Coming off a rare bronze medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last year, this year’s squad will look to get Team Canada back to the top of the podium.
Canada has historically dominated this summer tournament with 25 titles and had a recent run of three straight gold medals from 2022 through 2024.
Defenceman Landon DuPont is the only returning player from last year’s bronze-medal winning team and is a candidate to go first overall in the 2027 NHL Draft.
He will also wear the ‘C’ for Canada at this year’s tournament, with forwards Alexis Joseph and Maddox Schultz serving as alternate captains.
Here are seven players to watch for Canada as tournament gets underway tonight on TSN.
D Landon DuPont – University of Michigan
DuPont is coming off a big season with the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips in 2025-26.
He scored 18 goals with 73 points in 63 regular-season games and added 23 points in 18 playoff games as he helped Everett capture the WHL title and make it to the Memorial Cup Final before losing to the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.
Now the Calgary native is taking his talents to the University of Michigan for his draft season.
“He’s got an exploit mentality,” said TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button of DuPont. “He’s always probing for where he can exploit opportunities. It’s such a hallmark of elite defencemen. Defencemen used to just sit back and defend and wait to join the rush.
“If you’re not aware of where Landon is on the ice, you’re vulnerable. He makes you pay.”
The Wolverines made it to the Frozen Four last season before losing to eventual NCAA champion Denver in the semifinals.
The ninth player and third defenceman to receive exceptional status to enter the CHL a year early, DuPont delivered on the hype right away, winning CHL and WHL rookie of the year honours after netting 60 points in his first season.
F Alexis Joseph – Saint John Sea Dogs
Another candidate to go first overall in 2027 is Saint John Sea Dogs centre Alexis Joseph, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 201 pounds.
Joseph, 17, scored 24 goals with 60 points in 54 games last season as a rookie in the QMJHL.
“The guy reminds me of Evgeni Malkin at the same age,” said Button. “And like Malkin, he can make plays and score equally well. The elite centres do that, and he’s an elite centre.
“He’s got a presence, high skill level and impact determination in his game.”
He represented Canada twice last season. At the U17s, he scored six goals with 13 points in five games to lead Canada Red to gold. He also skated in two games at the U18s as Canada fell in the quarter-finals to eventual champion Sweden.
F Brock England – Seattle Thunderbirds
Seattle Thunderbirds forward Brock England is coming off a strong WHL rookie season.
The Red Deer, Alta., native scored 21 goals with 51 points in 64 games in 2025-26 and had three points in five postseason contests.
“He’s got that back-you-up speed,” said Button of England. “One step and watch out. He opens up, and he attacks the net.
“He’s a dangerous player, not only at five-on-five and the power play, but as a penalty killer, he’s the type of player that if you’re out against him and he’s penalty killing, watch out because he’s quick and fast. His speed is dynamic.”
He also played alongside Joseph on the Canada Red team that won U17 gold, scoring two goals with seven points in five games.
F Maddox Schultz – Regina Pats
Schultz is one of two underage players on the roster, alongside Pats teammate Liam Pue, who are not eligible for the NHL Draft until 2028.
The 16-year-old, who was drafted first overall in the 2025 WHL Draft by Regina, skated in 34 games with the Pats last season, scoring 15 goals with 29 points.
He also suited up for Canada White at the U17s, leading the tournament in goals (six) en route to a silver medal.
“He’s just an all-round, two-way complete player,” said Button of Schultz. “There’s no area in the game where he’s not a factor. Simple as that. He’s young, and he’s a leader, and he’s dialled into the details.”
D Brock Cripps – Prince Albert Raiders
Cripps is coming off a big rookie season in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders.
The 17-year-old had six goals with 37 points in 62 regular-season games. He took it up a notch in the playoffs, scoring four goals with 21 points in 20 games to help the Raiders reach the WHL Championship Series.
“Brock is steady, even, just makes all the plays defensively and offensively,” said Button. “There’s not a lot of flash to his game. There’s tremendous confidence in his game. He’s really poised and smart.
“He’s not an end-end [defenceman]. He’s not going to pull drag. He’s not going to blast a lot of shots with a big booming blast. He’s just steady, even good.”
He also was a member of the gold-medal-winning Canada Red team at the U17s, scoring one goal with six points in five games, the most points by a defenceman in the tournament.
F Liam Pue – Regina Pats
Taken third overall in the 2025 WHL Draft, Pue joins Schultz as one of the two 2010-born players on the Canadian roster.
In 34 games last season with Regina, Pue scored six goals with 16 points in 34 games.
He also suited up for Canada White at the U17s, recording four goals with eight points in five games to earn a silver medal.
“We’re talking elite, elite skill, and he’s got an ease to his skill,” said Button of Pue. “The skating, puck skills, shot and the thinking. Him and Schultz are two of the very best players on this team. Full stop. He makes the game look so incredibly easy because he’s so highly skilled.”
F Ryerson Edgar – Niagara IceDogs
Centre Ryerson Edgar is coming off a big rookie season with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs.
Edgar scored 23 goals with 49 points in 64 games last season, finishing sixth among OHL rookies.
“Ryerson is a player that it’s not going to get you with a whole lot of wow, but every time you pick up your head, you go, ‘who made that play?’”, said Button of Edgar. “He’s so smart, but he’s subtle, and he doesn’t have this overwhelming skill set, and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
Another member of the Canada Red team that earned U17 gold, Edgar scored one goal with three points in five games.
He is committed to the University of Michigan but will return to the IceDogs for the 2026-27 season.
