CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 19 players selected to wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team for the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, April 25-May 5, in Espoo and Vantaa, Finland. Of the 19 players rostered, six are alumni of the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

GTHL ALUMNI: 

• Liam Greentree (Markham Majors)
• Porter Martone (Toronto Jr. Canadiens)
• Malcolm Spence (Mississauga Senators)
• Kashawn Aitcheson (North York Rangers)
• Ryerson Leenders (Toronto Young Nationals)
• Carter George (Thunder Bay Kings)

The roster was selected by head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), senior manager of hockey operations. The evaluation process included input from goaltending consultant Justin Pogge (Penticton, BC) and analytics consultant Gianfranco Giuliano (Toronto, ON), in addition to the entire scouting staff.

It includes two goaltenders, six defencemen and 11 forwards, featuring 10 players (Beaudoin, Elick, George, Greentree, Leenders, Martone, McQueen, Ritchie, Spence, Wetsch) who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer, and one (Martone), who helped Canada win bronze at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship.

“We are excited to bring this calibre of young athletes together to begin working with our coaching staff,” said Roy. “Having players who already know how to compete in a short-term tournament will also bring valuable experience and leadership to our team in our quest for a gold medal.”

Hockey Canada announced the coaching staff for the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship last Thursday, with head coach Gardiner MacDougall (Bedeque, PE/University of New Brunswick, AUS) joined by assistant coaches Travis Crickard (St. John’s, NL/Saint John, QMJHL), Bruce Richardson (Montreal, QC) and Ryan Smith (Headingley, MB/Spokane, WHL).

Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada will play a pair of pre-tournament games against Finland on April 20 and Norway on April 23. The quest for a gold medal begins April 25 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT against Sweden. Canada will also face Czechia on April 26, Switzerland on April 28 and Kazakhstan on April 30 to close out preliminary-round action. The semifinals are set for May 4 before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 5.

TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, will air select games, including all Team Canada games and all playoff-round games.

Since 2002, Canada has won four gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021), in addition to one silver (2005) and four bronze (2012, 2014, 2015, 2023).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca.