CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the schedules and ticket package details for the 2024 editions of the U17 World Challenge, U18 Women’s National Championship and Para Cup.

In addition, Hockey Canada has also announced that tickets are now on sale for the 2024 Junior A World Challenge, which is set to take place at Encana Arena in Camrose, Alberta, from Dec. 9-15, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and National Hockey League (NHL). The schedule and format for this year’s event will be announced at a later date.

“The unveiling of the schedules and ticket packages for our fall events is an exciting milestone, as the anticipation for the puck to drop continues to build while allowing fans and community members to plan their involvement in world-class events across the country,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact for Hockey Canada. “Hosting major events is not possible without the commitment and passion of these great communities, and we are grateful for the community leaders, volunteers, partners and our Members who make these events possible.”

The U17 World Challenge returns as a six-team format for the second-straight year, with Sarnia, Ontario, hosting at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena from Nov. 3-9. The teams — Canada Red, Canada White, Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States — will be split into two groups and will each play two preliminary-round games before the medal round. The event will also feature pre-tournament games in Sarnia, Petrolia and Forest on Nov. 1.

For the first time in the tournament’s history, the U18 Women’s National Championship will be held in Atlantic Canada. Eight teams consisting of the top under-18 players in Canada — Alberta, Atlantic, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario Blue, Ontario Red, Québec and Saskatchewan —will descend on the qplex in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, from Nov. 3-9.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of ParaSport and Recreation PEI, the Para Cup returns to the East Coast for the second straight year (2023 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick), with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team looking to secure its second-straight gold medal in international competition at the Bell Aliant Centre in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Canada will compete against China, Czechia and the United States from Dec. 8-14.

Full-event ticket packages for the U17 World Challenge, U18 Women’s National Championship, Para Cup and Junior A World Challenge are on sale now and can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

Fans that purchase a full-event ticket package to any fall event before Sept. 20 will be entered into a contest to win a 2025 World Juniors prize package. The prize package includes two tickets to both semifinals and the medal games, at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, as well as hotel accommodations for two nights and two $100 Hockey Canada merchandise vouchers.

Hockey Canada and the local organizing committees of its fall events are currently looking to fill several volunteer positions for all four events. Individuals that are interested in creating a world-class experience for players and fans alike are encouraged to CLICK HERE to learn more about Hockey Canada’s volunteer program or visit the individual event pages to apply now.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will air select tournament games, with broadcast details to be announced at a later date.

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 invited 163 players to participate in its Program of Excellence summer camps – Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Showcase, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp and Canada’s national under-17 development camp.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to host summer camps across our Program of Excellence this year and gain valuable insights into the development of our up-and-coming athletes,” said senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations Scott Salmond (Creston, BC). “The athletes will gain experience in the operations of our program ahead of the 2024 U17 World Challenge, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the highly anticipated 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.”

Forty-two players - four goaltenders, 13 defencemen and 25 forwards – have been invited to Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Showcase, July 28 to Aug. 3 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario, and south of the border in Plymouth, Michigan.

The camp roster features 38 players who have been selected in the NHL Draft, including 17 first-round picks: Colby Barlow (WPG), Cole Beaudoin (UHC), Oliver Bonk (PHI), Berkly Catton (SEA), Easton Cowan (TOR), Sam Dickinson (SJS), Tij Iginla (UHC), Cayden Lindstrom (CBJ), Jett Luchanko (PHI), Tanner Molendyk (NSH), Bradly Nadeau (CAR), Zayne Parekh (CGY), Calum Ritchie (COL), Beckett Sennecke (ANA), Matthew Wood (NSH), Brayden Yager (PIT) and Carter Yakemchuk (OTT).

The player selection process was led by Salmond and the management group, which includes Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Brent Seabrook (Tsawwassen, BC) with assistance from senior manager of hockey operations Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON). Head coach Dave Cameron (Kinkora, PE/Ottawa, OHL) and assistant coaches Sylvain Favreau (Orleans, ON/Drummondville, QMJHL), Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL) and Chris Lazary (Toronto, ON/Saginaw, OHL) were also involved in the process.

