After another successful NHL Draft, one thing remains clear – no country develops hockey players quite like Canada.

In total, more than one-third of the players who had their names called in Nashville – 87 of 224 – hail from north of the 49th parallel. (That includes players who were born outside the country but are products of the Canadian hockey system, like No. 37 pick Ethan Gauthier.)

The list features representation from 10 Members, and 33 who have worn the Maple Leaf in international competition.

The red-and-white run started from the top, with two-time IIHF World Championship gold medallist Connor Bedard going No. 1 to the Chicago Blackhawks. The North Vancouver, B.C., native is just the second player from Canada’s westernmost province to be taken with the first pick, joining Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2012).

CONNOR BEDARD IS A CHICAGO BLACKHAWK pic.twitter.com/7mZD3btVSM

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 28, 2023

Bedard rewrote the World Juniors record book, setting all-time records for goals (17) and points (36) by a Canadian.

Adam Fantilli followed quickly behind, going to the Columbus Blue Jackets with the third pick. He had a historic 2022-23 season on the international stage, becoming just the second Canadian – after Jonathan Toews (2007) – to win gold at the IIHF World Championship and IIHF World Junior Championship in the same season.

Canadians accounted for 12 of the 32 first-round picks; that list included seven players who helped Canada win gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer (Barlow, Benson, Bonk, Molendyk, Ritchie, Wood, Yager) and three who earned bronze at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship (Barlow, Ritchie, Wood).

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) was well represented among the Canadian contingent; 68 of the 87 players selected were products of CHL programs, from 39 different teams – led by six members of the WHL champion Seattle Thunderbirds. The Western Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League led the way with 29 picks each, followed by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 10.

The Seattle Thunderbirds (Hanzel, Milic, Myatovic, Mynio, Ratzlaff, Sawchyn) paced all club teams with six players selected, while the Brantford Bulldogs (Brown, Lardis, Thomas, Xhekaj), Flint Firebirds (Bertucci, Day, Hay, Pitre), London Knights (Barkey, Bonk, Cowan, Julien) and Ottawa 67's (Foster, Gardiner, Mayich, Pinelli) had four apiece.

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY MEMBER

Ontario Hockey Federation (34) – Beau Akey, Cam Allen, Matthew Andonovski, Denver Barkey, Colby Barlow, Tristan Bertucci, Sebastian Bradshaw, Cole Brown, Jonathan Castagna, Warren Clark, Easton Cowan, Nathaniel Day, Adam Fantilli, Cooper Foster, Brad Gardiner, Andrew Gibson, Ethan Hay, Jacob Julien, Larry Keenan, Nick Lardis, Angus MacDonell, Ryan MacPherson, Matthew Mayich, Ethan Miedema, Alex Pharand, Luca Pinelli, Coulson Pitre, Carson Rehkopf, Calum Ritchie, Ryan Roobroeck, Konnor Smith, Patrick Thomas, Zaccharya Wisdom, Florian Xhekaj

BC Hockey (19) – Owen Beckner, Connor Bedard, Zach Benson, Luca Cagnoni, Aiden Celebrini, Andrew Cristall, Lukas Dragicevic, Terrell Goldsmith, Kaden Hammell, Jeremy Hanzel, Justin Kipkie, Connor Levis, Thomas Milic, Tanner Molendyk, Nico Myatovic, Sawyer Mynio, Austin Roest, Hoyt Stanley, Matthew Wood

Hockey Alberta (8) – Nate Danielson, Aiden Fink, Emmitt Finnie, Brett Hyland, Ty Mueller, Scott Ratzlaff, Gracyn Sawchyn, Koehn Ziemmer

Hockey Saskatchewan (8) – Noah Chadwick, Riley Heidt, Kalan Lind, Hudson Malinoski, Kalem Parker, Matthew Perkins, Caden Price, Brayden Yager

Hockey Quebec (7) – Mathieu Cataford, Ethan Gauthier, Justin Gill, Rudy Guimond, Charles-Olivier Legault, Quinton Miller, Étienne Morin,

Hockey Manitoba (3) – Carson Bjarnason, Jayden Perron, Carter Sotheran

Hockey New Brunswick (3) – Dylan MacKinnon, Matteo Mann, Bradly Nadeau

Hockey Eastern Ontario (2) – Oliver Bonk, Quinton Burns

Hockey P.E.I. (2) – Luke Coughlin, Cam Squires

Hockey Nova Scotia (1) – Tyler Peddle

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

2023 National Men’s Team
Adam Fantilli

2023 National Junior Team
Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Thomas Milic

2022 National Junior Team
Connor Bedard

2023 National Men’s Under-18 Team
Cam Allen, Colby Barlow, Tristan Bertucci, Carson Bjarnason, Quinton Burns, Andrew Cristall, Lukas Dragicevic, Andrew Gibson, Riley Heidt, Nick Lardis, Angus MacDonell, Étienne Morin, Alex Pharand, Caden Price, Calum Ritchie, Matthew Wood

