 2022-23 season.

On the under-18 side, Stéphane Julien (Shawinigan, Que./Sherbrooke, QMJHL) will take the reins as head coach, joined by assistant coaches Alan Letang (Renfrew, Ont./Sarnia, OHL) and Kris Mallette (Kelowna, B.C./Kelowna, WHL), as well as goaltending coach Kelly Guard (Prince Albert, Sask./Prince Albert, WHL) and video coach Raphaël-Pier Richer (Gatineau, Que./Gatineau, QMJHL).

“We are excited to announce the coaching and support staff that will lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team through selection camp and at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup,” said Tyler Dietrich (West Vancouver, B.C.), senior manager of hockey operations with Hockey Canada. “We know this group will use its CHL experience to help build and a lead a team that will represent Canada with pride and give us the best chance to win gold on home ice in Red Deer in August.”

Julien has been the head coach and general manager of the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the past two seasons. He has been the head coach since 2016 and was an assistant from 2012-16. Julien was also an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship and head coach of Team Canada Black at the 2021 Capital City Challenge.

Letang recently completed his first season as head coach of the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Prior to joining the Sting, he spent five seasons with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack as an assistant coach (2016-19) and head coach (2019-20). Letang also won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Mallette has served as head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for two seasons (2020-22) after serving six seasons (2014-20) as an assistant. He was named an assistant coach of Team Canada Black for the 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which was cancelled due to COVID-19, and was the head coach of Team Canada Red at the 2021 Capital City Challenge.

For a full list of Staff for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please click here

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will gather in Calgary for selection camp from July 20-23 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park ahead of the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, presented by RAM. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup will make its return to Canada, with Red Deer, Alta., hosting the top under-18 players in the world at the Peavey Mart Centrium, July 31-Aug. 6.

On the under-17 side, Mark O’Leary (Owen Sound, Ont./Moose Jaw, WHL), Bruce Richardson (Montréal, Que./Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL) and Greg Walters (Toronto, Ont./Owen Sound, OHL) will serve as head coaches of the three under-17 teams – Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White – with coaching staffs being finalized in the coming months.

Joining the three head coaches will be assistant coaches Carl Mallette (Montréal, Que./Victoriaville, QMJHL), Devan Praught (Summerside, P.E.I./Swift Current, WHL), Jordan Smith (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont./Sault Ste. Marie, OHL), Ryan Smith (Headingley, Man./Spokane, WHL), Rick Steadman (Oil Springs, Ont./London, OHL), and Chad Wiseman (Burlington, Ont./Guelph, OHL). Goaltending coaches Steve Mongrain (Proulxville, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL), Franky Palazzese (Mississauga, Ont./Sarnia, OHL) and Byron Spriggs (Winnipeg, Man./Winnipeg, WHL), and video coaches Nick Biamonte (Bolton, Ont./Guelph, OHL), and Andrew Boucher (South Porcupine, Ont./Ottawa, OHL) will round out the coaching staff.

“The under-17 program is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, and we are excited to welcome 15 coaches from across the CHL to help introduce the country’s top young players to our program,” said Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.), director of player personnel with Hockey Canada. “All 15 coaches bring a unique skill set, combining international and junior hockey experience, and we look forward to the coaching staff helping deliver a world-class camp for all participants.”

O’Leary has held various coaching roles with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors since 2012, most recently serving as head coach for parts of the last three seasons (2019-22). He has represented Canada once as a coach, serving as an assistant with Team Canada Red at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Richardson has served as head coach of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for the past four seasons (2018-22) and was previously the head coach of the Victoriaville Tigres from 2014-16. He was also an assistant coach with Team Canada Black at the November 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Walters recently completed his first season as head coach of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack after serving as head coach of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals for three seasons (2018-21). Internationally, he won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Team Canada East at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge and was head coach of Team Canada East at the 2012 World Junior A Challenge.

Mallette has been the head coach of the Victoriaville Tigres for the past two seasons (2020-22) and was an assistant coach with the team for three seasons (2017-20) prior to becoming head coach. He also served as an assistant coach with Team Canada Red at the 2021 Capital City Challenge.