As part of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, 41 players – four goaltenders, 12 defencemen and 25 forwards – have been invited to compete to represent Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scheduled for Aug. 5-10 in Edmonton, Alberta. The selection camp, set for July 27-30 at the WinSport Event Centre in Calgary, will include a pair of Red-Black games on July 29-30. The roster includes five players who won gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship (Desnoyers, Hamilton, Ivankovic, McKenna, Schaefer).

Head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) led the player selection process with assistance from Salmond. U18 Program of Excellence management group lead Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL), head coach Kris Mallette (Kelowna, BC/Kelowna, WHL) and assistant coaches Gordie Dwyer (Dalhousie, NB/Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL) and Ryan Oulahen (Newmarket, ON/North Bay, OHL) also provided input.

Eighty players – eight goaltenders, 24 defencemen and 48 forwards – will take the ice at Joshua’s Creek Arenas in Oakville, Ontario as part of Canada’s national under-17 development camp, set to take place July 18-24. All 80 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League teams (39 from the OHL, 23 from the WHL and 18 from the QMJHL), while 17 represented Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (Beites, Chartrand, Croskery, Di Iorio, Edwards, Ellsworth, Esler, Lawrence, Lin, O’Donnell, Preston, Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck, Rudolph, Valentini, Verhoeff, Wassilyn).

The player selection process was led by Bonora, with assistance from regional scouts Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Rob Simpson (Ontario), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario), as well as Member representatives. Players will continue to be evaluated through the beginning of the 2024-25 season in preparation for the 2024 U17 World Challenge, scheduled for Nov. 1-9 in Sarnia, Ontario.

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

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has named the coaching and support staffs that will lead Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team in defence of its gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as well as the coaches who will be behind the bench with Canada’s national under-17 teams at the 2024 U17 World Challenge.

After helping lead Canada to back-to-back gold medals as an assistant coach at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Kris Mallette (Kelowna, BC/Kelowna, WHL) returns to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team for the third-consecutive year, this time serving as head coach.

Mallette will be joined on the bench by assistant coaches Gordie Dwyer (Dalhousie, NB/Acadie-Bathurst, LMJHQ) and Ryan Oulahen (Newmarket, ON/North Bay, OHL), along with goaltending consultant Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC/Kamloops, WHL) and video coach Ethan O’Rourke (Bowmanville, ON/Kingston, OHL).

“We are excited to unveil the coaching and support staffs that will lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team as we look to defend our gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup,” said Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), senior manager of hockey operations. “Kris, Gordie, Ryan, Dan and Ethan bring extensive experience both at the international and Canadian Hockey League levels, and they will be great leaders for this talented group of young men who will compete for Canada in Edmonton next month.”

Mallette has served as head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the past five seasons (2019-24) after six seasons (2013-19) as an assistant, winning a WHL championship and helping the Rockets reach the Memorial Cup final in 2015. Internationally, in addition to his two Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medals, he also won silver as head coach of Canada Red at the 2021 Capital City Challenge.

Dwyer has served as the head coach and general manager of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since 2022, prior to which he was the head coach of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs in 2021-22 and Shawinigan Cataractes in 2019-20. Dwyer won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship. He also served as Canada’s head coach at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games winning a bronze medal, along with a bronze medal as an assistant coach at the 2012 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Oulahen just completed his sixth season as head coach of the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Prior to that, 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 was also behind the bench at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014 (assistant coach, Canada Red), 2015 (assistant coach, Canada Black) and 2016 (head coach, Canada White), and was an assistant at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning silver.

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

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

Canada will open the preliminary round at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Switzerland on Aug. 5 at 7:30 p.m. MT/9:30 p.m. ET. It will also take on Slovakia and Sweden on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7, respectively, before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 10.

On the under-17 side, Travis Crickard (St. John’s, NL/Saint John, QMJHL) and Mathieu Turcotte (Kirkland, QC/Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL) will be behind the benches of Team Canada Red and Team Canada Black, respectively.

Joining Crickard behind the Canada Red bench are assistant coaches Matt Anholt (Prince Albert, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Wes Wolfe (Niagara Falls, ON/Erie, OHL).

Turcotte will have assistant coaches Brad MacKenzie (Charlottetown, PE/Halifax, QMJHL) and Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert, SK/Prince Albert, WHL) behind the Team Canada Black bench. 

