Keaton Verhoeff, Ryan Lin highlight top NHL Draft prospects on Canada’s 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster

Hockey Canada has revealed its 25-player roster for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, set to take place in Czechia and Slovakia from August 11-16.

Canada finished a multi-day training camp in Oakville, Ontario, earlier on Friday, featuring a pair of scrimmages.

Canada has released its roster for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup after camp ended today. pic.twitter.com/W413zsbfUU

— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) August 1, 2025

Of note, many projected 2026 first-round picks were named to the roster. Defenseman Keaton Verhoeff is the most notable, with the 6-foot-3 defender entering the year as the projected No. 2 prospect. Ryan Lin, Daxon Rudolph, Mathis Preston, Tynan Lawrence, Ethan Belchetz, Alessandro Di Iorio, Beckham Edwards and Colin Fitzgerald are among others who have earned first-round praise early in the draft season.

Landon DuPont, the top prospect for 2027, is the lone 2009-born player on a roster full of 2008s. Of note, Gavin McKenna and Ryan Roobroeck were born late in 2007 and are deemed ineligible for this tournament.

The 2008 age group finished 1-2 at the 2024 U-17 World Challenge in Sarnia, showing serious strength before earning promotion to the U-18 level. A total of 21 players on this Canadian roster played at the tournament, with 14 winning gold.

Six players on this roster won gold at the U-18 World Championship in Texas in May.

Canada has routinely dominated the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, having won it last year in Edmonton, as well. With the win, Canada became the first team to hit the quarter-century mark, with no active team winning more than one. Russia holds the second most at five, but has not participated since the team won gold in 2021. The 2024 tournament marked Canada’s third straight championship.

Canada will open the preliminary round of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Finland on Aug. 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET. They’ll finish the round robin with games against Switzerland and Czechia, with Canada expected to challenge for first place in the group.