Praught was named head coach of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos on March 7 after serving as an assistant coach with the team during the 2021-22 season. He was also an assistant coach with Team Saskatchewan at the 2019 Canada Winter Games and is set to make his international debut behind the bench.

Jordan Smith has spent the past four seasons (2018-22) as an associate coach with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and was an associate with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves during the 2017-18 season. He also served as an assistant coach with Team Canada Black at the 2021 Capital City Challenge.

Ryan Smith was named interim head coach of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs on Feb. 10 after serving as an associate coach for the past two seasons (2020-22). He was previously an assistant with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos (2015-18) and Medicine Hat Tigers (2018-20), and served as an assistant coach with Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge in 2012 and 2013, winning silver and bronze, respectively.

Steadman recently completed his sixth season as an assistant coach with the OHL’s London Knights, serving in the position since 2014-15. He is set to make his international coaching debut.

Wiseman has served as an associate coach with the OHL’s Guelph Storm for the past three seasons (2019-22) and was an assistant coach with the team during the 2018-19 season. He was named an assistant coach with Team Canada White for the 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which was cancelled due to COVID-19, and served as an assistant with Team Canada White at the 2021 Capital City Challenge.

For a list of staff for Canada’s National Under-17 Program, please click here

The coaching staff will oversee and lead 100 players at Canada’s national under-17 development camp, set for July 10-16 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. The staffs will also lead Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Langley and Delta, B.C., Nov. 5-12.

For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Canada’s national under-17 program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced the schedule and groups for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, presented by RAM, which is set to run from July 31-Aug. 6 in Red Deer, Alta.

For the first time in tournament history, one Canadian community will host the entire event, bringing the best-on-best showcase to the Peavey Mart Centrium for six days of competition.

“We are very excited to bring this event back to Canada, and in partnership with the City of Red Deer and the Red Deer Rebels, host an incredible week of hockey in the community this summer,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties with Hockey Canada. “This tournament has seen some of the top under-18 players in the world compete against each other for the first time, and this summer will be a chance for fans in Alberta to see players that will suit up at future World Juniors.”

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will join Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland in Group A, while Czechia, Finland, Germany and the United States will form Group B.

The tournament will begin on July 31 with Czechia playing Finland at 11 a.m. MT, the United States facing Germany at 3 p.m. MT and the host Canadians taking on Switzerland at 7 p.m. MT. Canada will round out its preliminary-round schedule against Slovakia on Aug. 2 and Sweden on Aug. 3, with both puck drops at 7 p.m. MT.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals on Aug. 5, with the bronze and gold medal games set for Aug. 6 at 12 p.m. MT and 4 p.m. MT, respectively.

“Red Deer is thrilled to host this year’s tournament and welcome the world back to our city,” said Ken Johnston, mayor of Red Deer. “We had the honour of co-hosting this tournament in 2018, and after a cancellation in 2020, we cannot wait to watch the world’s best under-18 hockey players in Red Deer once again.”

Since the tournament began in 1991, Canada has captured a record 22 gold medals, including twice on home soil. The best-on-best showcase has featured some of the world’s best under-18 players, including Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Steven Stamkos and former Red Deer Rebels captain Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Packages for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, presented by RAM, are on sale now, beginning at $169 for youth and $269 for adults, at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

“This tournament is one of the marquee events on the international hockey calendar, and to have it solely in Red Deer speaks to the reputation the community has built for hosting events,” said Merrick Sutter, senior vice-president of the Red Deer Rebels. “All eight countries participating will have players that will go on to have successful professional hockey careers, and this is a chance for families in Red Deer to take advantage of that and join us for an unforgettable week this summer.”

TSN and RDS, the official broadcaster partners of Hockey Canada, will provide full coverage of the tournament.

Recruitment information for volunteers will be announced later in June, with more than 150 positions available leading up to and during the tournament.