“Under-17 is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, and we are excited to welcome some of the best coaches from the Canadian Hockey League to introduce the country’s top young players to our program,” said Roy. “Each of these coaches brings experience to international, short-term competition and we are eager to continue our preparations leading into November.”

Crickard recently finished his second season as head coach of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs following one season as an assistant. He won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and as video coach at the same tournament in 2021. Crickard was an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s hockey team at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, finishing fourth, and was video coach (2016) and assistant coach (2017) with Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, winning a silver medal in 2016.

Turcotte just wrapped up his first season as head coach of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Prior to joining the Armada, he served as head coach of the Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François of the Ligue de hockey M18 AAA du Québec, winning gold at the 2023 Men’s U18 National Club Championship. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs (2019-22), six seasons with the LHM18AAAQ’s Chevaliers de Lévis as assistant coach (2008-10) and GM/head coach (2015-19), and stints as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs (2010-12) and Chicoutimi Saguenéens (2012-14).

Anholt was named associate coach of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes in June. He has spent six seasons with the hockey club holding roles as skills and development coach before being named an assistant coach in 2020. Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Anholt added assistant general manager to his title, working alongside his father, Lethbridge GM Peter Anholt. He was also an assistant coach with Canada Red at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

MacKenzie recently completed his third season as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads and was promoted to associate coach in June. Prior to joining the Mooseheads, he was head coach of the Grand River Rapids of the Maritime Hockey League (2019-21), earning MHL coach of the year honours in 2020-21.

McDonald recently completed his third full season as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. He won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Team Saskatchewan at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, and also spent four seasons with the Warman Wildcats AAA program at both the U15 and U18 level. McDonald played five seasons in the WHL with the Regina Pats and Prince Albert followed by a four-year U SPORTS career at Lakehead University and the University of Saskatchewan.

Wolfe recently completed his second season of his second stint as an assistant coach OHL’s Erie Otters. He spent the 2021-22 season as general manager and head coach of the Cobourg Cougars of the Ontario Junior Hockey League following five seasons (2016-21) as an assistant coach with Erie, helping the team win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions in his first season.

For a list of staff for Canada’s national under-17 teams, please click here.

The roster for Canada’s national under-17 development camp will be announced at a later date.

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

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the host communities for three of its fall events: the 2024 U17 World Challenge, 2024 U18 Women’s National Championship and 2024 Para Cup.

“These events play a critical role in the development of men’s, women’s and para hockey athletes, coaches, officials and staff, and we are thrilled to be bringing them to communities in Ontario, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island,” said Pat McLaughlin, chief operating officer and executive vice-president of strategy. “They are an excellent opportunity to create lifelong memories and leave a legacy in each community for years to come.”

The 2024 U17 World Challenge will be played Nov. 1-9 in Sarnia, Ontario. It is the seventh time Ontario will play host to the tournament, and the second time in Sarnia, following 2014.

The 2024 U18 Women’s National Championship will run Nov. 3-9 in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, bringing the event – and the future stars of the women’s game – to Atlantic Canada for the first time.

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, which won a home-ice gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship earlier this month, will compete against three countries at the 2024 Para Cup, which will be held Dec. 8-14 in Charlottetown, P.E.I. It is the fifth time the tournament will be held in the Birthplace of Confederation and coincides with the 50th anniversary of ParaSport & Recreation PEI.

Fans can sign up now to receive ticket information or become a Hockey Canada Insider and receive advanced access to tickets and other promotions.

“These tournaments are often once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for participants, families and fans,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of strategic partnerships and community impact. “I’m confident in the host committees in these three great hockey markets and know we are set up for success with the passionate hockey fans and volunteers in each community.”

In the spring, Canada’s U18 Women’s National Club Championship will be decided at the 2025 Esso Cup, April 20-26 in Lloydminster, Alberta , while the U18 Men’s National Club Championship will be up for grabs April 21-27 at the 2025 TELUS Cup in Chilliwack, B.C.

The host communities for the 2025 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, and 2024 Junior A World Challenge will be announced at a later date.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca , or follow along through social media on Facebook , X and Instagram .

CHARLOTTETOWN, Prince Edward Island – For the first time since 2015, Canada White has won the gold medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, needing overtime to get past the United States 2-1 in the gold medal game Saturday night at a sold-out Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown.

