36 CHL-Developed Players at 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship
Published on April 22, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release
TORONTO, ON - As the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship gets underway today in Bratislava and Trenčín, Slovakia, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to celebrate its strong international presence, with 36 players developed through the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) set to represent their countries at the tournament from April 22 to May 2.
Those 36 players - including 35 who are currently playing in the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL - give the CHL the largest player contingent of any development league at the tournament. The CHL is also the only development league in the world with players on six of the 10 participating nations' rosters.
Canada leads all countries with 23 CHL-developed players as it looks to capture a third straight gold medal, while Czechia follows with seven. Latvia and the United States each have two CHL-developed players on their rosters, while Germany and Slovakia each have one. By league, the WHL and OHL each account for 13 players at the tournament, while the QMJHL has 10, underscoring the CHL's depth across all three member leagues and its continued role in developing elite talent for the international stage.
At the club level, the Ottawa 67's (OHL) and Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) lead all CHL teams with three players each competing at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship, while the Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL), Québec Remparts (QMJHL), Red Deer Rebels (WHL), Saginaw Spirit (OHL), Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL), and Vancouver Giants (WHL) each have two players represented. In total, 26 CHL clubs have at least one player competing at the tournament.
Canada opens the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship today (April 22) facing Slovakia at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT. Canada will also play Latvia, Norway and Finland in the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 2.
Last year, 25 CHL players helped Canada capture a second straight gold medal at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship, marking the first time in program history that Canada won back-to-back gold at the event. Among the returning players from that championship team are Vancouver Giants (WHL) defenceman Ryan Lin, Victoria Royals (WHL) defenceman Keaton Verhoeff, and Sarnia Sting (OHL) forward Alessandro Di Iorio.
For more information on the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship, please visit the official tournament website at IIHF.com. For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada's National Men's Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
QUICK FACTS
A total of 24 CHL-developed players competing at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship were included in NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings, part of the 197 CHL players recognized ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
That group features 12 players ranked among NHL Central Scouting's Top 50 North American skaters: Keaton Verhoeff (No. 4), Maddox Dagenais (No. 15), Ryan Lin (No. 16), Brooks Rogowski (No. 21), Ben MacBeath (No. 22), Ryder Cali (No. 25), Jakub Vanecek (No. 31), Mathis Preston (No. 32), Beckett Hamilton (No. 33), Thomas Vandenberg (No. 35), Zach Olsen (No. 36), and Alessandro Di Iorio (No. 41).
Two CHL goaltenders ranked among NHL Central Scouting's top six North American netminders will suit up for Czechia at the tournament: Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) netminder Jan Larys (No. 5) and Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) goaltender Marek Sklenicka (No. 6).
Among the 36 CHL-developed players competing at this year's tournament, eight are eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft, including six on Team Canada: goaltenders Patrick Déniger (Québec Remparts / QMJHL) and Carter Esler (Spokane Chiefs / WHL), defenceman Kohyn Eshkawkogan (Ottawa 67's / OHL), and forwards Jaxon Jacobson (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL), Dima Zhilkin (Saginaw Spirit / OHL), and Alexis Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL). Alexis Joseph is the only 16-year-old representing Canada at the tournament.
The other two CHL players eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft are American defenceman Levi Harper (Saginaw Spirit / OHL) and Slovak defenceman Filip Kovalcik (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL).
Four players on Team Canada previously represented Team CHL at the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge in Calgary and Lethbridge, Alta., last November: defenceman Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants / WHL) and forwards Maddox Dagenais (Québec Remparts / QMJHL), Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting / OHL), and Mathis Preston (Vancouver Giants / WHL). Brooks Rogowski (Oshawa Generals / OHL) was originally selected to represent Team CHL at the event before an injury prevented him from participating.
Eleven CHL-developed players set to represent Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship previously captured bronze at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup: Gavin Betts, Carter Esler, Cameron Chartrand, Callum Croskery, Ryan Lin, Keaton Verhoeff, Alessandro Di Iorio, Jean-Cristoph Lemieux, Mathis Preston, Thomas Rousseau, and Dima Zhilkin.