2022 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team
Cam Allen, Denver Barkey, Colby Barlow, Zach Benson, Carson Bjarnason, Oliver Bonk, Mathieu Cataford, Andrew Cristall, Ethan Gauthier, Riley Heidt, Kalan Lind, Dylan MacKinnon, Tanner Molendyk, Caden Price, Scott Ratzlaff, Carson Rehkopf, Calum Ritchie, Matthew Wood, Brayden Yager

2022 National Men’s Under-18 Team
Connor Bedard, Lukas Dragicevic, Adam Fantilli, Kalem Parker, Matthew Wood

2021 National Men’s Under-18 Team
Connor Bedard, Thomas Milic

2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Charles-Olivier Legault (White), Thomas Milic (Red)

2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games
Nate Danielson, Adam Fantilli

2022 World Junior A Challenge
Aiden Celebrini (West), Aiden Fink (West), Hudson Malinoski (West)

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers that will make up the Program of Excellence management group for the 2023-24 season.

Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont./Erie, OHL) and Cam Russell (Cole Harbour, N.S./Halifax, QMJHL) will make their debuts as members of the POE management group, with Brown guiding the men’s under-17 program through the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and Russell leading the under-18 program through the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Peter Anholt (Naicam, Sask./Lethbridge, WHL) will return to the program to advise the under-20 program and Canada’s National Junior Team through the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Anholt will take over for James Boyd (Midland, Ont./Ottawa, OHL), whose two-year tenure with the under-20 program included back-to-back gold medals at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships.

“We are excited to welcome Dave and Cam to the POE to lead our under-17 and under-18 programs, and to welcome back Peter as the under-20 lead after an outstanding job guiding our under-18 program,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of hockey operations. “All three individuals bring a wealth of CHL experience to our program, and we look forward to having them work alongside our athletes and staff while leading our men’s national teams next season.

“We also wish to thank James Boyd for two years of commitment and dedication to Canada’s National Junior Team. James was instrumental in helping Canada win two-straight gold medals at the World Juniors, and we are grateful for his effort and leadership over the past two years.”

Brown is in his eighth season (2015-23) as general manager of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving four seasons (2011-15) as director of hockey operations with the team. He helped lead Erie to an OHL championship in 2017, and contributed to a CHL record of four-consecutive 50-win seasons (2011-15). Prior to joining the Otters, Brown spent seven seasons with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs, serving as assistant general manager (2003-05) and general manager (2005-10).

Russell has spent 22 seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He has served as general manager for the past 15 years (2008-23), helping the Mooseheads win the Memorial Cup in 2013. Russell started his coaching career as an assistant with Halifax for three seasons (2000-03) before serving as a player development consultant for two years (2004-06). He also served as head coach for parts of five seasons (2006-11), adding the GM title to his coaching duties in 2008. As a player, he played 396 NHL games over 10 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (1989-99) and Colorado Avalanche (1998-99), and won two Presidents Cup championships with the QMJHL’s Hull Olympiques.

Anholt has led the under-18 program for the past two seasons, helping Canada’s National Summer Under-18 Team win a gold medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is currently in his eighth full season (2015-23) as general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) after being promoted from assistant general manager in 2014. Anholt also spent time as head coach of the Hurricanes for part of the 2014-15 season, and has won the WHL Executive of the Year award twice (2015-16, 2019-20). Anholt brings a wealth of WHL experience as a head coach, assistant coach and scout, including stints with the Prince Albert Raiders (1986-89, 2002-07), Seattle Thunderbirds (1989-92, 2012-14), Red Deer Rebels (1992-95, 1998-2000, 2007-08, 2011-12) and Kelowna Rockets (1996-98).

The management group will work alongside Salmond and Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.), director of player personnel, as well as the organization’s hockey operations staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

The Program of Excellence will be overseen by Pat McLaughlin (Saint John, N.B.), Hockey Canada’s chief operating officer; Salmond; Millar; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, Ont.), CHL president; David Branch (Bathurst, N.B.), OHL commissioner; Mario Cecchini (Saint-Lambert, Que.), incoming QMJHL commissioner; and Ron Robison (Indian Head, Sask.), WHL commissioner.

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 Instagram.

From Shane Wright to Dyllan Gill, the 2022 NHL Draft was all about Canadian hockey.

In total, more than one-third of the players who had their names called in Montreal – 90 of 225 – hail from the true north strong and free.