Cameron Schmidt (Prince George, BC/Vancouver, WHL) was the overtime hero for the Canadians, chasing down a loose puck in the neutral zone and tucking a backhand around U.S. goaltender Patrick Quinlan 9:18 into the extra period.

“I kind of just blanked out, I just went to the backhand and it found its way in,” said Schmidt. “Obviously this team was thrown together, but building that bond from the start and carrying it to the end of this tournament was a big thing. These are my brothers for life, and it was an amazing experience.”

Canada White took the early lead just 98 seconds into the game when Joby Baumuller (Wilcox, SK/Brandon, WHL) redirected a centring pass from Ethan Czata (Brampton, ON/Niagara, OHL) past Quinlan.

It remained a one-goal game until 9:49 of the third period when Charlie Trethewey pulled the Americans even on the power play. The cross-border rivals would trade chances, but the game would need overtime to decide a champion, setting up the Schmidt heroics.

“We really talked about wanting to get better every game,” said Canada White head coach John Dean (Don Mills, ON/Sault Ste. Marie, OHL). “I was very fortunate to experience a very difficult game at the [2023 IIHF U18 World Championship]. As coaches we’re learning as well and my first game in Switzerland we lost 8-1 and we ended up winning a bronze medal. I took some notes from the coach at the time, Jeff Truitt, on how to handle it and stay even keel and realize you don’t win a gold medal in the first game.

“The message to the rest of the group was we’re going to get better every single day. We went to overtime five times, only won one game in regulation; these guys went into the final game and had experienced everything – blowing leads, comebacks, shootouts, overtime wins, coaches being upset and being happy. They went through it all so I couldn’t ask for a better tournament because they got to experience it all and I think there’s a lot of growth here.”

Sweden earns bronze medal

In the bronze medal game on Saturday afternoon, Sweden used a three-goal second period to defeat Czechia 6-3.

Czechia held a slim one-goal advantage after the opening frame on a power-play goal from Tomas Poletin. A shorthanded tally by Milton Gästrin midway through the second period pulled the Swedes even. They would add two more before the period ended to lead 3-1.

The Czechs would add a pair of goals just over a minute apart, but a goal by Ivar Stenberg at 3:39 held up as the eventual game-winner.

Following the gold medal game, the tournament all-star team was announced. 

Forward: Émile Guité (Chambly, QC/Chicoutimi, LHJMQ) - Canada White
Forward: Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, YT/Medicine Hat, WHL) - Canada Red
Forward: Will Moore - United States
Defence: Matthew Schaefer (Stoney Creek, ON/Erie, OHL) - Canada White
Defence: Charlie Trethewey - United States
Goaltender: Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga, ON/Mississauga, OHL) - Canada White 

For more information on the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook and X.

William Lacelle is not your ordinary goaltender.

That’s because the 15-year-old puck-stopper from Quebec has something many high-level athletes don’t.

“I call it my superpower,” Lacelle says.

What Lacelle is referring to is the fact he is hard of hearing — 100 per cent deaf in his left ear and 50 per cent in his right — and it has, in many ways, helped him become a standout goalie with the Lions du Lac St-Louis of the Ligue de développement du hockey des M18 du Québec.

“I use my hearing disability as a superpower. I use it to my advantage,” he says.

Lacelle, who was named the LDHM18AAAQ’s player of the year last season, and his superpower will be on display at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I., as a member of Team Canada Red.

“It's just an honour to be representing Canada … and representing Quebec,” says Lacelle, who won’t turn 16 until Boxing Day and is the youngest of the 44 players wearing the Maple Leaf, “It’s an amazing feeling.”

Born in Baie d'Urfé, Quebec, a community about 30 minutes west of Montreal, Lacelle has what is known as sensorineural hearing loss in both his ears — resulting in difficulties hearing, particularly in louder environments.

“It’s something I’ve had my whole life,” he says. “It is a big part of who I am as a person.”

Lacelle began figure skating at an early age but switched to hockey when he was about seven years old. He first started out playing defence but that didn’t last long.

“I was always blocking shots. My dad would say ‘Oh shoot, I think we have a goalie here,’ and that’s how I got into goaltending,” recalls Lacelle.

“He was absolutely passionate about being a goalie,” says his father, Stephen Lacelle. “I bought him some little street pads and I would practice shooting on him outside and he absolutely ate it up. He just loved it.”