For more information on the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, presented by RAM, please visit HlinkaGretzkyCup.ca, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

KAUFBEUREN, Germany – Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team's run at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship has come to an end after it fell 6-5 in overtime to Finland in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

• Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) scored twice, extending his all-time Canadian records to 13 goals and 21 points at U18 worlds.
• Kocha Delic (Mississauga, Ont./Sudbury, OHL) opened the scoring for Canada
• Connor Hvidston (Tisdale, Sask./Swift Current, WHL) and Brayden Schuurman (Abbotsford, B.C./Victoria, WHL) rounded out the scoring.
• Adam Fantilli (Nobleton, Ont./Chicago, USHL) registered a pair of assists.
• Mathew Ward (Kamloops, B.C./Swift Current, WHL) , Spencer Sova (Windsor, Ont./Erie, OHL), Lukas Dragicevic (Richmond, B.C./Tri-City, WHL), Nick Moldenhauer (Mississauga, Ont./Chicago, USHL) and Rieger Lorenz (Calgary, Alta./Okotoks, AJHL) had an assist each.
• Reid Dyck (Winkler, Man./Swift Current, WHL) made 29 saves.
• Bedard , Dyck and Owen Pickering (St. Adolphe, Man./Swift Current, WHL) were named the top three players of the tournament for Canada.
• Finland outshot Canada 35-29.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast both semifinals, and the bronze and gold medal games.

Quotes:
“My hope is that these boys learned something here this week, from the staff and with each other. Losing like this stings, but there are a lot of lessons to be learned there and things they can take with them in their careers.”
- Head coach Nolan Baumgartner (Calgary, Alta.) on the loss

“As a team, we had to be more disciplined today. With the skill Finland has, they can easily score two goals in two minutes, and they did that. This is a hard one.”
- Bedard on Finland responding after his goal gave Canada a two-goal lead

“Coming together quickly as a group is tough, but these are relationships that are going to last forever. This is a great group of guys, and we will be friends for a long time.”
- Spencer Sova (Windsor, Ont./Erie, OHL) on the experience

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

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team is into the quarterfinals at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship, travelling to Kaufbeuren to face off against Group B runner-up Finland to begin the playoff round. Both teams come in off a loss to close the prelims.

LAST GAME

Canada’s preliminary-round finale can only be described as a see-saw battle that ended in a 6-5 overtime loss to Czechia on Tuesday. Canada opened the scoring through Nick Moldenhauer less than two minutes in, but had to erase three one-goal deficits before finally taking another lead off the stick of Kocha Delic with 11 minutes left. But special teams were the difference; the Czechs scored five times on the power play, including the overtime winner. Reid Dyck was terrific in the Canadian goal, making 46 saves.

Finland faced off against Scandinavian rival Sweden in its prelim finale, with top spot in Group B on the line. The teams exchanged goals in the first period before Sweden rattled off three straight. Lenni Hameenaho and Tuomas Uronen got Finland within one, but couldn’t complete the comeback in a 4-3 loss.

LAST MEETING

Canada’s last game against Finland was at the 2019 U18 worlds, a 5-3 preliminary-round win. The Canadians fell into a 3-0 hole early in the second period before coming all the way back. Jamieson Rees got Canada going shorthanded and Alex Newhook made it a one-goal game before Brayden Tracey struck twice in the third period to put the Canadians ahead. Peyton Krebs found the empty net with a second left to ice the victory.

WHAT TO WATCH

While his save percentage and goals-against average may not reflect it, Reid Dyck has arguably been Canada’s best player in the two appearances he’s made. He made 43 saves in the tournament-opening loss to the U.S., and followed that up with 46 against the Czechs, almost single-handedly getting the Canadians to overtime. With tough games on the horizon, he’ll have to keep that form to keep Canada in the medal hunt.

The Finns are balanced at both ends; only the U.S. (24) and Canada (16) have scored more than their 13 goals, and they’ve even with the U.S. with only seven goals allowed in three preliminary-round games. Like Canada, goaltending has been key – Topias Leinonen’s .894 save percentage is second-best in the tournament, and Niklas Kokko stopped 17 of 19 in his lone start.

A LOOK BACK

This will be the 15th meeting between Canada at Finland at the U18 worlds, with the previous 14 mostly going in favour of the Canadians.

Canada had four straight wins against the Finns from 2012 to 2016, though none were by more than two goals. The most thrilling came in 2012, a 5-4 overtime victory in the bronze medal game. Hunter Shinkaruk completed the hat trick in the extra period, while Matt Murray made 29 saves to clinch Canada’s first of three bronze medals in four years.