Those players include representation from 11 Members, and 28 who have worn the Maple Leaf in international competition – including four gold medallists from the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship.

The red-and-white run started early, with Shane Wright going No. 4 to the Seattle Kraken. The Burlington, Ont., native captained Canada Black at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the gold medal-winning U18 team in 2021, and played for Canada’s National Junior Team at the cancelled 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship last winter.

Put that jersey on, Shane! @SeattleKraken pic.twitter.com/iumkvkTZdB

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) July 8, 2022

Wright was the first of nine Canadians selected in the first round, including three from Manitoba – Conor Geekie (No. 11 to Arizona), Denton Mateychuk (No. 12 to Columbus) and Owen Pickering (No. 21 to Pittsburgh).

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) was well represented among the Canadian contingent; 71 of the 90 players selected – including all nine of the first-round picks – were products of CHL programs, from 36 different teams. The Ontario Hockey League led the way with 29 picks, followed by the Western Hockey League with 27 and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 15.

The North Bay Battalion (Arnsby, DiVincentiis, Jackson, Mathurin, Nelson) and Swift Current Broncos (Davies, Dyck, Filmon, Hvidston, Pickering) paced all club teams with five players selected, while the Guelph Storm (Buchinger, Karabela, Poitras, Zhilkin), Kamloops Blazers (Kuefler, Lindgren, Minten, Seminoff) and Seattle Thunderbirds (Davidson, Gustafson, Korchinski, Schaefer) had four apiece.

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY MEMBER

Ontario Hockey Federation (30) – Liam Arnsby, Owen Beck, Michael Buchinger, Nolan Collins, Luca Del Bel Belluz, Domenic DiVincentiis, Lucas Edmonds, Jackson Edward, George Fegaras, Isaiah George, David Gucciardi, Hunter Haight, Stephen Halliday, Jake Karabela, Christian Kyrou, Amadeus Lombardi, Paul Ludwinski, Matthew Maggio, Tnias Mathurin, Bryce McConnell-Barker, Owen Mehlenbacher, Nick Moldenhauer, Matthew Morden, Ty Nelson, Cole O’Hara, Matthew Poitras, Tucker Robertson, Jack Sparkes, Shane Wright, Danny Zhilkin

BC Hockey (12) – Mason Beaupit, Parker Bell, Tyson Dyck, Tyson Jugnauth, Ben King, Mats Lindgren, Brandon Lisowsky, Michael Milne, Fraser Minten, Matthew Seminoff, Graham Sward, Abram Wiebe

Hockey Alberta (12) – Emmett Croteau, Jared Davidson, Josh Davies, Jagger Firkus, Jordan Gustafson, Ben Hemmerling, Dylan James, Daylan Kuefler, Rieger Lorenz, Matthew Savoie, Reid Schaefer, Ty Young

Hockey Quebec (11) – Angus Booth, Frédéric Brunet, Jordan Dumais, Nathan Gaucher, Alexis Gendron, Patrick Guay, Maveric Lamoureux, Jérémy Langlois, Tristan Luneau, Miguël Tourigny, Noah Warren

Hockey Manitoba (8) – Tyler Brennan, Reid Dyck, Josh Filmon, Conor Geekie, Ryan Hofer, Adam Ingram, Denton Mateychuk, Owen Pickering

Hockey Eastern Ontario (7) – Jorian Donovan, David Goyette, Cedrick Guindon, Kyle Jackson, Kaleb Lawrence, Gavin White, Cameron Whitehead

Hockey New Brunswick (4) – Eli Barnett, Marc-Andre Gaudet, Dyllan Gill, Samuel Savoie

Hockey Nova Scotia (2) – Jake Furlong, Landon Sim

Hockey Saskatchewan (2) – Connor Hvidston, Kevin Korchinski

Hockey Newfoundland & Labrador (1) – Ryan Greene

Hockey Northwestern Ontario (1) – Daimon Gardner

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE EXPERIENCE

2022 National Men’s Under-18 Team
Nolan Collins, Josh Davies, Reid Dyck, Josh Filmon, David Goyette, Connor Hvidston, Rieger Lorenz, Nick Moldenhauer, Matthew Morden, Owen Pickering

2022 National Junior Team
Shane Wright

2021 National Men’s Under-18 Team
Tyler Brennan, Denton Mateychuk, Shane Wright, Danny Zhilkin

2020 Youth Olympic Games
Cedrick Guindon, Mats Lindgren, Paul Ludwinski, Tristan Luneau, Denton Mateychuk, Ty Nelson, Matthew Savoie, Noah Warren

2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Black: Jérémy Langlois, Kaleb Lawrence, Shane Wright, Danny Zhilkin

Red: Nathan Gaucher

White: Liam Arnsby, Tyler Brennan, Matthew Savoie, Graham Sward

2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Red: Stephan Halliday, Matthew Maggio

After another successful NHL Draft, one thing remains clear – no country develops hockey players quite like Canada.

