CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the four Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers that will comprise the Program of Excellence (POE) management group for the 2025-26 season.

Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL) makes his POE management group debut, guiding the under-17 program through the 2025 U17 World Challenge in Truro, Nova Scotia, while Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) returns for his second-consecutive year to lead the under-18 program. Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL) will also join the POE management group in an advisory role, providing overall support to all three programs through the 2025-26 season. Johnston, Lemay and Brown join Mark Hunter (Petrolia, ON/London, OHL), who was recently announced as the management group lead for Canada’s National Junior Team.

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

“Mike, Yanick, Mark and Dave will provide a wealth of knowledge throughout our Program of Excellence from their vast Canadian Hockey League and international experience,” said Millar. “We are tremendously grateful for their commitment to Hockey Canada’s under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs and are looking forward to their contributions to Canada’s success in international play this season.”

Johnston 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 13 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-25). He recently stepped down as head coach after 12 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-24), winning U.S. Division Executive of the Year and Coach of the Year awards in 2023-24. Johnston is one of just 11 head coaches in WHL history to win 500 games and he led the Winterhawks to seven-consecutive 40-win seasons. 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 second-straight season, leading the under-18 program, after helping guide Canada White and Canada Red to gold and silver, respectively, at the 2024 U17 World Challenge. He is entering his third season as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Last season, Lemay helped the Voltigeurs to an 86-point season and finished atop the QMJHL Central Division. 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 for a third-straight season after helping lead Canada to gold medals at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, and assisting Canada White to gold at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He is currently in his eleventh season (2015-25) as general manager of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving four seasons (2011-15) as director of hockey operations with the team. 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 (Montréal, QC), 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.

After another successful NHL Draft, one thing remains clear – no country develops hockey players quite like Canada.

In total, more than one-third of the players who had their names called in Los Angeles – 85 of 224 – hail from north of the 49th parallel.

The list features representation from 10 Members, and 27 who have worn the Maple Leaf in international competition.

The red-and-white run started from the very top, with Matthew Schaefer going No. 1 to the New York Islanders – the first of 19 first-round selections (the most since 2020). The Hamilton, Ontario, native already has a trophy case to be envious of – he has won gold at the Canada Winter Games (scoring the overtime winner in the gold medal game), World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, IIHF U18 World Championship and Hlinka Gretzky Cup, serving as captain at the first, second and last of those triumphs.

He also cracked the Canadian lineup for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording a goal and an assist in two games before a broken collarbone prematurely ended his tournament.

Michael Misa followed quickly behind Schaefer, going second overall to the San Jose Sharks; the Mississauga product owns gold from the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and silver from the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, earning both medals as an underager. Misa, who was granted exceptional status to play in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in 2022-23, led all CHL scorers this season with 134 points (62-72—134) in 65 games with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.

In all, Canadians were four of the first five picks (for the first time since 2014), seven of the first 10 (for the second year in a row) and 15 of the first 20 (for the first time since 1994).

The list of first-rounders included a number of 2024-25 gold medallists: five from the 2025 U18 Men’s Worlds (Cootes, Kindel, Martin, Nesbitt, Smith) and nine from the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Cootes, Desnoyers, Kindel, Martin, O’Brien, Reid, Reschny, Schaefer, Smith).

The CHL was well represented among the Canadian contingent; 79 of the 85 players selected were products of CHL programs, from 42 different teams – led by four each from the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads and Kitchener Rangers. The Ontario Hockey League led the way with 35 picks, followed by the Western Hockey League with 27 and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with 17.

