Six 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 the top two picks in the 2025 QMJHL draft: the first overall pick, forward Alexis Joseph (Lachenaie, QC) of the Saint John Sea Dogs, and the second 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). There will also be two goalkeepers: Sam Berthiaume (Stellarton, N.S./Cape Breton Eagles) and Mathys Fortin (Lorraine, QC/Drummondville Voltigeurs).
The initial roster, which includes three goaltenders, nine defencemen and 15 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.
“We are excited to unveil the 27 players who will begin the road to the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup at training camp in Edmonton. This is a talented and well-rounded group of young players,” Millar said. “Our staff have worked tirelessly to identify a roster that we believe gives us the best chance to be successful on home ice. We look forward to gathering in Edmonton next week to continue our preparations for the tournament, and for the opportunity to get Canada back on top of the podium in front of Canadian fans in August.”
Of the 27 players, 25 suited up for Canada Red or Canada White at the U17 World Challenge. Joseph notably represented Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.
Brad MacKenzie, from the Halifax Mooseheads, and Matthew Smith, from the Newfoundland Regiment, will be part of the coaching staff as assistant coach and video coach respectively.
Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team training camp, set for July 27-Aug. 1 at NAIT Arena and Rogers Place in Edmonton, will include practices and a game against Sweden on July 30. Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will also take on Czechia on Aug. 1 as part of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament schedule before the roster is finalized ahead of the start of the tournament.
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.