In total, more than one-third of the players who had their names called during the virtual draft – 89 of 223 – hail from north of the 49th parallel. (That includes players who were born outside the country but are products of the Canadian hockey system, like No. 3 pick Mason McTavish.)

It's a sizeable increase over the 73 who were selected last October in the 2020 draft.

The list features representation from 10 Members, and 49 who have worn the Maple Leaf in international competition – 18 of them 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship gold medallists.

The red-and-white run started from the top, with 2021 IIHF World Championship gold medallist Owen Power going No. 1 to the Buffalo. The Mississauga, Ont., native is just the second Canadian defenceman to be taken with the first pick since 1996, joining Aaron Ekblad (2014).

From Mississauga, Ont., to gold at #IIHFWorlds to No. 1 in the #NHLDraft, Owen Power credits his family for helping him achieve his dreams.
@OHFHockey | @GTHLHockey | @BuffaloSabres pic.twitter.com/ZZabIEQD1E

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) July 24, 2021

McTavish followed quickly behind, going to the Anaheim Ducks with the third pick. He was the first of eight U18 worlds gold medallists to go in Round 1, along with Brandt Clarke (eighth overall to Los Angeles), Dylan Guenther (ninth to Arizona), Brennan Othmann (16th to the New York Rangers), Wyatt Johnston (23rd to Dallas), Corson Ceulemans (25th to Columbus), Chase Stillman (29th to New Jersey) and Nolan Allan (32nd to Chicago).

Canadians accounted for 18 of the 31 first-round picks (Arizona forfeited its first-rounder at No. 11), the second-most in a single year since the draft became a truly global event in 1990, just one shy of the mark set last year.

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) was well represented among the Canadian contingent; 77 of the 89 players selected – including 15 of the 18 first-round picks – were products of CHL programs, from 46 different teams. The Western Hockey League led the way with 32 picks, followed by the Ontario Hockey League with 23 and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 22.

The Western Hockey League was the leading provider of talent during the 2021 #NHLDraft, with 33 players selected.

DETAILS 📰 | https://t.co/2DAwLG2ZpB pic.twitter.com/isLxyGwAwp

— The WHL (@TheWHL) July 24, 2021

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY MEMBER

Ontario Hockey Federation (26) – Francesco Arcuri, Jack Bar, Jack Beck, Joshua Bloom, Talyn Boyko, Ethan Cardwell, Ethan Del Mastro, Justin Ertel, Benjamin Gaudreau, Braden Haché, Brett Harrison, Jacob Holmes, Wyatt Johnston, Tristan Lennox, Logan Mailloux, Jack Matier, Ayrton Marino, Max McCue, Brennan Othmann, Francesco Pinelli, Owen Power, Ben Roger, Chandler Romeo, Chase Stillman, Joe Vrbetic, Ryan Winterton

Hockey Alberta (16) – Gage Alexander, Corson Ceulemans, Lucas Ciona, Sebastian Cossa, Colton Dach, Ryker Evans, Jayden Grubbe, Dylan Guenther, Taige Harding, Dru Krebs, Gannon Laroque, Taylor Makar, Kyle Masters, Zack Ostapchuk, Sean Tschigerl, Olen Zellweger

Hockey Quebec (15) – Isaac Belliveau, Zachary Bolduc, Xavier Bourgault, Tyson Hinds, Zachary L’Heureux, Manix Landry, Joaquim Lemay, James Malatesta, Olivier Nadeau, Robert Orr, Guillaume Richard, Justin Robidas, Joshua Roy, Xavier Simoneau, William Trudeau

B.C. Hockey (9) – Caedan Bankier, Jake Chiasson, Tyson Galloway, Vincent Iorio, Kent Johnson, Carson Latimer, Jalen Luypen, Ethan Samson, Logan Stankoven

Hockey Nova Scotia (6) – Ben Boyd, Riley Kidney, Cameron MacDonald, Jacob Melanson, Oscar Plandowski, Cameron Whynot

Saskatchewan Hockey Association (6) – Nolan Allan, Ryder Korczak, Ryan McCleary, Josh Pillar, Cole Sillinger, Max Wanner

Hockey Eastern Ontario (4) – Brandt Clarke, Connor Lockhart, Mason McTavish, Pasquale Zito