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY MEMBER

Ontario Hockey Federation (32) – Kashawn Aitcheson, Lirim Amidovski, David Bedkowski, Trenten Bennett, Jordan Charron, Gabe Chiarot, Ethan Czata, Francesco Dell’Elce, Kieran Dervin, Rylan Fellinger, Owen Griffin, Matthew Hlacar, Tyler Hopkins, Jack Ivankovic, Aidan Lane, Jimmy Lombardi, Andrew McNiel, Brady Martin, Porter Martone, Marco Mignosa, Michael Misa, Shamar Moses, Jack Nesbitt, Jake O’Brien, Charlie Pacquette, Evan Passmore, Noah Read, Cameron Reid, Luca Romano, Matthew Schaefer, Grant Spada, Malcolm Spence

Hockey Quebec (15) – Anthony Allain-Samaké, Lucas Beckman, Justin Carbonneau, Alexis Cournoyer, Gabriel D’Aigle, Caleb Desnoyers, Émile Guité, Alex Huang, Noah Laberge, Jérémy Loranger, Alexis Mathieu, Samuel Meloche, Mateo Nobert, Nathan Quinn, Bill Zonnon

Hockey Alberta (12) – Nathan Behm, Braeden Cootes, Ashton Cumby, Kale Dach, Aiden Foster, Max Heise, Justin Kipkie, Carter Klippenstein, Ryan Miller, Bryce Pickford, Jackson Smith, Luke Vlooswyk

BC Hockey (7) – Shea Busch, Ben Kindel, Tommy Lafrenière, Lynden Lakovic, Joshua Ravensbergen, Cameron Schmidt, Will Sharpe

Hockey Manitoba (7) – Carter Bear, Matthew Gard, Burke Hood, Peyton Kettles, Owen Martin, Hayden Papaneukis, Brady Turko

Hockey Eastern Ontario (5) – Quinn Beauchesne, Jacob Cloutier, Parker Holmes, Harry Nansi, Grayden Robertson-Palmer

Hockey Nova Scotia (2) – Cole Chandler, Brady Peddle

Hockey P.E.I. (2) – Will Murphy, Dawson Sharkey

Hockey Saskatchewan (2) – Roger McQueen, Cole Reschny

Hockey New Brunswick (1) – Will Reynolds

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

2025 National Men’s Team – Porter Martone

2025 National Junior Team – Jack Ivankovic, Porter Martone, Matthew Schaefer

2025 National Men’s Under-18 Team (gold medal) – Quinn Beauchesne, Lucas Beckman, Braeden Cootes, Matthew Gard, Burke Hood, Tyler Hopkins, Alex Huang, Jack Ivankovic, Ben Kindel, Brady Martin, Jack Nesbitt, Cole Reschny, Cameron Schmidt, Jackson Smith

2024 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team (gold medal) – Quinn Beauchesne, Lucas Beckman, Braeden Cootes, Ethan Czata, Caleb Desnoyers, Émile Guité, Tyler Hopkins, Alex Huang, Jack Ivankovic, Peyton Kettles, Ben Kindel, Brady Martin, Jake O’Brien, Cameron Reid, Cole Reschny, Matthew Schaefer, Cameron Schmidt,Jackson Smith

2024 National Men’s Under-18 Team (gold medal) – Kashawn Aitcheson, Caleb Desnoyers, Jack Ivankovic, Porter Martone, Matthew Schaefer

2023 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team (gold medal) – Gabriel D’Aigle, Porter Martone, Michael Misa, Roger McQueen, Malcolm Spence

2023 National Men’s Under-18 Team (bronze medal) – Gabriel D’Aigle

2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada Red) – Quinn Beauchesne, Braeden Cootes, Peyton Kettles, Brady Martin, Jake O’Brien, Cole Reschny, Luca Romano, Jackson Smith

2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada White-gold medal) – Cole Chandler, Ethan Czata, Caleb Desnoyers, Owen Griffin, Émile Guité, Tyler Hopkins, Alex Huang, Jack Ivankovic, Jack Nesbitt, Mateo Nobert, Cameron Reid, Matthew Schaefer, Cameron Schmidt, Will Sharpe

2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada Black) – Lynden Lakovic, Malcolm Spence

2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada Red-silver medal) – David Bedkowski, Gabriel D’Aigle, Porter Martone, Michael Misa

2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Canada White) – Justin Carbonneau, Roger McQueen, Bill Zonnon

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Stanley Cup champion Misha Donskov (London, ON) has joined the organization as vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach, effective immediately.

