Led by head coach Paul McFarland (Richmond Hill, Ont./Kingston, OHL) and assistant coaches Darren Rumble (Barrie, Ont./Moncton, QMJHL) and Mark French (North Bay, Ont./Calgary, WHL), Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will be looking for its ninth-consecutive gold medal when it hits the ice in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia, Aug. 8-13. Canada has taken the overall honours 20 times in the tournament’s 25-year history.

“The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup is a unique event for us because it’s one of the few opportunities we have to assemble the very best players in the country; the August timing doesn’t conflict with other league priorities, so it really sets up to be a best-on-best event and a great display of on-ice skill and talent,” said Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel. “Canadians can expect good speed, size, and talent from this year’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team. It is a well-balanced group of players. The players and our team staff are excited and ready to represent Canada with pride once again.”

What began as a 44-player selection camp roster was shortened by Jankowski, McFarland, Rumble, French, and members of the management group of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence following five days of on- and off-ice sessions, including three intrasquad games, at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.

Wearing the newly-released Team Canada jersey, Canada will play in Group B with Russia, Slovakia, and Sweden; Group A consists of the Czech Republic, Finland, Switzerland, and the United States. Canada will face the Czech Republic in a pre-tournament game on Aug. 6, and officially opens the tournament Aug. 8 against Slovakia. The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals on Friday, Aug. 12, with the gold-medal game scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 13.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will be available for interviews on Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 4:15 – 5 p.m. MT and following practice on Wednesday, Aug. 3 at the Markin MacPhail Centre. For interview requests, please contact Lisa Dornan at 403-510-7046 or [email protected].

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Men.