Hockey Manitoba (4) – Cole Jordan, Tyson Kozak, Carson Lambos, Conner Roulette

Hockey New Brunswick (2) – Cole Huckins, Evan Nause

Hockey Newfoundland & Labrador (1) – Zach Dean

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

2021 National Men’s Team
Owen Power

2021 National Men’s Under-18 Team
Nolan Allan, Corson Ceulemans, Brandt Clarke, Benjamin Gaudreau, Dylan Guenther, Brett Harrison, Wyatt Johnston, Jack Matier, Mason McTavish, Brennan Othmann, Francesco Pinelli, Guillaume Richard, Logan Stankoven, Chase Stillman, Ryan Winterton, Olen Zellweger

2019 World Junior A Challenge
East: Ayrton Martino

West: Corson Ceulemans, Kent Johnson

2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Black: Corson Ceulemans, Brandt Clarke, Zach Dean, Ethan Del Mastro, Benjamin Gaudreau, Jayden Grubbe, Zachary L’Heureux, James Malatesta, Max McCue, Brennan Othmann, Sean Tschigerl, Cameron Whynot, Ryan Winterton

White: Jack Beck, Dylan Guenther, Brett Harrison, Tyson Hinds, Riley Kidney, Carson Lambos, Mason McTavish, Oscar Plandowski, Guillaume Richard, Justin Robidas, Cole Sillinger, Chase Stillman

Red: Nolan Allan, Joshua Bloom, Zachary Bolduc, Jacob Holmes, Wyatt Johnston, Connor Lockhart, Kyle Masters, Olivier Nadeau, Evan Nause, Francesco Pinelli, Conner Roulette, Joshua Roy, Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger

2019 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team
Tristan Lennox

2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Black: Joe Vrbetic

White: Xavier Bourgault, Sebastian Cossa, Tristan Lennox, Owen Power

2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
Red: Xavier Simoneau

CALGARY, Alta. – Preparations for the 2021-22 season are underway, and Hockey Canada will be working with three accomplished Canadian Hockey League (CHL) executives as part of its Program of Excellence (POE) management group.

Philippe Boucher (Saint-Apollinaire, Que./Drummondville, QMJHL) and Peter Anholt (Naicam, Sask./Lethbridge, WHL) will make their debuts as members of the POE management group, guiding the under-17 and under-18 programs, respectively. James Boyd (Midland, Ont./Ottawa, OHL) will return to the program after an abbreviated 2020-21 season, and will advise the under-20 program and Canada’s National Junior Team. 

The management group will work alongside Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of national teams, and Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont.), director of player personnel, as well as Hockey Operations staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

“We are excited to welcome Philippe and Peter to the Program of Excellence to lead our U17 and U18 programs, and to welcome James back to the program at the U20 level,” said Salmond. “All three men have had incredible success in the Canadian Hockey League and bring their expertise in helping build successful junior hockey teams. We know their leadership and contributions will be beneficial to athletes and staff throughout the upcoming season as we continue to develop and excel throughout all levels of the program.”

Boucher has served as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the past two seasons. Prior to joining Drummondville, he served as head coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts for five seasons (2013-18), leading the team to the semifinals at the 2015 Memorial Cup. Boucher was also the general manager of the Rimouski Océanic for two seasons (2011-13), winning the Maurice-Filion Trophy as the QMJHL’s general manager of the year in 2013. As a player, he collected 300 points over 16 NHL seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins, winning a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009.

Anholt took over as head coach and general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2014-15 after beginning the season as the assistant general manager. For the past six seasons he has served as general manager of the Hurricanes, winning the WHL Executive of the Year award in 2016 and 2020. Prior to joining Lethbridge, Anholt was a scout for the Seattle Thunderbirds (2012-14) and Red Deer Rebels (2007-09), and was also an assistant coach with Red Deer for two seasons (1998-2000). He began his coaching career in the WHL as an assistant coach with the Prince Albert Raiders (1986-88) before being promoted to head coach and director of hockey operations for the 1988-89 season. Anholt has also served as head coach with Seattle (1989-95) and the Kelowna Rockets (1996-98), and returned to the Prince Albert bench as head coach for five seasons (2002-07). As a player, he captained the Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) to a Centennial Cup title as national Junior A champions in 1981. 

Boyd will oversee the under-20 program for the first time after being selected to lead the under-17 program in 2020-21. He previously served as director of operations for Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, was an assistant coach at the 2004 IIHF U18 World Championship and was the head coach of Team Ontario at the 2005 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Boyd has been the general manager of the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) since 2017, winning the inaugural Jim Gregory Trophy as OHL general manager of the year in 2020. He also led Ottawa to the OHL final in 2019 after winning the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the league’s best regular-season team. Boyd spent time with the Belleville Bulls (1999-2004), Toronto/Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (2004-12) and Mississauga Steelheads (2012-17) of the OHL, helping lead the Majors to a runner-up finish at the 2011 Memorial Cup.