A year later he was between the pipes full-time and it wasn’t long afterwards that it became clear to Stephen that his son was able to see the game differently from those around him.

“I would take him to hockey games and he would see things on the ice that I couldn't believe that young kid could pick up,” says Stephen. “After games as a very young goalie, he would tell me things about the particular number of a player like ‘Daddy, that is the kid with the green tape on the top hand stick.’ He would see things that like the other kids wouldn't see. It was just innate.”

“Don’t use it as a disability, use it as a superpower”

Lacelle is coming off arguably his best season ever, finishing with a record of 18-4 and posting a league-leading 1.55 goals-against average, helping the Lions reach the LDHM18AAAQ semifinals, where they fell to the eventual national champions from Séminaire Saint-François. He also backstopped Quebec to a bronze medal at the Canada Winter Games in February and was the first goaltender off the board at the 2023 QMJHL Draft, going 10th overall to the Rimouski Oceanic. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, he also received a $2,700 bursary this spring from the Montreal Canadiens for his athletic and academic success.

"It's astonishing it's how quickly it's come together for him,” says Stephen, “For a 15-year-old, it's really inspiring, and it has all just happened so fast. If you would have told me this would happen to him seven or eight years ago, I wouldn't have believed you."

But it hasn’t always been this easy for Lacelle, whose success on and off the ice is very much the result of hard work and getting those around him to understand his situation.

“Everyone understands my problem now and they have grown to accept it. But at first, they were annoyed because I would always say ‘what?’ because I would have to hear what they say twice. So, it was challenging not only for other people, but for myself,” he says.

“It has been challenging for him for sure, especially in school but there are a bunch of things we have done for him,” adds Stephen. “But he has been very well supported by a good network of professionals at a rehabilitation centre here in Montreal and his teachers and schools, both at the primary and secondary school level, have been fabulous.”

As Lacelle has grown older, he’s taken what many would consider a disadvantage and used it to his advantage.

“I will make a save and after the whistle guys on the other team might come by and say something mean to me, but I don’t hear it. I am just focused on the game and trying to win. It’s the little things, finding strategies.”

Among the strategies Lacelle relies on is increased communication with his teammates and coaches, whether it is verbally or through hand signals.

“I always double check with my coaches to make sure I hear stuff right. Let’s say he explains a game plan. I will go see him after just to make sure I heard exactly what he said or what is happening,” he says. “So, I really just make sure I double check with my teammates.”

“The coaches at all levels have been fantastic,” adds Stephen. “We would always tell his coaches at the start of the season that William was hard of hearing just so that they were sensitized to the situation. We didn't ask for any special treatment or anything. We just wanted them to know.”

Another strategy is lip reading, which is something that Lacelle can do in both English and French.

“I pretty much grew up bilingual and because of that I have been able to adapt to both French and English teams when I need to,” he says. “So, I read a lot of lips and I think that is an advantage.”

Still there are some challenges that are unique to Lacelle.

“It is a bit challenging when the rink is very loud, when there are a lot of noises and different sounds going on and that can affect my hearing because I won’t be able to hear some of teammates calls on the ice. But, that’s where lipreading comes in.”

When asked what his advice is to others young athletes who are hard of hearing, Lacelle says the biggest thing is to block out the noise.

“Ignore what people are saying negatively about you and keep moving forward,” he says. “I have had to face … people making fun of me but the best thing you can do is ignore it. Go on the ice and show what you can do. Don’t use it as a disability, use it as a superpower.”

CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada has announced the 44 players who will compete with Team Canada Red and Team Canada White at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Nov. 2-11 in Charlottetown and Summerside, PE.

The players chosen to represent their country were selected by Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), U17 head scout, and Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL), U17 lead with the Program of Excellence management group, with assistance from regional scouts Rob Simpson (Ontario), Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario).

“This summer we took the first step in introducing 66 young athletes to our Program of Excellence, which included preparations for short-term international competition,” said Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), senior manager of hockey operations with Hockey Canada.“We are grateful for the commitment and input from our support staff to ensure our teams are ready for competition starting Nov. 2. We couldn’t be more excited for the 44 players we have selected to represent Canada at this prestigious tournament and believe they will give us the best chance to compete for a gold medal.”

