Canada has done it again.
Team Canada captured gold at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, defeating the United States 8-1 in the championship game to finish the tournament on top.
Playing in front of a home-country crowd, Canada’s U18 group delivered when it mattered most, closing out a tournament that featured some of the top young hockey talent from around the world.
The gold medal adds another chapter to Canada’s strong history at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and gives the country’s next generation of hockey players an early taste of international championship success.
The Captain: Landon DuPont
Landon DuPont entered the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with plenty of attention already surrounding him, but he leaves Edmonton with something even more valuable — a gold medal. Named captain of Team Canada, DuPont provided leadership from the back end throughout the tournament and finished with 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points in five games. The Everett Silvertips defenceman saved one of his strongest performances for the biggest stage, recording four assists in Canada’s 8–1 gold-medal victory over the United States.
DuPont was also Canada’s lone returning player from the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster, where he helped Canada capture bronze. This time around, he returned to Edmonton wearing the captain’s C and helped lead Canada all the way to the top of the podium.
Next Gen Hockey’s Hidden Gem: Jaakko Wycisk
Every championship team has players who receive the headlines and players who quietly become just as important to the team’s success. For Next Gen Hockey, Jaakko Wycisk is that player.
The right-shot forward from Tecumseh, Ontario, finished the tournament with 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points, tying Maddox Schultz for the tournament scoring lead. Wycisk also found the scoresheet in the biggest game of the tournament, scoring Canada’s eighth goal in the gold-medal victory over the United States.
For us, Wycisk is exactly the type of player worth highlighting. He may not have entered the tournament with the same level of attention as some of Canada’s biggest names, but after putting up 10 points in Edmonton, it’s difficult to call him a secret anymore. The hidden gem of Team Canada may have just announced himself on the international stage.
Schultz & Pue: A Duo That Shouldn’t Be Broken Up
If there’s one combination from this tournament that we don’t want to see broken up, it’s Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue.
The two Regina Pats teammates continued to show the chemistry that has made them such an intriguing duo, and Edmonton only strengthened the case for keeping them together. Schultz finished the tournament with 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points, while Pue finished with 6 goals and 3 assists for 9 points. Pue’s six goals led the entire tournament.
The chemistry between the two was particularly evident when the games mattered most. Pue scored twice in the gold-medal game, while Schultz also scored twice as Canada cruised past the United States 8–1.
Canada Rises to the Occasion
From the opening game of the tournament, Canada showed why they entered the Hlinka Gretzky Cup as one of the teams to watch. With skill throughout the lineup, strong goaltending and a deep group of young players, Canada continued to build momentum as the tournament progressed.
That momentum carried into the gold-medal matchup against the United States, where Canada ultimately came away victorious in front of the Edmonton crowd.
DuPont provided the leadership. Wycisk emerged as the tournament’s hidden gem. Schultz and Pue showed that their chemistry can translate to the international stage. Together, they represent exactly what the Hlinka Gretzky Cup is all about — showcasing the next generation of Canadian hockey talent before the rest of the hockey world gets to know their names.