Canada men's national under-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.
| Nickname(s) | Team Canada (Équipe Canada) |
|---|---|
| Association | Hockey Canada |
| Head coach | Alan Letang |
| Assistants | Sylvain Favreau Kris Mallette |
| Captain | Cameron Allen |
| Top scorer | Jeff Friesen (9) |
| Team colours | |
| IIHF code | CAN |
| First international | |
| Russia 8 – 4 Canada (Piešťany, Czech Republic; April 11, 2002) | |
| Biggest win | |
| Canada 15 – 1 Denmark (České Budějovice, Czech Republic; April 18, 2005) | |
| Biggest defeat | |
| Canada 0 – 8 Sweden (Porrentruy, Switzerland; April 20, 2023) | |
| IIHF World U18 Championship | |
| Appearances | 20 (first in 2002) |
| Best result | Gold: 4 (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021) |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| World U18 Championships | ||
| 2003 Russia | Canada | |
| 2008 Russia | Canada | |
| 2013 Russia | Canada | |
| 2021 USA | Canada | |
| 2005 Czech Republic | Canada | |
| 2012 Czech Republic | Canada | |
| 2014 Finland | Canada | |
| 2015 Switzerland | Canada | |
| 2023 Switzerland | Canada | |
| Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament | ||
| 1992 | Canada | |
| 1994 | Canada | |
| 1996 | Canada | |
| 1997 | Canada | |
| 1998 | Canada | |
| 1999 | Canada | |
| 2000 | Canada | |
| 2001 | Canada | |
| 2002 | Canada | |
| 2004 | Canada | |
| 2005 | Canada | |
| 2006 | Canada | |
| 2008 | Canada | |
| 2009 | Canada | |
| 2010 | Canada | |
| 2011 | Canada | |
| 2012 | Canada | |
| 2013 | Canada | |
| 2014 | Canada | |
| 2015 | Canada | |
| 2017 | Canada | |
| 2018 | Canada | |
| 2022 | Canada | |
| 2023 | Canada | |
| 1991 Japan | Canada | |
| 1995 Japan | Canada | |
| 2019 | Canada | |
| 1993 Japan | Canada | |
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 four gold medals (2003, 2008, 2013 and 2021), one silver medal (2005), and three bronze medals (2012, 2014, and 2015).