Fifteen CHL-developed players have previously represented Canada at the U17 World Challenge, including seven who won gold - Betts, Croskery, Joseph, Lemieux, Lin, Preston, and Verhoeff - and eight who earned silver - Lucas Ambrosio, Chartrand, Dagenais, Di Iorio, Eshkawkogan, Esler, Carter Hicks, and Jacobson.
Five CHL players will wear the Maple Leaf for the first time in their careers at the U18 World Championship: Patrick Déniger, Beckett Hamilton, Ben MacBeath, Zach Olsen, and Thomas Vandenberg.
Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals / WHL) will captain Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship, while Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting / OHL) and Dima Zhilkin (Saginaw Spirit / OHL) will serve as alternate captains.
36 CHL-developed players to compete at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship
* denotes players named to their country's roster but not included in the team's initial IIHF registration submitted on April 21
CANADA (23)
(G) Gavin Betts (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL)
(G) Carter Esler (Spokane Chiefs / WHL)
(G) Patrick Déniger (Québec Remparts / QMJHL)*
(D) Lucas Ambrosio (Erie Otters / OHL)
(D) Cameron Chartrand (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)*
(D) Callum Croskery (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)
(D) Kohyn Eshkawkogan (Ottawa 67/s / OHL)
(D) Carter Hicks (Brampton Steelheads / OHL)
(D) Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants / WHL)
(D) Ben MacBeath (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
(D) Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals / WHL; University of North Dakota / NCAA)
(F) Ryder Cali (North Bay Battalion / OHL)
(F) Maddox Dagenais (Québec Remparts / QMJHL)
(F) Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting / OHL)
(F) Beckett Hamilton (Red Deer Rebels / WHL)
(F) Jaxon Jacobson (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL)*
(F) Alexis Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
(F) Jean-Cristoph Lemieux (Sudbury Wolves / OHL)
(F) Zach Olsen (Saskatoon Blades / WHL)
(F) Mathis Preston (Vancouver Giants / WHL)
(F) Thomas Rousseau (Sherbrooke Phoenix / QMJHL)
(F) Thomas Vandenberg (Ottawa 67's / OHL)
(F) Dima Zhilkin (Saginaw Spirit / OHL)
CZECHIA (7)
(G) Jan Larys (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL)
(G) Marek Sklenicka (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL)
(D) Jiri Kamas (Red Deer Rebels / WHL)
(D) Ondrej Ruml (Ottawa 67's / OHL)
(D) Jakub Vanecek (Tri-City Americans / WHL)
(F) Adam Klaus (Cape Breton Eagles / QMJHL)
(F) Jan Trefny (Moose Jaw Warriors / WHL)
GERMANY (1)
(D) Darian Rolsing (Wenatchee Wild / WHL)
LATVIA (2)
(F) Martins Klaucans (Sherbrooke Phoenix / QMJHL)
(F) Olivers Murnieks (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
SLOVAKIA (1)
(D) Filip Kovalcik (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL)
UNITED STATES (2)
(D) Levi Harper (Saginaw Spirit / OHL)
(F) Brooks Rogowski (Oshawa Generals / OHL)
Western Hockey League Stories from April 22, 2026
- U18 Round Robin: Giants Forward Preston Scores in Canada's Tournament Opener - Vancouver Giants
- Raiders Forward Cootes Awarded Brad Hornung Memorial Trophy as WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player for 2025-26 - WHL
- Round 3 Preview: Vees vs Silvertips - Penticton Vees
- Shane Smith Named Winner of 2026 Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy - Kelowna Rockets
- Chiefs Sign 2010-Born Goaltender Brody Johnson - Spokane Chiefs
- Rockets Forward Smith Awarded Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy as WHL Humanitarian of the Year for 2025-26 - WHL
- Wutzke Reflects on Impact he Made as a Veteran with Warriors - Moose Jaw Warriors
- 36 CHL-Developed Players at 2026 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship - WHL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
