Hockey Canada has revealed the 19-man roster for the IIHF Under-18 World Championship that kicks off on April 25 in Finland. The event is a major milestone for NHL draft-eligible players, boosting or hurting their draft stocks over the years as all eyes in the scouting world are on the U-18s.
A few roster spots remain open for players who could be eliminated in the second round of the CHL playoffs, such as Tij Iginla or Beckett Sennecke.
They are missing a few key players who could have been on this roster for various reasons. Macklin Celebrini is rumored to be in consideration for the men’s World Championship, Cayden Lindstrom and Berkly Catton opted to prepare for the draft and sit the tournament out, and Dean Letourneau was dealing with an injury as his season came to a close.
Meet the 1⃣9⃣ players who will wear the 🍁 at #U18MensWorlds!
Voici les 1⃣9⃣ joueurs qui arboreront la 🍁 au #MondialMasculinM18!
Roster: https://t.co/2Da3VZX1W3
Formation: https://t.co/O2mfVbZZnv pic.twitter.com/Vdw5YIRnQJ— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) April 16, 2024
Let’s look at some of the team’s most impressive players at each position and how they could help their draft stock at this tournament.
Forwards (11)
The forward group has a number of really intriguing names with Gavin McKenna coming in as the most interesting. The 2007-born forward has been electric in the WHL as a rookie, and he’s the favorite to go first overall in the 2026 NHL draft. He is a wicked playmaker who was a star for the Medicine Hat Tigers with 97 points. He will play a huge role for this squad despite being the youngest player on the roster.
Regarding 2025 NHL draft-eligible players, Porter Martone headlines a group that includes Roger McQueen and Malcolm Spence. All three participated in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in the summer and played fairly big roles. McQueen finished fourth in team scoring, and Spence scored the gold medal-winning goal. Martone might end up being the best of the trio after a fantastic OHL season in which he was a dominant 33-goal scorer.
Liam Greentree is the top scorer among the 2024 draft eligibles on the team, dominating the OHL with 90 points on one of the league’s worst teams. His combination of size, power and skill should make him a dominant force at the U-18s and solidify himself in the top half of the first round of the NHL draft this summer.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Notebook: Liam Greentree, Emil Hemming and Igor Chernyshov Fit the Pro Style
After a strong Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, Carson Wetsch put together a solid WHL season. He may not have the high-end skill that top draft prospects have, but he plays a hard-working game that should help lead the bottom six and could boost his stock with a great U-18s. Cole Beaudoin could be an interesting player to pair with Wetsch in the bottom six, bringing some physicality and depth scoring.
Jet Luchanko plays an incredibly smart game at a high pace. He could bring some speed to the lineup down the middle. He could be one of the most interesting players on the roster. A good performance could give NHL teams faith that he is worth a late first-round choice, and if he can’t be a catalyst, he might be a second-day pick. There is a lot to like with Luchanko. Marek Vanacker is in a similar boat as a player who relies on his brain to excel. His tournament could really affect where he is drafted as well because his draft stock is all over the place.
Related: Ferrari’s 2024 NHL Draft Rankings: Top 64 Before the World U-18s
Defense (6)
The defense group is the clear weakness for the Canadians. Charlie Elick and Harrison Brunicke lead a young group with three players eligible for the 2025 NHL draft in Matthew Schaefer, Reese Hamilton and Kashawn Aitcheson. Schaefer and Hamilton are both 2007-born players who could be back for next year’s tournament. The top name in the young trio is Schaefer, who was the OHL’s top pick last year and was fantastic as a rookie. The trio will look to solidify their names atop next year’s NHL draft board as we head into their draft-eligible seasons.
Elick will likely be asked to be the No. 1 defenseman for the Canadians. He plays a rough-and-tumble defensive game and will be looking to throw some big hits. Elick might be looking to showcase some of his offensive skills against his age group, which was a bit more inconsistent while playing a big role in the WHL.
Brunicke is an incredibly smooth skater with the physical tools to be one of the team’s top defenders. He sometimes makes questionable decisions at the WHL level, but at the U-18s with some of the nation’s best talent around him, his physical tools may give him a ton of room to play at a high level. That could be a big boost to his draft stock.
The wild card of the group is Spencer Gill. He was the top-ranked QMJHL player on the NHL Central Scouting list for the 2024 draft, and he’s had a solid season as a puck-mover for the Rimouski Oceanic. He hasn’t been viewed as a first-round prospect, but if he asserts himself on a big stage, he could get into the conversation.
Related: Instant Reaction: NHL Central Scouting Releases Final 2024 Draft Rankings
Goalies (2)
In net, the Canadian squad is leaning on the same pair of goaltenders from the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup this past summer: Carter George and Ryerson Leenders. George took the reins, and Canada rode his play to a gold medal. It’s expected that he will have the first shot at the starting role, which should only boost his draft stock.
Both George and Leenders are listed at about 6-foot-1, which would put them on the smaller side of goaltenders that NHL teams generally consider drafting. Despite that, they were both fantastic for their respective teams in the OHL, playing a major role in helping their teams to the playoffs. They finished first and second league-wide in save percentage, with Leenders (.909) having a slight edge over George (.907).
We will likely see both goalies at some point. Although George is the favorite for the starting gig heading in, don’t count Leenders out as he looks to take starts away.
Check out where these players and many others rank in my latest 2024 NHL Draft Rankings.
Related: Future Watch Weekly: How Deep is the 2024 NHL Draft?
Related: Frozen Four Notebook: Macklin Celebrini Wins Hobey, NCAA Confronts the Transfer Portal
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Notebook: Celebrini, Buium and Levshunov Stand Out at the NCAA Tournament
News Summary:
- Team Canada’s World U-18 Roster: Which Players Can Boost Their NHL Draft Stock?
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.