Reporting to Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, Donskov brings National Hockey League (NHL) experience as an executive and coach to the organization and will be responsible for implementing the vision and strategies for Hockey Canada’s men’s, women’s and para hockey teams, and strengthen the alignment between the organization’s hockey operations and business operations staffs.

Donskov will also serve as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Team at the IIHF World Championship, as assistant coach with the Men’s Olympic Team and as associate coach with Canada’s National Junior Team.

“We are thrilled to name Misha to his role today as he will play a critical role to ensure Canada’s national teams are set up for sustained success when representing our country on the world stage,” said Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer. “Misha is a proven winner, collaborative leader and unwavering in his commitment to supporting our athletes, coaches and staff, and we know he will make Canadians proud throughout his work with Hockey Canada.

“We received a tremendous number of applications from candidates in Canada, across North America and around the world for this position and appreciate their interest in the role as part of the extensive recruitment process.”

Donskov recently completed his second season as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars after spending parts of four seasons as an assistant coach (2020-23) with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2023. Before joining the Golden Knights coaching staff, he was the team’s director of hockey operations for four seasons (2016-20). Internationally, Donskov has been part of a number of successful Canadian teams, including championships as an assistant coach at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He also won gold at two IIHF World Championships (2015, 2016) and one IIHF World Junior Championship (2015) as manager of hockey operations, analytics and video, and won the 2019 Spengler Cup as director of hockey operations and assistant coach as well as the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament as video coach.

Donskov spent five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights (2009-12) and Ottawa 67s (2012-14), highlighted by an OHL championship as London’s assistant general manager and assistant coach in 2012. In addition to his coaching and management career, Donskov has extensive experience in hockey development, including previous NHL roles with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers.

Prior to pursuing a full-time career in hockey, Donskov spent six years with Cardinal Health, a Fortune 500 global, integrated healthcare solutions company. He held roles of increasing responsibility in finance, sales, and sales management. He holds a master's degree in kinesiology with a specialization in coaching education from the University of Western Ontario.

“It is a tremendous honour to be trusted to serve as Vice President, Hockey Operations and National Men’s Teams Coach for Hockey Canada,” said Donskov. “I would like to thank the Hockey Canada Board, Katherine Henderson and Scott Salmond for this incredibly unique opportunity. Hockey Canada has played a significant role in my hockey journey and development — both personal and professional. I am excited to be returning to Hockey Canada to help support our world leading teams, programs and people. In addition, I would like to thank Tom Gaglardi, Jim Nill and Pete DeBoer for affording me the privilege to coach in the National Hockey League and be a part of the Dallas Stars family and organization.”

This is the second critical hockey operations staff announcement ahead of the 2025-26 international hockey season after Hockey Canada announced the hiring of Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), the first full-time general manager of the Program of Excellence.

“Misha brings a coaching acumen and focus to Hockey Canada that our programs will benefit immensely from,” added Salmond. “With a full time general manager in Alan Millar and now the addition of Misha Donskov, we are in a great position as an organization moving forward.”

Additions to the Program of Excellence management group, as well as the coaching staffs, support staffs and rosters for the under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON) will serve as the first full-time general manager of the Program of Excellence.

Millar returns to Hockey Canada after spending three years as director of player personnel with the POE from 2021-24, winning two IIHF World Junior Championship gold medals (2022, 2023) and two Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medals (2022, 2023). He also won gold at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship as director of player personnel, and at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup as general manager.

In his new role, Millar will serve as general manager of Canada’s National Junior Team, and Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. He will also oversee the national under-17 program and ensure the long-term sustainability of the Program of Excellence.

“We are excited to have a dedicated, full-time general manager to oversee Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, and after an open and extensive search process, we are confident Alan is the right person to lead it,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations. “He has spent a large portion of his career working alongside Hockey Canada in various roles and has helped build several world championship-winning teams. His experience in the AHL and CHL, along with his familiarity of our staff and programs, will be extremely helpful as he begins this new role.”