All-time record: Canada leads 6-1-2-4-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T)
Canada goals: 38
Finland goals: 37

LANDSHUT, Germany – Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team erased three one-goal deficits and took a third-period lead, but fell 6-5 in overtime to Czechia to close out preliminary-round play at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship. The Canadians finished the prelims with a 1-0-1-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record, good for third in Group A.

• Lukas Dragicevic (Richmond, B.C./Tri City, WHL) and Adam Fantilli (Nobleton, Ont./Chicago, USHL) registered a goal and an assist each.
• Kocha Delic (Mississauga, Ont./Sudbury, OHL) temporarily put Canada ahead in the third period.
• Nick Moldenhauer (Mississauga, Ont./Chicago, USHL) and Grayden Siepmann (Abbotsford, B.C./Calgary, WHL) also scored.
• Josh Filmon (Winnipeg, Man./Swift Current, WHL), David Goyette (Hawkesbury, Ont./Sudbury, OHL), Connor Hvidston (Tisdale, Sask./Swift Current, WHL), Rieger Lorenz (Calgary, Alta./Okotoks, AJHL) and Owen Pickering (St. Adolphe, Man./Swift Current, WHL) chipped in with an assist each.
• Reid Dyck (Winkler, Man./Swift Current, WHL) made 46 saves.
• Czechia outshot Canada 52-24.

Next Game:
Canada vs. Finland or Sweden (quarterfinal) – Thursday, April 28 (time TBD)

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 13 games throughout the tournament, including all Team Canada preliminary-round games, four quarterfinals, both semifinals, and the bronze and gold medal games.

Quotes:
“We need to play a full 60 minutes. Our goalie gave us a chance to win tonight, but special teams were the difference. Discipline is also going to be key for us moving forward. Playing five-on-five hockey allows us to stick to our game plan and utilize our bench in a different way. We are focused on our next game and an opportunity to keep advancing towards our goal in this tournament. We continue to grow and get better as a group each day and that’s what our plan is.”
- Assistant coach Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S.) on what adjustments the team needs to make for the quarterfinals

“I think we played hard, but were just a little sloppy. If we cleaned up our passes and our breakouts a little bit, we would have had a better outcome against them. I think moving forward we just have to keep our heads up and clean things up, we will be good to go. It was pretty special scoring my first goal of the tournament, especially with my dad here, so that was definitely a special moment.”
- Moldenhauer on the difference in the game, and opening the scoring

“We thought we started the game well in the first 10 minutes, but then it was inconsistent for the next period and a half. In the third I thought we came out and played well. We put together some good hockey and were really confident with how we were playing. If we play like we did in the third the rest of the way, we are confident in our game and how we can compete.”
- Pickering on Canada’s up-and-down performance

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

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team heads into the final game of the preliminary round with the same 1-1 record as Czechia, both looking for a win to secure second spot in Group A and a last-change advantage for the quarterfinals at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship.

LAST GAME

Though Canada never trailed in its 8-3 win over Germany on Sunday, there were still some tense moments. After pulling ahead 4-0 in the second period, thanks in part to the first of Connor Bedard’s three goals, Canada gave up three in a row to Germany, allowing the hosts and their home crowd to get back into the game. But Bedard rattled off two goals in just over a minute to put the game out of reach. Nolan Lalonde made 33 saves in the win.

Czechia has had similar results to Canada so far, picking up its win over Germany before suffering a 6-2 loss to the United States on Sunday. Jiri Kulich opened the scoring on a first-period penalty shot, but a four-goal second period by the U.S. sunk the Czechs. Lukas Plos added a consolation goal in the third, and Michael Schnattinger finished with 33 saves.

LAST MEETING

Canada and Czechia seem to meet most years at U18 worlds, and 2021 was no exception, with the red and white recording a 10-3 win in the quarterfinals. That was another banner game for Bedard, one of just a handful of Canadians to make a repeat appearance at a U18 worlds. He had two goals and three assists, and the Canadians chased Czech goaltender Tomas Suchanek from the net after just seven minutes and three goals.