Hockey Canada is also proud to recognize the teams’ support staff who will participate in this year’s tournament, with 10 individuals representing Team Canada Red and Team Canada White.

The Canadian squads are in action on opening day, Nov. 2. Canada White hosts Czechia at Credit Union Place in Summerside at 12 p.m. AT, followed by Canada Red facing Finland at 7 p.m. AT at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown. Red and White will meet in the lone all-Canadian matchup in the preliminary round on Nov. 3 in Summerside.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the medal games; check local listings for details. Preliminary-round games, quarterfinals and semifinals will be available by livestream at HockeyCanada.ca.

Fans eager to watch some of the best international players compete on Prince Edward Island can secure their seats now. Ticket packages start at $120; click here to purchase.

As a legacy of hosting the event, Charlottetown and Summerside will receive net proceeds from ticket sales to support grassroots hockey within the communities.

More than 2,000 NHL draft picks have suited up since the inception of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (previously known as the Quebec Esso Cup) in 1986, including 16 first-overall draft picks since 2001 (Ilya Kovalchuk, 2001; Rick Nash, 2002; Marc-André Fleury, 2003; Alexander Ovechkin, 2004; Erik Johnson, 2006; Patrick Kane, 2007; John Tavares, 2009; Taylor Hall, 2010, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 2011; Nathan MacKinnon, 2013; Aaron Ekblad, 2014; Connor McDavid, 2015; Auston Matthews, 2016; Jack Hughes, 2019; Alexis Lafrenière, 2020; Owen Power, 2021).

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

CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada will work together with six Canadian Hockey League (CHL) coaches to guide Canada’s national under-17 teams at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Charlottetown and Summerside, PE next month.

John Dean (Don Mills, ON/Sault Ste Marie, OHL), and Carl Mallette (Montreal, QC/Victoriaville, QMJHL) will serve as head coaches of Team Canada White and Team Canada Red, respectively.

Joining Dean on the Canada White bench will be assistant coaches Eric Bouchard (Montreal, QC/Shawinigan, QMJHL) and Brennan Sonne (Maple Ridge, BC/Saskatoon, WHL).

Rounding out the Canada Red staff are assistant coaches Matt Anholt (Prince Albert, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Norm Milley (Toronto, ON/Ottawa, OHL).

“The under-17 program is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, and we are excited to welcome coaches from across the CHL to help introduce the country’s top young players to our program,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of hockey operations. “All of these coaches bring a unique skill set, combining playing and international and junior hockey experience, and we look forward to the coaching staff helping deliver a world-class event for all participants.”

Dean has been head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the last five seasons (2018-23). Prior to joining the Greyhounds, he spent three seasons (2014-17) as an assistant coach with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. Dean also served as an assistant and head coach of the North York Rangers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) for five seasons (2009-14) and as assistant general manager and head coach of the OJHL’s Toronto Patriots for two (2017-18). He made his international coaching debut at the 2017 World Junior A Challenge, serving as video coach for Team Canada East, and won a bronze medal with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Mallette has been the head coach of the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the past three seasons (2020-23), prior to which he was an assistant coach with the team for three seasons (2017-20). He also served as an assistant coach with Team Canada Red at the 2021 Capital City Challenge and Team Canada Black at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Anholt is entering his third season as an assistant coach with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Prior to that, he spent two seasons as the Hurricanes’ skills and development coach. Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Anholt added assistant general manager to his title, working alongside his father, Lethbridge GM Peter Anholt.

Bouchard was named as an assistant coach of the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes in June. This will be his second season in the QMJHL, having spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant with with the Val-d’Or Foreurs. Prior to his time in Val-d’Or, he spent three seasons (2019-22) as head coach of College Francais de Longueuil of the Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ), winning coach of the year honours in 2019-20 and 2021-22.

Milley has spent the past six seasons (2017-2023) as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s and made his international coaching debut as an assistant with Team Canada White at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He entered the coaching world after a 17-year professional playing career with stops in the NHL, AHL and DEL in Germany. He represented Canada on four occasions, including the 1998 Four Nations Cup and a trio of Deutschland Cups (2009, 2011, 2013).