Millar has spent the last two seasons (2023-25) as vice-president of hockey operations and general manager of the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Prior to his first stint with Hockey Canada, he served as general manager of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors for nine seasons (2012-21). He also had a two-year stint as director of hockey operations (2010-12) and served five seasons as general manager of the Sarnia Sting (2004-09) of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Millar also served as director of operations for Team Ontario at the 2004 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, helping the team to a gold medal. He spent the 2003-04 season with the OHL’s Toronto St. Michael’s Majors as director of player personnel and was general manager and alternate governor of the OHL’s Guelph Storm for six seasons (1997-2003), winning an OHL championship in 1998. Millar also served as director of operations and alternate governor with the Saint John Flames of the American Hockey League (AHL) for four seasons (1993-97).

“I am truly honoured to return to Hockey Canada as the general manager of the Program of Excellence,” said Millar. “It is a privilege to represent Canada on the world stage, and I have been fortunate to have had a number of opportunities to do just that. I am excited to work with the leadership and staff to build on the recent successes at the U17 and U18 levels, and bring our National Junior Team back to the podium. I look forward to the challenge of evaluating the best players in the country and building teams that will compete for gold. I’d like to thank Scott Salmond, Katherine Henderson and the Hockey Canada leadership team for this special opportunity.”

Additions to the Program of Excellence management group, as well as the coaching staffs, support staffs and rosters for the under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

FRISCO, Texas – Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team saved its best effort for last, shutting out Sweden 7-0 to win its second-consecutive gold medal at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, repeating as champions for the first time .

Canada scored seven unanswered goals—including a pair from Brady Martin (Elmira, ON/Sault Ste. Marie, OHL) —while Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga, ON/Brampton, OHL) made 28 saves for his second shutout of the medal round to lead Canada to victory.

Xavier Villeneuve (Les Cèdres, QC/Blainville-Boisbriand, LHJMQ) opened the scoring just four minutes into the first period and Canada never looked back. It led 2-0 after the first period. netted three goals in the second and added another two in the final frame.

“What a great feeling,” said head coach Cory Stillman (Peterborough, ON/Guelph, OHL). “[It’s been a] long season for these guys and you always want to finish the season with a championship with your club team. If that doesn’t pan out, you get to represent your country and that’s pretty special. We got better as the tournament went on. Tonight was the best game we played and we came out winners.”

Canada’s offence was well-rounded on Saturday night, with six different goal-scorers and 14 players registering a point.

Jack Nesbitt (Sarnia, ON/Windsor, OHL) and Ben Kindel (Coquitlam, BC/Calgary, WHL) had two-point performances, registering a goal and an assist and a pair of assists, respectively.

Jackson Smith (Calgary, AB/Tri-City, WHL), Ethan Czata (Brampton, ON/Niagara, OHL) and Braeden Cootes (Sherwood Park, AB/Seattle, WHL) all contributed with goals, improving Canada’s tournament-leading goal total to an impressive 43.

“This was one of the closest teams I’ve ever been on,” said Smith. “We came together quick, didn’t have a ton of time to get to know each other but that didn’t matter. It showed out there with how we played tonight, we are truly a team. This is an incredible feeling. There is nothing better than winning gold for Canada, and to do it twice [after winning the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup] is extra special. Hopefully, this is just the start for me and these guys.”

Cole Reschny (Macklin, SK/Victoria, WHL), Quinn Beauchesne (Ottawa, ON/Guelph, OHL), Lev Katzin (Thornhill, ON/Guelph, OHL), Alex Huang (Rosemère, QC/Chicoutimi, LHJMQ), Keaton Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan, AB/Victoria, WHL), Tyler Hopkins (Campbellville, ON/Kingston, OHL) and Cameron Schmidt (Prince George, BC/Vancouver, WHL) all chipped in with assists.

“I’m so proud of this group,” said Reschny. “We got better every day, and tonight was all of our hard work coming together. It’s an amazing feeling winning gold for Canada and to do it with this group of guys is even better.”

Following the game, Ivankovic and Martin were named to the media all-star team. Ivankovic was also named Best Goaltender, an award voted on by the IIHF and tournament directorate.