WHAT TO WATCH

How about one more on Bedard? The Canadian captain has been red hot, posting four goals and five points through two games to surpass Matt Barzal as Canada’s all-time leading scorer at U18 worlds and Shane Wright as Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer. So what’s next? Bedard is two assists back of Cody Hodgson for that Canadian mark, and could start to climb the tournament scoring lists with a few more multi-point performances (although Alexander Ovechkin’s goal-scoring record of 23 [!] is probably safe). And he’s still eligible to come back in 2023!

The Czechs are still looking to find their game at five-on-five. Of the six goals they’ve scored through their first two games, three have come on the power play and another was on a penalty shot. If the Canadians can stay out of the penalty box (their 39 PIMs are second-most through two games), it should be able to dictate the play.

A LOOK BACK

This will be the 16th meeting between Canada at Czechia at the U18 worlds, and the previous 15 have been a mixed bag of results for the Canadians – seven regulation wins, an overtime victory, four regulation losses and two overtime defeats.

In addition to the 10-3 win last year, Canada has picked up a victory in the meeting prior to that. In 2019, Canada also closed out the preliminary round against Czechia, finishing with a 6-2 victory on the strength of goal-and-assist efforts from Alex Newhook, Jamieson Rees, Dylan Holloway and Philip Tomasino.

All-time record: Canada leads 7-1-2-4-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T)
Canada goals: 56
Czechia goals: 36

It’s a role Kori Cheverie would prefer not to play in 2022, but someone has to go first, so why not her?

“There’s always a little bit of pressure being the first to do something,” Cheverie explains. “But there are people who have come before me who have paved the path in other ways so I just kind of see myself as someone who is helping out the future of women and female coaches.”

Last week, Hockey Canada announced Cheverie as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team for the IIHF U18 World Championship, the first woman to serve in a coaching role for a national men’s team. But it isn’t the first time Cheverie has broken the gender-divide behind a men’s hockey bench.

In 2016, the New Glasgow, N.S., native was hired as an assistant coach by the Ryerson Rams, becoming the first woman to work full-time with n U SPORTS men’s hockey team. She held that role for five years, until joining Hockey Canada at the start of the 2021-22 season to work with Canada’s National Women’s Team as it prepared for the Olympics.

“I think it can probably be a little bit of an intimidation factor being on the men’s side, but the fact that I have that experience definitely prepares me a little bit more for what to expect,” Cheverie says. “I just see it as another coaching experience for myself and for these athletes.

“I’m sure not many of them have ever been coached by a female.”

In addition to U SPORTS and her time with the women’s team, Cheverie has years of experience working with high-calibre athletes, specifically at the under-18 level. She was an assistant coach at the 2019 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, earning a gold medal. In the same year, she won another gold as head coach of Team Ontario Red at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship.

“We had our first meeting in-person, and she had great reads on all the players,” says Nolan Baumgartner, who is making his own debut as a head coach at the national level. “She’s going to be a huge asset for our team.”

Cheverie will be the eye-in-the-sky for Team Canada, pre-scouting opponents and putting together a plan for each game. It’s a role she’s never had before and is she relishing a new way to see the game. A perfect perch to position herself for future prospects.

“I’ve had a lot of opportunities come my way and I think it’s because I take the approach of just trying to learn and educate myself,” Cheverie says of learning a new coaching role. “Anytime you get the opportunity to work with new athletes and a new coaching staff … it’s always going to be valuable no matter what level it is – under-13 or the NHL.”

At the U18 level, the world championship is a whirlwind event. This year, with no opportunity for a selection camp because of the adjusted Canadian Hockey League schedule, Team Canada will be coming together in Germany just a few days before the first game. Cheverie is revelling in the added pressure of a condensed timeline.

“I really love short-term events as I feel you’re forced to really pull out your character and be the person to form those relationships really fast,” the 34-year-old says. “It’s a really exciting time for these athletes as they’re pushing the threshold of becoming a pro hockey player.”

But first, the players and staff will put their focus on bringing home a gold medal for Canada.

“I got to play in the [IIHF World Junior Championship] and just pulling on the jersey, there is so much pride,” Baumgartner recalls. “And it’s no different being a coach, getting on that bench to lead a group of men to a gold medal and you feel that same pride.

“It’s very exhilarating to know that you’ve got a whole country behind you.”