The Program of Excellence will continue to be overseen by Tom Renney (Cranbrook, B.C.), Hockey Canada CEO; Scott Smith (Bathurst, N.B.), Hockey Canada president and COO; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, Ont.), CHL president; David Branch (Bathurst, N.B.), OHL commissioner; Gilles Courteau (Trois-Rivières, Que.), QMJHL commissioner; and Ron Robison (Indian Head, Sask.), WHL commissioner.

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

CALGARY, Alta. – Preparations for the 2020-21 season are underway, and Hockey Canada will be working with three accomplished Canadian Hockey League (CHL) executives as part of its Program of Excellence management group.

James Boyd (Mississauga, Ont./Ottawa, OHL) will make his debut as a member of the POE management group with the under-17 program, guiding three Canadian teams at the 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I. Martin Mondou (Grand-Mère, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) and Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont./Moose Jaw, WHL) return to the program for the third-consecutive year, with Mondou taking over the under-18 program for the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and Millar advising the under-20 program and Canada’s National Junior Team.

The management group will work alongside Shawn Bullock (Wainwright, Alta.), Hockey Canada’s director of men’s national teams, and head scout Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.), as well as Hockey Canada’s national teams staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

In addition, André Tourigny (Nicolet, Que./Ottawa, OHL) has been named the head coach of Canada’s National Junior Team for the upcoming season. Tourigny returns to the team after helping Canada to a gold medal at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship as an assistant coach.

“We are excited to provide consistency to our Program of Excellence by welcoming Martin and Alan back to the program at the U18 and U20 levels, and to have James guide our U17 group,” said Bullock. “We are also thrilled to have André return to Canada’s National Junior Team and build on the momentum from winning a gold medal at the 2020 World Juniors. We believe these four men will provide outstanding leadership as we prepare for the upcoming season, and their experience will prove to be a great asset as we continue to build and excel at all levels of the program.”

Boyd will oversee the under-17 program for the first time after serving as director of operations for Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He previously served as an assistant coach at the 2003 U18 Junior World Cup and 2004 IIHF U18 World Championship, and was the head coach of Team Ontario at the 2005 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Boyd has been the general manager of the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) since 2017, leading the team to the OHL Championship Series in 2019 after winning the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL’s best regular-season team. He also spent time with the Belleville Bulls (1999-2004), Toronto St. Michael’s Majors and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (2004-12), and Mississauga Steelheads (2012-17) of the OHL, leading the Majors to a runner-up finish at the 2011 Memorial Cup.

Mondou will take over the under-18 program after leading the under-17 program the last two seasons, which included the 2018 and 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenges. He has been general manager of the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since the 2007-08 season, leading the Cataractes to the QMJHL final in 2009 and 2016, and to a Memorial Cup championship in 2012. Mondou won the Trophée Maurice-Fillion as QMJHL general manager of the year in 2014-15.

Millar moves up to the under-20 program after overseeing the under-18 program for the past two seasons, which included a gold and silver medals with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2018 and 2019. Millar was named director of hockey operations for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2010, and became general manager in 2012. He has also spent time with the Sarnia Sting, Guelph Storm and St. Michael’s Majors of the OHL, winning a league championship with the Storm in 1998.

Tourigny takes over as head coach of Canada’s National Junior Team after winning a gold medal as an assistant at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. He is currently in his third season as head coach and vice-president of hockey operations with the Ottawa 67’s, where he won the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL coach of the year in 2018-19. Tourigny previously spent 11 seasons with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (2002-13) and one season with the Halifax Mooseheads (2016-17) of the QMJHL. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche (2013-15) and Ottawa Senators (2015-16) in the National Hockey League. He led Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team to a gold medal as head coach at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and won gold as an assistant at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament. Tourigny also won back-to-back silver medals as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2010 and 2011.

The Program of Excellence will continue to be overseen by Tom Renney (Cranbrook, B.C.), Hockey Canada CEO; Scott Smith (Bathurst, N.B.), Hockey Canada president and COO; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, Ont.), CHL president; David Branch (Bathurst, N.B.), OHL commissioner; Gilles Courteau (Trois-Rivières, Que.), QMJHL commissioner; and Ron Robison (Indian Head, Sask.), WHL commissioner.

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

CALGARY, Alta. – Preparations for the 2019-20 season are underway, and Hockey Canada will be working with three accomplished Canadian Hockey League (CHL) veterans as part of its Program of Excellence management group.