A full game summary can be found at HockeyCanada.ca.

The Canadians were undefeated throughout the tournament, beating Slovakia, Latvia, Finland and Norway and outscoring their opponents 29-5 in the preliminary round. Canada booked its spot in the gold medal game with a 3-2 overtime win over Czechia in the quarterfinals and a 4-0 semifinal win over Slovakia.

Since 2002, Canada has won six gold medals at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021, 2024, 2025), in addition to one silver (2005) and four bronze (2012, 2014, 2015, 2023).

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team goes for gold Saturday at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, taking on Sweden as it looks for back-to-back gold medals for the first time in tournament history.

Last Game

Canada blanked Slovakia 4-0 in its semifinal Friday to book its spot in the gold medal game. Jack Ivankovic was perfect between the pipes, making 24 saves for the shutout. Xavier Villeneuve opened the scoring early in the second period before Cole Reschny, Jack Nesbitt and Ryan Roobroeck added power-play goals in the third to provide the final margin of victory.

The Swedes earned their spot in the final by outlasting the host Americans 4-3 in their semifinal. Viggo Björck and Torkel Jennersjö scored third-period goals to break open a 2-2 game and Love Härenstam did the rest, finishing with 38 saves – 13 in the final 20 minutes – as the U.S. outshot Sweden 41-23.

Last Meeting

The pre-tournament game 12 days ago in Plano? We don’t want to talk about that. So let’s go back to the semifinals at U18 Men’s Worlds last year. The Canadians burst out of the gate, leading 4-0 after one period thanks to Liam Greentree, Gavin McKenna, Tij Iginla and Ryder Ritchie. Sweden trimmed the four-goal deficit to three after 40 minutes and got it to one with five minutes to go, but Canada saw out a 5-4 victory en route to a gold medal game in Finland.

The Canadians and Swedes also met in the preliminary-round finale at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer in Edmonton, with Canada pulling out a 2-1 victory. Ben Kindel opened the scoring just past the seven-minute mark and McKenna provided the game-winner midway through the third period, while Ivankovic was terrific in a 23-save effort.

What to Watch

He’s been mentioned in this space before, but it bears repeating – Ivankovic is really, really good. Less than three weeks shy of his 18th birthday, the Mississauga-born puck-stopper owns a résumé that includes gold medals at the Canada Winter Games, U17 World Challenge, IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship and Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and a history-making start at the World Juniors. And all he’s done in Texas is go 5-0 with a 1.27 goals-against average and .952 save percentage, both tournament-leading marks among goaltenders with at least 120 minutes of action. Put together his two U18 stints in the Maple Leaf this season (including this tournament and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup), and Ivankovic has nine wins in as many starts, allowing only nine goals.

The Swedes ice the top three scorers in the tournament – Filip Ekberg (10-8—18), Sascha Boumedienne (1-13—14) and Ivar Stenberg (8-5—13). Ekberg and Boumedienne did most of their damage in a pair of prelim games; Ekberg had four goals and an assist in a win over Switzerland and two of each in a win over Czechia, while Boumedienne had a goal and five assists against the Swiss and four helpers against the Czechs. Milton Gästrin (third amongst International skaters) is the highest-ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting in the Swedish lineup; he’s contributed three goals and 10 points in six games. And while Härenstam’s numbers don’t jump off the page, he proved against the Americans that he has the ability to steal a game.

A Look Back

The Canadians and Swedes have been very familiar foes at U18 Men’s Worlds, meeting 23 times since 2003.

It’s the first time the long-time international rivals have met for U18 gold, but they do have two prior clashes for bronze, with each winning once. In 2007, Angelo Esposito scored twice, but the Swedes earned an 8-3 victory in Finland. Seven years later, also in the Nordic nation, Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist and Mason McDonald made 38 saves in a 3-1 Canadian victory.

All-time record: Canada leads 13-10 (1-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 94
Sweden goals: 74

Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team is into the semifinals at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, taking on Slovakia in its final four faceoff Friday at the Comerica Center.