Sonne is entering his third season as the head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Prior to arriving in Saskatoon, he spent four seasons (2017-21) as head coach of Angers in the Ligue Magnus in France and three seasons (2014-17) as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. Last season, Sonne earned the Dunc McCallum Trophy as WHL coach of the year.

The Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown will play host to 12 games during the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, including both medal games and a Canadian double-header on Nov. 4.

Ten games will be played at Credit Union Place in Summerside, beginning with Team Canada White facing Czechia on Nov. 2, as well as an all-Canadian matchup on Nov. 3.

Tickets are on sale now, with packages starting at $120. Click here to secure your seat.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the medal games. Preliminary-round games, quarterfinals and semifinals will be available by livestream at HockeyCanada.ca .

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

CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada has announced the format and schedule for the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Nov. 2-11 in Charlottetown and Summerside, PE.

Six teams will compete in this year’s tournament: Team Canada Red, Team Canada White, Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States. Each team will play five preliminary-round games from Nov. 2-7, with the quarterfinal matchups set for Nov. 9 and the semifinals on Nov. 10.

The bronze and gold medal games will take place Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. AT, respectively.

“Since this event began in 1986, more than 2,000 National Hockey League draft picks have played in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge,” said Breanne Ferris, manager of events and properties for Hockey Canada. “We cannot wait to celebrate the tournament’s first stop on Prince Edward Island with the great hockey fans of Atlantic Canada.”

Each team will play at least one game in Charlottetown and Summerside, ensuring fans in both communities can watch some of hockey’s brightest young stars.

The Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown will play host to 12 games, including both medal games and a Canadian double-header on Nov. 4.

Ten games will be played at Credit Union Place in Summerside, beginning with Team Canada White facing Czechia on Nov. 2, as well as an all-Canadian matchup on Nov. 3.

“Our volunteers, organizers and fans are ecstatic to welcome the world to Prince Edward Island,” said tournament co-chair Tanner Doiron. “This tournament is another steppingstone for the world’s best young players on their journey to the NHL. To play host to an event of this caliber is exciting for not only our two host cities, but the entire province. Our group has been working tirelessly to make sure this event is a great success, and with the support of our fans and volunteers, we know it will be.”

Tickets are on sale now, with packages starting at $120. Click here to secure your seat.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the medal games. Preliminary-round games, quarterfinals and semifinals will be available by livestream at HockeyCanada.ca .

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

CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada has confirmed the dates and host communities for seven events taking place during the 2023-24 season, including the return of the National Women’s Under-18 Championship.

“Today is an exciting day for Hockey Canada as we announce seven events that play a critical role in the development of men’s, women’s and para hockey athletes, coaches and staff,” said Pat McLaughlin, chief operating officer of Hockey Canada. “We hope that hosting these tournaments will help introduce new fans to the game, create lifelong memories for Canadians and have a positive impact in each community long after the medals have been handed out.”

The 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will be played Nov. 2-11 in Charlottetown and Summerside, PE, marking the first time in the tournament’s 37-year history that it will be hosted in the province.

Featuring some of the best young women’s hockey players in Canada, the 2023 National Women’s Under-18 Championship will run Nov. 5-11 in Dawson Creek, BC, bringing the event back to the Peace Region for the first time since 2012.

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will compete for gold with three other countries at the 2023 Para Hockey Cup, which will be held Dec. 3-9 in Quispamsis, NB, marking the fourth Hockey Canada event that Quispamsis has hosted.

Top Canadian and international players will be showcased at the 2023 World Junior A Hockey Challenge from Dec. 10-17 in Truro, NS, as the tournament returns to Atlantic Canada for the fourth time and to Truro for the second time.

In the spring, Canada’s Women’s U18 National Club Championship will be decided at the Esso Cup in Vernon, BC from April 21-27, while the Men’s U18 National Club Championship will be played April 22-28 in Membertou, NS.

The best Junior A teams in Canada will take to the ice at the 2024 Centennial Cup in Oakville, ON, with the Oakville Blades hosting the national championship from May 9-19.

“We are thrilled to share the list of communities that will host Hockey Canada events during the 2023-24 season,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of strategic partnerships and community impact. “The support we have received from host committees has been outstanding and we are confident that participants, volunteers, partners and fans will have fantastic experiences at each tournament.”

Ticket information for all seven events can be found here. Tournament schedules will be announced at a later date. 

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