Martin Mondou (Grand-Mère, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) and Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont./Moose Jaw, WHL) are back with the program for the second-consecutive year, with Mondou returning to the under-17 program and Millar rejoining the under-18 program. Mondou will guide and support three teams at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Medicine Hat, Alta., and Swift Current, Sask., while Millar will advise and support the Canadian contingents at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2020 IIHF U18 World Championship. Mark Hunter (Petrolia, Ont./London, OHL) returns to the POE for the first time since the 2013-14 season, taking over the under-20 program and Canada’s National Junior Team.

The management group will work alongside Shawn Bullock (Wainwright, Alta.), Hockey Canada’s director of men’s national teams, and head scout Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.), as well as Hockey Canada’s national teams staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

“We are excited to provide consistency to our Program of Excellence by welcoming Martin and Alan back to the U17 and U18 programs, and to welcome Mark’s expertise back to the program at the U20 level,” said Bullock. “We believe these men will provide outstanding leadership as we prepare for international competition, and their combination of CHL and NHL experience will prove to be a great asset as we continue to build and excel at all levels of the program.”

Mondou has led and supported the under-17 program this season, with Team Canada Red, Team Canada Black and Team Canada White finishing fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He has been general manager of the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since the 2007-08 season, leading the Cataractes to the QMJHL final in 2009 and 2016, and to a Memorial Cup championship in 2012. Mondou won the Trophée Maurice-Fillion as QMJHL general manager of the year in 2014-15.

Millar has overseen the under-18 program this season, including a gold medal for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta. Millar was named director of hockey operations for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2010, and became general manager in 2012. He has also spent time with the Sarnia Sting, Guelph Storm and St. Michael’s Majors of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), winning a league championship with the Storm in 1998. 

Hunter rejoined the London Knights as general manager last summer after spending four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, serving as director of player personnel (2014-16) and assistant general manager (2016-18). Prior to joining the Maple Leafs, Hunter spent 14 seasons as general manager of the Knights, winning OHL championships in 2005, 2012 and 2013, and a Memorial Cup in 2005. The OHL executive of the year in 2003-04, Hunter won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989 during a 12-year professional career. He briefly worked with the Program of Excellence management group in 2013-14 before joining the Maple Leafs.

The Program of Excellence Policy Committee, comprised of Tom Renney (Cranbrook, B.C.), Hockey Canada CEO; Scott Smith (Bathurst, N.B.), Hockey Canada president and COO; David Branch (Bathurst, N.B.), CHL president and OHL commissioner; Gilles Courteau (Trois-Rivières, Que.), QMJHL commissioner; and Ron Robison (Calgary, Alta.), WHL commissioner, will continue to oversee the program.

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

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has named the coaching and support staffs that will lead Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team in defence of its gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as well as the coaches who will be behind the bench with Canada’s national under-17 teams at the 2024 U17 World Challenge.

After helping lead Canada to back-to-back gold medals as an assistant coach at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Kris Mallette (Kelowna, BC/Kelowna, WHL) returns to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team for the third-consecutive year, this time serving as head coach.

Mallette will be joined on the bench by assistant coaches Gordie Dwyer (Dalhousie, NB/Acadie-Bathurst, LMJHQ) and Ryan Oulahen (Newmarket, ON/North Bay, OHL), along with goaltending consultant Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC/Kamloops, WHL) and video coach Ethan O’Rourke (Bowmanville, ON/Kingston, OHL).

“We are excited to unveil the coaching and support staffs that will lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team as we look to defend our gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup,” said Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), senior manager of hockey operations. “Kris, Gordie, Ryan, Dan and Ethan bring extensive experience both at the international and Canadian Hockey League levels, and they will be great leaders for this talented group of young men who will compete for Canada in Edmonton next month.”

Mallette has served as head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the past five seasons (2019-24) after six seasons (2013-19) as an assistant, winning a WHL championship and helping the Rockets reach the Memorial Cup final in 2015. Internationally, in addition to his two Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medals, he also won silver as head coach of Canada Red at the 2021 Capital City Challenge.

Dwyer has served as the head coach and general manager of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since 2022, prior to which he was the head coach of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs in 2021-22 and Shawinigan Cataractes in 2019-20. Dwyer won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship. He also served as Canada’s head coach at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games winning a bronze medal, along with a bronze medal as an assistant coach at the 2012 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Oulahen just completed his sixth season as head coach of the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Prior to that, he spent three seasons as head coach of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds and six seasons as an assistant coach with the Battalion (2010-16). Oulahen was also behind the bench at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014 (assistant coach, Canada Red), 2015 (assistant coach, Canada Black) and 2016 (head coach, Canada White), and was an assistant at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning silver.

For a full list of staff for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please click here.

The roster for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp will be announced at a later date.

Canada will open the preliminary round at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Switzerland on Aug. 5 at 7:30 p.m. MT/9:30 p.m. ET. It will also take on Slovakia and Sweden on Aug. 6 and Aug. 7, respectively, before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 10.