Last Game

Canada punched its ticket to the semifinals with a narrow 3-2 overtime win over Czechia in the quarterfinals Wednesday. Cole Reschny was the extra-time hero, scoring his second goal of the game 2:41 into the 3-on-3 period. Jackson Smith had the other goal for the Canadians, while Jack Ivankovic made 22 saves.

The Slovaks secured their medal round spot with a 3-2 quarterfinal win over Germany. Jan Chovan scored in the second period, and Lukas Tomka and Luka Radivojevic added goals in the third before the Germans made a late, but unsuccessful, push. Michal Pradel finished with 21 saves in the Slovak goal.

Last Meeting

Canada and Slovakia clashed just last Thursday in the Canadians’ prelim opener, a 9-2 victory in Allen. Cameron Schmidt, Lev Katzin, Smith, Matthew Gard and Ryan Lin all scored first-period goals as Canada took a commanding early lead with five goals in a span of 7:12. Schmidt finished with a pair of goals, as did Braeden Cootes, who added three assists for just the seventh five-point game by a Canadian in U18 Men’s Worlds history. In all, 13 of 16 skaters recorded at least a point in the win.

What to Watch

There’s no easy answer in this section going into this game, and that’s because there are so many Canadians who have been so darn good in Texas. While Cootes leads the way in scoring with 10 points (5-5—10) in five games, he’s followed closely behind by Brady Martin (1-8—9), Lev Katzin (4-4—8), Ryan Roobroeck (3-5—8) and Reschny (4-2—6). The balanced offence bodes well for Canada’s medal chances this weekend, but it also bodes well for Canadian content at the 2025 NHL Draft. While Roobroeck isn’t eligible until 2026, the others all appeared in the final North American skater rankings by NHL Central Scouting – 11th (Martin), 20th (Cootes), 25th (Reschny) and 142nd (Katzin). Throw in some of the players we haven’t mentioned above, like Smith (13th), Jack Nesbitt (15th) and Ben Kindel (21st) and this team should be very well represented in Los Angeles next month.

While Chovan – the highest-rated Slovak for the NHL Draft – has performed as expected with four goals in five games, it’s Tomas Chrenko leading the charge offensively with eight points (5-3—8). Chrenko was simply dominant with HK Nitra in the Slovak U20 league this season, recording 61 points (30-31—61) in just 28 regular-season games before posting 20 (4-16—20) in 10 playoff games. And while Pradel – the third-ranked North American goaltender by Central Scouting – lasted only one period against Canada in the prelims, the puck-stopper has been terrific otherwise, fashioning a 1.81 goals-against average and .930 save percentage across five games.

A Look Back

Canada has never lost to Slovakia at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, winning all 13 meetings (with two coming by way of overtime).

The last medal-round meeting between the teams came in the bronze medal game at the 2023 tournament in Switzerland. In that one, Matthew Wood tied the game with 70 seconds to go and Macklin Celebrini – 14 months before he was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft – was the overtime hero as Canada earned a 4-3 victory to win bronze. Wood finished with a goal and three assists, while Celebrini contributed two goals and a helper.

All-time record: Canada leads 13-0 (2-0 in OT)
Canada goals: 52
Slovakia goals: 19

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team faces Czechia as the playoffs get underway Wednesday at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center.

Last Game

Canada finished the preliminary round undefeated with a 8-1 win over Norway on Monday. Ryan Roobroeck opened the scoring only 39 seconds into the game on his way to a four-point performance (1-3—4). Braeden Cootes had two goals and an assist and Lev Katzin scored twice. Cole Reschny, Alessandro Di Iorio and Keaton Verhoeff rounded out the scoring. Jack Ivankovic made 12 saves in the first two periods before Lucas Beckman turned aside all five shots he faced in the third.

