Canada men's national U-18 ice hockey team

The Canadian men's national under 18 ice hockey team is part of a three-stage Program of Excellence beginning with the Under-17 regional teams and ending with the National Junior Team. The primary objectives of the Under-18 program are to identify, evaluate, and condition players to the rigors of international competition by giving first exposure to off-shore officiating, ice-surfaces, and travel.
The Under-18 squad traditionally competes in the month of August, during the off season, to allow players to further develop skills with their respective junior teams in the winter following a week-long camp. A 22-player roster is chosen by scouts and coaches from Hockey Canada to represent Canada on the international stage.
The first National Men's Under-18 Team was created in 1981 with the development of the Program of Excellence and has since competed in many international competitions. For the first 10 years of the program, the National Men's Under-18 Team participated in exchange camps with the United States to provide both countries the opportunity to refine the skills of their most gifted young players against top caliber international competition. It was not until the Japanese Ice Hockey Federation introduced the Phoenix Cup, a four-nation tournament designed to improve Japan's international hockey program, in 1991 that Canada took part in an international tournament.
The Phoenix Cup (later the Pacific Cup and La Copa Mexico) was a single round robin competition between the national under-18 teams of Canada, Russia, Japan, and the United States. It was competed for between 1991 and 1996, with tournaments in Japan; Mexico City; and Nelson, B.C. In its six-year history, Canada took home three gold medals, two silver and one bronze.
In 1997, the National Men's Under-18 Team competed against Slovakia and the Czech Republic in a three-nation tournament in the Czech Republic. Canada captured gold and repeated their performance the following year in Slovakia against Belarus, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Since 2002, Canada's National Men's Under-18 Team has taken part in the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, winning three gold medals (2003, 2008, and 2013), one silver medal (2005), and three bronze medals (2012, 2014, and 2015).
==Roster==
===IIHF U18 World Championships roster===
Roster for the 2019 IIHF World U18 Championships:
Head coach: Brett Gibson
No.	Pos.	Name 	Height	Weight	Birthdate	Team
1 	G 	Taylor Gauthier 	 	 	 	Prince George Cougars
2 	D 	Braden Schneider 	 	 	 	Brandon Wheat Kings
3 	D 	Kaedan Korczak 	 	 	 	Kelowna Rockets
4 	D 	Thomas Harley 	 	 	 	Mississauga Steelheads
5 	D 	Michael Vukojevic	 	 	 	Kitchener Rangers
6 	D 	Jamie Drysdale 	 	 	 	Erie Otters
7 	F 	Brayden Tracey 	 	 	 	Moose Jaw Warriors
8 	F 	Keean Washurak 	 	 	 	Mississauga Steelheads
9 	F 	Nathan Légaré – A	 	 	 	Baie-Comeau Drakkar
10 	F 	Dylan Holloway 	 	 	 	Okotoks Oilers
11 	F 	Jakob Pelletier 	 	 	 	Moncton Wildcats
14 	F 	Jamieson Rees 	 	 	 	Sarnia Sting
15 	F 	Alex Newhook 	 	 	 	Victoria Grizzlies
16 	F 	Ryan Suzuki 	 	 	 	Barrie Colts
17 	F 	Dylan Cozens – A 	 	 	 	Lethbridge Hurricanes
18 	F 	Connor Zary 	 	 	 	Kamloops Blazers
19 	F 	Peyton Krebs – C 	 	 	 	Winnipeg Ice
20 	D 	Jordan Spence 	 	 	 	Moncton Wildcats
24 	D 	Daemon Hunt 	 	 	 	Moose Jaw Warriors
26 	F 	Philip Tomasino 	 	 	 	Niagara Ice Dogs
27 	F 	Samuel Poulin 	 	 	 	Sherbrooke Phoenix
29 	G 	Nolan Maier 	 	 	 	Saskatoon Blades
30 	G 	Jonathan Lemieux 	 	 	 	Val-d'Or Foreurs
===Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament roster===
Roster for the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Head coach: Michael Dyck
No.	Pos.	Name 	Height	Weight	Birthdate	Team
1 	G 	Tristan Lennox 	 	 	 	Saginaw Spirit
2 	D 	Daemon Hunt 	 	 	 	Moose Jaw Warriors
3 	D 	Lukas Cormier 	 	 	 	Charlottetown Islanders
4 	D 	Jamie Drysdale – C 	 	 	 	Erie Otters
5 	D 	Jérémie Poirier 	 	 	 	Saint John Sea Dogs
6 	D 	Kaiden Guhle – A 	 	 	 	Prince Albert Raiders
7 	D 	Donovan Sebrango 	 	 	 	Kitchener Rangers
8 	D 	Ryan O’Rourke 	 	 	 	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
9 	F 	Théo Rochette 	 	 	 	Chicoutimi Saguenéens
10 	F 	Ozzy Wiesblatt 	 	 	 	Prince Albert Raiders
12 	F 	Justin Sourdif 	 	 	 	Vancouver Giants
14 	F 	Jean-Luc Foudy 	 	 	 	Windsor Spitfires
15 	F 	Ridley Greig 	 	 	 	Brandon Wheat Kings
16 	F 	Connor McClennon 	 	 	 	Winnipeg Ice
17 	F 	Will Cuylle 	 	 	 	Windsor Spitfires
18 	F 	Hendrix Lapierre 	 	 	 	Chicoutimi Saguenéens
19 	F 	Quinton Byfield 	 	 	 	Sudbury Wolves
20 	F 	Jake Neighbours – A	 	 	 	Edmonton Oil Kings
21 	F 	Cole Perfetti 	 	 	 	Saginaw Spirit
23 	F 	Mavrik Bourque 	 	 	 	Shawinigan Cataractes
24 	F 	Seth Jarvis 	 	 	 	Portland Winterhawks
30 	G 	Dylan Garand 	 	 	 	Kamloops Blazers
== References ==
==External links==
* Team Canada all time scoring leaders in IIHF U18 World Championships
* Hockey Canada U18 home page
Category:National under-18 ice hockey teams
Category:Youth ice hockey in Canada