Ryan Lin Named to Hockey Canada's Hlinka Gretzky Cup Roster
WHL Vancouver Giants

Ryan Lin Named to Hockey Canada's Hlinka Gretzky Cup Roster

August 1, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Defenceman Ryan Lin with Hockey Canada
Defenceman Ryan Lin with Hockey Canada
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Tim Austen/IIHF)

Calgary, Alta. - Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin (Richmond, B.C.) has officially been named to Hockey Canada's national men's under-18 team for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which takes place August 11-16 in Brno, Czech Republic and Trenčín, Slovakia.

This annual summer U18 tournament is the first opportunity for scouts to see NHL draft-eligible prospects in their draft year, 10 months ahead of the draft. Canada will look to capture a fourth-straight gold medal.

Lin had a standout performance at selection camp this week, with Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff calling him 'the real deal.'

"He was easily the best player in the opening game and then continued with a tremendous goal in Game 2," Ellis wrote in his selection camp recap. "He's smart and has the skills to take his game up a level. I loved him at the U-17s, but it feels like he's a lot more confident these days."

Lin has represented his country multiple times on the international stage. He is one of six players named to Canada's roster who won a Gold Medal playing as an underager at the 2025 IIHF U-18 World Championship in Texas. The right-shot defender recorded two points (1G-1A) and was +8 in seven games.

"We are excited to unveil the 25 players who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as we believe this is an elite group that brings international experience and a determination to continue our success at the tournament," General Manager of the Program of Excellence Alan Millar said. "Our selection camp was highly competitive and provided an opportunity for our players to showcase themselves against the top talent in the country, and we believe we have assembled a roster that will compete for gold and wear the Maple Leaf with pride in Czechia and Slovakia."

Lin - who now measures at 5-foot-11 and 177 lbs. - also won Gold at the 2024 U17 World Hockey Challenge with Canada White and played for Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

The Richmond, B.C. product had one of the best 16-year-old seasons in Giants franchise history in 2024-25, recording 53 points and a +11 rating in 60 games, while leading the Giants in average ice-time and playing in all situations. He became just the second rookie WHL defenceman aged 16 or younger to hit the 50-point mark in 35 years, joining Everett's Landon Dupont as the only two to accomplish the feat since Hockey Hall of Famer and Kamloops Blazers legend Scott Niedermayer in 1989-90.

The 25-player roster was selected by Millar, with support from Yanick Lemay, the U18 lead with the POE management group, head scout Byron Bonora, Benoit Roy, director of hockey operations, and Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.

Canada will open the preliminary round at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Finland on Aug. 11. Canada will also face Switzerland and Czechia in the round robin.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast select tournament games, including all Team Canada games; please check local listings for more details.

Giants season tickets and flex packs are NOW ON SALE! Season ticket packages start as low as $18.26 per game and include the first two home playoff games. Flex packs start at just $135 and come in six,12 or 36-ticket packs. Call the Giants Office at 604.4.GIANTS (+1 (604) 444-2687) or contact the Giants at: sales@vancouvergiants.com.

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Images from this story

Defenceman Ryan Lin with Hockey Canada
Defenceman Ryan Lin with Hockey Canada
(Tim Austen / IIHF)		 Defenceman Ryan Lin with Hockey Canada
Defenceman Ryan Lin with Hockey Canada
(Tim Austen/IIHF)		  



Western Hockey League Stories from August 1, 2025


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