Czechia closed the prelims Monday with a 7-3 loss to Sweden in Group B. The Swedes took a 3-0 lead before Artur Matejovsky scored with just under four minutes left in the first period. Vit Jahejsky added a power-play goal midway through the second and captin Tomas Poletin scored early in the third for the Czechs. Michal Orsulak played well in a 31-save effort.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Czechs faced off in the preliminary round last year, with Canada earning a 6-0 shutout win. Malcolm Spence needed only five seconds to open the scoring, setting a new record for the fastest goal in tournament history. Spence finished with three points (1-2—3), Gavin McKenna had a goal and two assists, Tij Iginla scored shorthanded and on the power play, and Carson Wetsch found the back of the net. Carter George made 26 saves for the shutout.

What to Watch

The newest arrival to Team Canada has made an immediate impact on the ice. Ben Kindel was added to the roster on Saturday and has a goal and three assists in two games. The 18-year-old had 35 goals and 99 points during the regular season with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, and registered eight goals and 15 points in 11 playoff games before Calgary was knocked out by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Game 7. The Coquitlam, B.C., product was a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning entry at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer in Edmonton, contributing a goal and an assist in five games.

Adam Benak leads Czechia in scoring after the prelims with one goal and five assists in three games. A point-producer (17-42—59 in 56 games) with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms this season, he is the 58th-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting for the 2025 NHL Draft. He also starred at a pair of Hlinka Gretzky Cups, posting 10 points in five games as an underager in 2023 before following that up with 11 points in five games in Edmonton last summer. On the blueline, Radim Mrtka is hard to miss—at 6-foot-6 and over 200 pounds, he is a force on the ice for the Czechs. He’s also hard to miss because he never leaves the ice, averaging 23:42 per game through the prelims, good for third among all skaters. Mrtka spent this past season with the WHL’s Regina Pats and posted three goals and 35 points in 43 games.

A Look Back

This will be the 18th meeting between Canada and Czechia at U18 Men’s Worlds, but only the fourth time they teams have met in North America. The Canadians are undefeated when playing the Czechs in the United States, earning a 10-3 win in 2021, a 3-1 win in 2016 and a 4-3 overtime win in 2009.

The 2009 game had Canada down 3-0 after 40 minutes before John McFarland, Ryan O’Reilly and Erik Gudbranson tied the game in just over three minutes early in the third period. Brett Connolly scored the winner 83 seconds into overtime for Canada.

All-time record: Canada leads 10-7-1 (1-3 in OT)
Canada goals: 75
Czechia goals: 45

Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team jumps right back into action Monday, facing Norway to conclude the preliminary round at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center.

Last Game

Canada improved its record to 3-0 and locked up top spot in Group A on Sunday with a 5-1 win over Finland. Ben Kindel opened the scoring at 3:19 on the power play. A big second period, featuring goals from Braeden Cootes, Xavier Villeneuve and Cole Reschny, put the Canadians ahead 4-0 before Brady Martin added an empty-net goal late in the third. Jack Ivankovic was the standout, making 39 saves to neutralize the Finnish offence.

Norway was last in action Saturday, dropping a 9-1 decision to Slovakia. Niklas Aaram Olsen scored the sole goal for Norway with eight seconds left in the second period. Felix Timraz-Westin allowed six goals on 27 shots, while 15-year-old Maximillian Aas made seven saves in relief during the third period. Slovakia outshot Norway 37-23.

Last Meeting

Let’s throw it back 14 years to 2011 when Canada last played Norway at this tournament, with the Canadians earning a 5-0 shutout win. Mark Scheifele recorded two goals and an assist, while Colin Smith, Slater Koekkoek and Nick Cousins also found the back of the net. Andrew Agostini made 19 saves for the shutout.

What to Watch

The goaltending duo from the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup is continuing to dominate in international play. Ivankovic is no stranger to Canadian hockey fans as a returnee from the gold medal-winning team from last year’s U18 Men’s Worlds and making history at the World Juniors as the first 17-year-old goaltender to start a game for Canada’s National Junior Team since 1987. Through two starts, Ivankovic has fashioned a .953 save percentage and a 1.50 goals-against average. Lucas Beckman started against Latvia and registered a .941 save percentage, stopping 16 of 17 shots for the win.

