Canadian players represent themselves well at Hlinka Gretzky Cup

By Liam Tremblay — 5 August 2026 — 4 min read

Several Canadian players are participating in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton this week. The tournament, which began on Monday, features numerous players from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) representing their respective nations.

Matthew Henderson of Sarnia is among those playing for Canada. The 17-year-old defenceman, who recorded two goals and 16 assists in 63 OHL games last season as a rookie for the Kingston Frontenacs, was selected for Team Canada after attending the national men’s under-18 team training camp. Canada opened the preliminary round with a 7-3 victory over Switzerland on Monday. The team was scheduled to play Slovakia on Tuesday and Sweden on Wednesday. The semifinals are set for Friday, with the medal games taking place on Saturday.

Prior to the tournament, Canada played two pre-tournament games, securing a 3-1 win against Sweden but falling 6-0 to Czechia. While no single OHL player is highlighted as a major headliner for Canada this year, eight players from the league are expected to contribute significantly to the roster.

OHL Representation Across Nations

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup features a strong presence of OHL players across various national teams. For Canada, the roster includes forwards Brock Chitaroni (Ottawa 67’s), Ryerson Edgar (Niagara IceDogs), Aleks Kulemin (Kingston Frontenacs), Charlie Murata (Flint Firebirds), Cam Warren (North Bay Battalion), and Jaakko Wycisk (Guelph Storm). On defence, Canada also features Matthew Henderson (Kingston Frontenacs) and Cooper McAslan (London Knights).

In a tune-up game before the tournament, Murata and Chitaroni played on the second line, while Henderson and McAslan formed one of the defensive pairings. Another Sarnia defenceman, Kaden Aucoin of the Sarnia Sting, also attended the U18 camp but did not make the final roster.

Czechia‘s team includes two OHL players: forward Adam Nemec (Brantford Bulldogs) and defenceman Jiri Gombar (Kitchener Rangers). Nemec is serving as Czechia‘s captain for the event, and Gombar is expected to play a crucial role on the blue line. Both players are recent import signings who will join their new OHL teams later in the month.

Finland‘s roster features forward Luca Santala from the London Knights, who is considered a potential top player in the tournament. Sweden has goaltender Vilmer Salen Forsberg of the Brantford Bulldogs. For the United States, five OHL players are participating: forwards Ty Bergeron (Windsor Spitfires), Gerry DiCunzolo (Peterborough Petes), Nolan Snyder (Kingston Frontenacs), and Michael Tang (Niagara IceDogs), along with goaltender Mason Courville (Flint Firebirds). Bergeron and DiCunzolo are noted as likely the highest-profile players among the American contingent.

Other Hockey News

In other hockey news, Jake Grimes, formerly a coach for the Petrolia Jets, has been named the new coach of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. Grimes brings over 30 years of coaching experience from various levels, including the Canadian Hockey League, university teams, and junior B leagues. He served as an associate coach for the 2024 Memorial Cup champion Saginaw Spirit.

The Alvinston Killer Bees have re-signed goaltender Joseph Raaymakers and forward Alex Cunningham for the upcoming season. Raaymakers was named the Northern Premier Hockey League’s Metropolitan playoff MVP last season, achieving an 11-1 record with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage in the playoffs. In the regular season, he had a 5-1-0 record with a 2.83 GAA and a .916 save percentage. Cunningham is entering his sixth season with the Bees, having accumulated nine points in 36 regular season and post-season games in 2025-26.

Wyatt Finch, a draft pick for the Sarnia Sting, has signed with the Komoka Kings of the Greater Ontario Hockey League. Finch, from Arva, recorded 21 points in 30 games last season for the Huron Perth U16 AAA Lakers and was a fifth-round pick in the 2026 OHL draft.

The Mooretown Flags are bringing back defenceman Bo Doxtator of Corunna for an over-age season in the Provincial Junior Hockey League. Doxtator began his junior career with the Flags in 2021-22. The Flags also signed goaltender Brock Lane, a Port Lambton native who played last season with the GOHL’s Komoka Kings. Additionally, the Flags re-signed 12 returning players, including forwards Jace Dupuis, Jack Baerg, Geremia Nappi, Mitchell Stack, Noah Waybrant, Lucas Ross, Carson Crawford, Casey Schouten, and Ty Therrien, as well as defencemen Brayden Hogan, Ryan Vidler, and Nolan Bourdage.

Meanwhile, Lambton AAA Jr. Sting alumni Jack Nesbitt and Cameron Reid did not record any points in two games for Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor. Canada finished the week-long tournament with a 1-2-0 record against Sweden, Finland, and the United States, with these countries using the showcase to evaluate players for their 2027 World Junior Championship rosters.

Source: theobserver.ca