On the under-17 side, Travis Crickard (St. John’s, NL/Saint John, QMJHL) and Mathieu Turcotte (Kirkland, QC/Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL) will be behind the benches of Team Canada Red and Team Canada Black, respectively.

Joining Crickard behind the Canada Red bench are assistant coaches Matt Anholt (Prince Albert, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Wes Wolfe (Niagara Falls, ON/Erie, OHL).

Turcotte will have assistant coaches Brad MacKenzie (Charlottetown, PE/Halifax, QMJHL) and Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert, SK/Prince Albert, WHL) behind the Team Canada Black bench. 

“Under-17 is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, and we are excited to welcome some of the best coaches from the Canadian Hockey League to introduce the country’s top young players to our program,” said Roy. “Each of these coaches brings experience to international, short-term competition and we are eager to continue our preparations leading into November.”

Crickard recently finished his second season as head coach of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs following one season as an assistant. He won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and as video coach at the same tournament in 2021. Crickard was an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s hockey team at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, finishing fourth, and was video coach (2016) and assistant coach (2017) with Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, winning a silver medal in 2016.

Turcotte just wrapped up his first season as head coach of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Prior to joining the Armada, he served as head coach of the Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François of the Ligue de hockey M18 AAA du Québec, winning gold at the 2023 Men’s U18 National Club Championship. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs (2019-22), six seasons with the LHM18AAAQ’s Chevaliers de Lévis as assistant coach (2008-10) and GM/head coach (2015-19), and stints as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs (2010-12) and Chicoutimi Saguenéens (2012-14).

Anholt was named associate coach of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes in June. He has spent six seasons with the hockey club holding roles as skills and development coach before being named an assistant coach in 2020. Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Anholt added assistant general manager to his title, working alongside his father, Lethbridge GM Peter Anholt. He was also an assistant coach with Canada Red at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

MacKenzie recently completed his third season as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads and was promoted to associate coach in June. Prior to joining the Mooseheads, he was head coach of the Grand River Rapids of the Maritime Hockey League (2019-21), earning MHL coach of the year honours in 2020-21.

McDonald recently completed his third full season as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. He won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Team Saskatchewan at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, and also spent four seasons with the Warman Wildcats AAA program at both the U15 and U18 level. McDonald played five seasons in the WHL with the Regina Pats and Prince Albert followed by a four-year U SPORTS career at Lakehead University and the University of Saskatchewan.

Wolfe recently completed his second season of his second stint as an assistant coach OHL’s Erie Otters. He spent the 2021-22 season as general manager and head coach of the Cobourg Cougars of the Ontario Junior Hockey League following five seasons (2016-21) as an assistant coach with Erie, helping the team win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions in his first season.

For a list of staff for Canada’s national under-17 teams, please click here.

The roster for Canada’s national under-17 development camp will be announced at a later date.

For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s national Men’s Summer Under-18 Team or Canada’s national under-17 program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

CALGARY, AB - Hockey Canada is proud to recognize the 111 players that took part in the Program of Excellence summer meetings in preparation for the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Sixty-six under-17 players were selected by Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), director of player personnel, Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), U17 head scout, and Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL), the U17 lead for the Program of Excellence management group, with input from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of hockey operations. Regional scouts Rob Simpson (Ontario), Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario), as well as Member representatives, also provided input.

All 66 under-17 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League (CHL) teams, including 37 from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), 15 from the Western Hockey League (WHL) and 14 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

“This impressive group of athletes is an excellent representation of the talent pool in our country, and these meetings were a great opportunity to kick off a new season and begin our preparations for two major international events,” Millar said. “This was a great opportunity to introduce prospective national team players to the Program of Excellence and help prepare them for international competition.”

Forty-five under-20 players were selected by Millar and Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL), the U20 lead for the POE management group, with input from Salmond and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), senior manager of hockey operations.

The list includes three players who won a gold medal on home ice at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax and Moncton (Beck, Fantilli, Korchinski), and seven who won gold on home ice at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Barlow, Benson, Gauthier, Ratzlaff, Ritchie, Wood, Yager). It also includes 12 players who were selected in the 2023 NHL Draft last month, including seven first-round picks (Barlow, Benson, Danielson, Fantilli, Ritchie, Wood, Yager).

Players took part in virtual meetings that covered a variety of topics, including education on the Program of Excellence, sport safety presentations, short-term international competition preparation and meetings with the Hockey Canada management group. The discussions will allow participants to continue to evolve as high-performance athletes and utilize the strengths and experience of the Program of Excellence’s leadership.

Players will continue to be evaluated through the early portion of the 2023-24 season before Canadian rosters are named for the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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