Norway has three returnees from the 2024 U18 Men’s Worlds: Tinus Luc Koblar, Aaram Olsen and Andreas Pettersen. Aaram Olsen led the Norwegians at the World Juniors D1A last December with three goals and three assists in five games. The youngest Norwegian skater, 15-year-old Aas, has quickly moved from U16 to U20 with Stjernen Hockey in Norway. He played mostly with the U18 team this season, posting a 6-10 record, .910 save percentage and 3.26 goals-against average.

A Look Back

This will be the fourth meeting between Canada and Norway at U18 Men’s Worlds, and the Canadians are undefeated through the first three. In addition to 2011, Canada faced the Norwegians in 2006 (9-2 win) and 2002 (4-3 win).

All-time record: Canada leads 3-0
Canada goals: 18
Norway goals: 5

Preliminary-round play at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship continues Sunday as Canada’s National Men's Under-18 Team faces off against Finland in its third of four prelim contests.

Last Game

Canada made it two wins from as many games Friday with a comfortable 7-1 win over Latvia. Ryan Roobroeck scored twice, while Lev Katzin and Alessandro Di Iorio chipped in with a goal and an assist each. The Canadians continued to get offence from the back end, with defencemen Jackson Smith, Xavier Villeneuve and Carson Carels contributing goals (more on that below).

The Finns flxed a little offensive muscle of their own against the Latvians, posting a 10-2 victory on Saturday afternoon. Max Westergård and Eetu Orpana led the charge with a goal and three assists each for Finland, with all of Orpana’s scoring coming in a six-goal first period. In all, 15 Finns recorded at least a point as they improved to 2-1.

Last Meeting

You have to go all the way back to the quarterfinals of the 2022 U18 Men’s Worlds to find the last meeting between the Canadians and Finns. Connor Bedard was the star for Canada in that one (as he usually is when wearing the Maple Leaf), scoring a pair of goals, and Adam Fantilli added two assists, but future Nashville Predators first-rounder Joakim Kemell finished his hat trick in overtime to eliminate the Canadians, 6-5.

The last matchup at the U18 level at any event was the prelim opener at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Berkly Catton had a goal and two assists to pace the offence, but a wild six-goal third period left the Canadians on the wrong side of a 9-6 final score.

What to Watch

Let’s turn our attention to the blue line, and while Canada has been solid on the defensive end, allowing only three goals in two games, we’re more interested in the offensive exploits. Already, five of the six Canadian defencemen – Smith, Villeneuve, Carels, Ryan Lin and Quinn Beauchesne – have found the back of the net, and the sextet (also including Alex Huang) has combined for 12 points. And there’s more talent coming! Two of Canada’s highly touted 2008-born blue-liners, Daxon Rudolph and Keaton Verhoeff, have yet to debut in the tournament; that duo combined for 86 points during the regular season with the Prince Albert Raiders and Victoria Royals, respectively, and were good for 22 points in as many playoff games.

The Finnish roster includes a handful of players on the final International Skater rankings from NHL Central Scouting, including two – Lasse Boelius (12) and Atte Joki (23) – in the top 25. Boelius, who got into seven games with Ässät Pori in the Liiga, the top men’s league in Finland, this season, has been as advertised on defence, contributing a goal and three assists in three games. Joki is a rare forward leading his team in ice time, playing 18:50 per game (only one other Finn is north of 17 minutes), but the offensive numbers aren’t there; the Lukko Rauma product has yet to record a point and is a -1 despite his team scoring 17 goals in its last two games.

A Look Back

While it has been three years since they’ve met at U18 Men’s Worlds, the Canadians and Finns certainly aren’t strangers to each other. This will be their 14th meeting at the tournament, with Canada earning seven wins against six losses and a tie.

Canada and Finland have met twice for the bronze medal; the Finns earned a 6-5 shootout win in the third-place game in 2009, and Hunter Shinkaruk was the overtime hero to give Canada the bronze three years later.

All-time record: Canada leads 7-6-1 (1-3 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 43
Finland goals: 43