MacKenzie to Represent Canada at Hlinka/Gretzky Cup
QMJHL Halifax Mooseheads

MacKenzie to Represent Canada at Hlinka/Gretzky Cup

Published on July 8, 2026 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Halifax Mooseheads News Release


Halifax Mooseheads bench boss Brad MacKenzie has been named an Assistant Coach for Canada's National Men's Summer U18 team at the upcoming Hlinka/Gretzky Cup to be held August 3-8 in Edmonton, AB.

The Charlottetown, PE native will join the staff of Head Coach Ryan Oulahen (North Bay / OHL) along with fellow Assistants Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert / WHL) and Kyle Chipchura (Edmonton / WHL) as Canada seeks its 26th summer U18 Gold Medal. Other coaches include goaltending coach Jeff Harvey (Saskatoon / WHL) and Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia's Matthew Smith of the Newfoundland Regiment, who will serve as the video coach.

The coaching staff was selected by Program of Excellence general manager Alan Millar, Yanick Lemay (Drummondville / QMJHL), assistant general manager of Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team, Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy, director of hockey operations.

"We are thrilled to welcome Ryan, Ryan, Brad and Kyle to the staff for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup," said Millar. "Each brings a pedigree of coaching experience, particularly in short-term international competition, which will be a tremendous asset as we prepare for the tournament. We're excited to continue the process of building a team and working with a group of players who will proudly represent Canada and showcase their talent to hockey fans in Edmonton in August."

MacKenzie was promoted to head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League in July 2025 and guided them to the playoffs in his first season at the helm while posting a 29-29-3-3 record for 64 points in 64 games. He served one season as associate coach with the Mooseheads (2024-25) and three as an assistant coach (2022-24). Prior to joining the Mooseheads, he was head coach of the Grand Falls Rapids of the Maritime Hockey League (2019-21), earning MHL Coach of the Year honours in 2020-21. MacKenzie also won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada White at the 2024 U17 World Challenge.

The roster for Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team training camp will be announced at a later date.

Canada will play its opening game of the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. MT. It will also face Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5 to close out the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 8. Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team will hold a training camp prior to the start of the tournament, set for July 27-30 at NAIT Arena in Edmonton, which will include practices and a game against Sweden on July 30. It will also take on Czechia on Aug. 1 as part of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament schedule.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from July 8, 2026


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