LANDSHUT, Germany – Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) led Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team with a hat trick as part of an 8-3 win over Germany, giving the Canadians their first victory at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Bedard set a pair of Canadian records in the win, surpassing Matthew Barzal as Canada’s all-time leading scorer at U18 worlds, and moving ahead of Shane Wright as Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer. Bedard now has 11 goals and 19 points in nine games at the tournament.

• David Goyette (Hawkesbury, Ont./Sudbury, OHL) and Grayden Siepmann (Abbotsford, B.C./Calgary, WHL) added a goal and an assist each.
• Kalem Parker (Clavet, Sask./Victoria, WHL) , Brayden Schuurman (Abbotsford, B.C./Victoria, WHL) and Matthew Wood (Nanaimo, B.C./Victoria, BCHL) rounded out the scoring.
• Rieger Lorenz (Calgary, Alta./Okotoks, AJHL) chipped in with a pair of assists.
• Nolan Lalonde (Kingston, Ont./Erie, OHL) made 33 saves.
• Canada outshot Germany 49-36.

Next Game:
Canada vs. Czechia – Tuesday, April 26 (9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT)

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 13 games throughout the tournament, including all Team Canada preliminary-round games, four quarterfinals, both semifinals, and the bronze and gold medal games.

Quotes:
“It was nice to get the 4-0 lead, but then it was also nice to face some adversity. The crowd got going and they scored a couple of goals and we had to go through that, which is good for our team. We responded the right way, killed off some penalties and got the win from there. I thought [Germany] did a great job trying to be physical against us and I thought our guys handled it really good. I thought we were really disciplined tonight, which was our plan going in. That first hit of the game woke us up a little bit, but then we got going after that.”
- Head coach Nolan Baumgartner (Calgary, Alta.) on his team’s performance and being tested by Germany

“I think everyone’s a leader, it’s just throughout the year I’ve tried to round out my game a little more and being physical can be part of it. You don’t want to be hitting too much, but getting physical and chippy gets you into the game, I think.”
- Bedard on leadership and his playing style

“Obviously in the pre-scout, we realized they like to collapse when they get into the zone, so in the first I found two guys up top, trailing, and capitalized. In the second, Schuurman made a good play in the neutral zone play and we were able to score again.”
- Lorenz on his line contributing with three goals

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

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team looks to rebound after a tough loss to the United States in its opener, and now turns its attention to Germany in its second game in as many days at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship.

LAST GAME

Canada’s tournament-opening 8-3 loss to the U.S. was a wild one on Saturday. Down 2-0 after 20 minutes, Canada turned the tides in the second period, led by Connor Bedard; the captain made a blind, between-the-legs pass to Matthew Wood to get the Canadians on the board, and Mathew Ward tied it on a penalty shot. The Americans answered with a pair of goals to retake a two-goal lead, but Bedard scored a beauty from the goal line to get Canada within one. That would be it for offence, though, as the U.S. scored the game’s final four goals.

Germany opened the tournament earlier Saturday with a 4-2 loss to Czechia. Roman Kechter opened the scoring for Germany in the first period and Luca Hauf made it 2-1 early in the second before Czechia rattled off three unanswered goals in the middle frame leave the hosts with a loss. Simon Wolf stopped 52 of the 56 shots he faced.

LAST MEETING

Canada and Germany haven’t played at the U18 worlds since 2014. A three-goal third period gave Canada a 5-2 win in the preliminary round in that one, with Ryan Gropp, Travis Konecny and Jared McCann scoring in the final frame.

WHAT TO WATCH

Canada gave up a lot of odd-man rushes as the U.S. forced turnovers in every zone and in all three periods. The boys in red and white will be looking to tighten up on the defensive side of the puck to support the goaltenders, allowing the offence to build a lead.

Penalties cost the Germans in their opening game, as all three of the Czech goals in the second period were scored with the man advantage. While the Canadian power play didn’t have success against the U.S., a string of opportunities may just be the spark it needs.

A LOOK BACK

This is just the ninth meeting between Canada and Germany at the U18 worlds; the Canadians have a perfect 8-0 record and a +35 goal differential.

The largest margin of victory for Canada was an 11-2 win at the 2009 U18 worlds. Bryan Froese had a hat trick, netting a pair during a seven-goal second period.

All-time record: Canada leads 8-0
Canada goals: 50
Germany goals: 15