CHL Staff to Lead Canada's U17 & U18 Teams this Summer

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CHL Staff to Lead Canada's U17 & U18 Teams this Summer

July 12, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release


TORONTO, ON - The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is pleased to congratulate the 36 CHL coaches and hockey operations staff members who were appointed to the coaching and support staff that will lead Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 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 Rockets / 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 (Acadie-Bathurst Titan / QMJHL) and Ryan Oulahen (North Bay Battalion / OHL), along with goaltending consultant Dan De Palma (Kamloops Blazers / WHL) and video coach Ethan O'Rourke (Kingston Frontenacs / 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, 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, before 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.

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 (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL) and Mathieu Turcotte (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / 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 (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL) and Wes Wolfe (Erie Otters / OHL). Turcotte will have assistant coaches Brad MacKenzie (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL) and Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert Raiders / 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 a 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. Crickard won a Memorial Cup as an assistant coach with the Sea Dogs in 2022. He also previously worked as an assistant coach with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL and Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. In 2015, he won the Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Rockets who were also Memorial Cup finalists that same year.

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 a 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 levels. 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 the second season of his second stint as an assistant coach of the 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.

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.

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