Five QMJHL players are among the 27 players who will take part in Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team training camp ahead of the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set for Aug. 3-9 at Rogers Place and the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton.
This group will include two of the top three picks in the 2025 QMJHL draft: the first overall pick, forward Alexis Joseph (Lachenaie, QC) of the Saint John Sea Dogs, and the third overall pick, Malik L’Italien (Montréal, QC) of the Halifax Mooseheads.
The Newfoundland Regiment will also be well represented, with defenceman Quinn Norman (St John’s, NL) and forward Benjamin Veitch (St John’s, NL). Sam Berthiaume (Stellarton, N.S./Cape Breton Eagles) will be between the pipes.
The roster, which includes two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards, was selected by Program of Excellence (POE) general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), alongside POE head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and U18 assistant general manager Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL), with input from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations.
“After a competitive training camp and pre-tournament game against Sweden, we are excited to announce the 22 players who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on home ice in Edmonton,” Millar said. “This is a highly skilled group of young players that is motivated to accomplish our goal of winning a gold medal, and we know our players are excited to wear the Maple Leaf and play in front of Canadian fans.”
Joseph notably represented Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. Regarded by many as one of the top prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft, he tallied 60 points—including 24 goals—in 54 games during his first season in the QMJHL. He also recorded his first career hat trick on December 31.
L’Italien finished third in scoring among QMJHL rookies, but was the top 16-year-old with 24 points in 64 games. He was particularly impressive on the power play, with 10 points.
One of the youngest players in the league in 2025–2026 and eligible for the 2028 NHL Draft, Norman recorded 13 points in 59 games for his home province’s team. He really came into his own during the second half of the season, racking up 10 points in 31 games after Christmas.
Like Norman, Veitch is also a native of Newfoundland, and he won’t be eligible for the NHL draft until 2028. He finished the season with 21 points in 58 games, but had a particularly strong playoff run. His seven points in 12 games tie him for the lead among 16-year-old players.
Berthiaume spent the 2025–2026 season in the Maritime Junior Hockey League with the Truro Bearcats, where he led his team to the championship. He made his QMJHL debut for Cape Breton on January 25, making 32 saves in an overtime loss against the Charlottetown Islanders.
Canada opens the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Switzerland on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. MT. It will face Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5 to close out the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 8.
Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada will close out the Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament schedule against Czechia on Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. MT at Rogers Place.
