CALGARY - Defenceman Landon DuPont headlines Canada's roster for the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Czechia and Slovakia.
The 16-year-old Dupont from Calgary was the first defenceman granted exceptional status by the Western Hockey League, which allowed him to enter the league at age 15.
He was among 25 players named to the team by Hockey Canada for the annual summer tournament that showcases many of the world's top male players aged 18 and under.
Canada seeks a fourth straight gold medal in the eight-country tournament that runs Aug. 11-16 in Brno, Czechia and Trencin, Slovakia.
Canada beat Czechia 2-1 to win last year's tournament in Edmonton.
Three goaltenders, eight defenceman and 14 forwards were named to Canada's 2025 edition, including a half dozen who won a gold medal at the world under-18 championship in May in Frisco, Texas: Carson Carels, Alessandro Di Iorio, Beckham Edwards, Ryan Lin, Daxon Rudolph and Keaton Verhoeff.
Medicine Hat Tigers twin brothers Markus and Liam Ruck of Osoyoos, B.C., were also named to the squad.
Canada opens the tournament Aug. 11 against Finland. The Canadians will play pre-tournament exhibition games against Hungary's under-20 team in Budapest on Aug. 7 and another Aug. 9 against Slovakia.
The roster was selected by general manager Alan Millar, Yanick Lemay, director of hockey operations Benoit Roy, head scout Byron Bonora and senior vice-president of hockey operations Scott Salmond.
“Our selection camp was highly competitive and provided an opportunity for our players to showcase themselves against the top talent in the country, and we believe we have assembled a roster that will compete for gold and wear the Maple Leaf with pride in Czechia and Slovakia," Millar said Friday in a statement.
Mathieu Turcotte, who has coached the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League's Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for the past two seasons and was an assistant coach of the victorious under-18 team in Frisco, will be Canada's head coach in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Team Canada Roster
| Player | S/C | Ht. | Wt. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goaltenders | ||||
| Jason Schaubel | L | 5'11 | 172 | Kitchener (OHL) |
| Carter Esler | L | 5'10 | 166 | Spokane (WHL) |
| Gavin Betts | L | 5'12 | 174 | Kingston (OHL) |
| Defence | ||||
| Cameron Chartrand | R | 6'0 | 204 | Saint John (LHJMQ) |
| Keaton Verhoeff | R | 6'4 | 208 | Victoria (WHL) |
| Ryan Lin | R | 5'11 | 177 | Vancouver (WHL) |
| Carson Carels | L | 6'2 | 195 | Prince George (WHL) |
| Giorgos Pantelas | R | 6'2 | 214 | Brandon (WHL) |
| Callum Croskery | L | 6'0 | 178 | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) |
| Landon DuPont | R | 5'11 | 188 | Everett (WHL) |
| Daxon Rudolph | R | 6'2 | 204 | Prince Albert (WHL) |
| Forwards | ||||
| Tynan Lawrence | L | 6'0 | 185 | Muskegon (USHL) |
| Liam Ruck | R | 5'11 | 175 | Medicine Hat (WHL) |
| Mathis Preston | R | 5'11 | 177 | Spokane (WHL) |
| Cooper Williams | L | 6'0 | 166 | Saskatoon (WHL) |
| Ethan Belchetz | L | 6'5 | 228 | Windsor (OHL) |
| Alessandro Di Iorio | R | 6'0 | 188 | Sarnia (OHL) |
| Beckham Edwards | L | 6'1 | 180 | Sarnia (OHL) |
| Adam Valentini | L | 5'9 | 190 | Kitchener (OHL) |
| Pierce Mbuyi | L | 5'10 | 158 | Owen Sound (OHL) |
| Jean-Christoph Lemieux | L | 5'12 | 188 | Windsor (OHL) |
| Dimian Zhilkin | R | 5'10 | 174 | Saginaw (OHL) |
| Markus Ruck | L | 5'11 | 167 | Medicine Hat (WHL) |
| Colin Fitzgerald | R | 6'2 | 208 | Peterborough (OHL) |
| Thomas Rousseau | R | 5'10 | 170 | Sherbrooke (LHJMQ) |
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.
