CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the coaching and support staffs that will lead Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team in defence of its gold medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as well as Canada’s national under-17 teams through the 2025 U17 World Challenge.
After leading Canada White to a gold medal as head coach at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and helping lead Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team to a gold medal as an assistant at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, Mathieu Turcotte (Kirkland, QC) will take the reins as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team. He will be joined by associate coach Travis Crickard (St. John’s, NL/Saint John, QMJHL), assistant coach Rick Steadman (London, ON/London, OHL), as well as goaltending consultant Antoine Samuel (Lac-Etchemin, QC/Moncton, QMJHL) and video coach Jonathan Deschênes (Québec, QC/Sherbrooke, QMJHL).
“We are excited to announce the coaching and support staff that will lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team through selection camp and at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup,” said Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), general manager of the Program of Excellence. “We are confident their Canadian Hockey League experience, in addition to their backgrounds in international tournaments, will help build and lead a team ready to compete in August.”
Turcotte spent the past two seasons (2023-25) as head coach of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Prior to joining the Armada, he served as head coach of the Blizzard du Séminaire Saint-François of the Ligue de hockey M18 AAA du Québec, winning gold at the 2023 Men’s U18 National Club Championship. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs (2019-22), six seasons with the LHM18AAAQ’s Chevaliers de Lévis as an assistant coach (2008-10) and the GM/head coach (2015-19). Turcotte was also an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs (2010-12) and Chicoutimi Saguenéens (2012-14). Internationally, he won gold medals as head coach of Canada White at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and as an assistant at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.
Crickard recently completed his third season as the head coach of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs and was promoted to general manager in October 2024. He also spent time with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Ottawa 67’s (2013-14) and Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Kelowna Rockets (2014-19). Crickard has won three gold medals with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the IIHF U18 World Championship, twice as an assistant coach (2024, 2025) and once as a video coach in 2021. He also won a silver medal as the head coach of Canada Red at the 2024 U17 World Challenge. Crickard was an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s hockey team at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, finishing fourth. He was a member of Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge as a video coach (2016)—winning a silver medal—and an assistant coach in 2017.
Steadman has been an assistant coach with the OHL’s London Knights since the 2014-15 season. As an assistant coach, he has helped guide the Knights to two Memorial Cup Championships (2016, 2025) and three OHL Championships (2016, 2024, 2025). Steadman previously held various coaching positions with the U18 AAA Gold Mavericks in the Ontario Hockey Academy. Internationally, he was an assistant coach with Canada Black at the 2023 U17 World Challenge.
For a full list of staff for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please click here.
Canada will open the preliminary round of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Finland on Aug. 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT. It will also take on Switzerland and Czechia on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, respectively, before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 16. Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will play pre-tournament games in Budapest against Hungary’s national under-20 team on Aug. 7 and in Piestany against Slovakia on Aug. 9.
On the under-17 side, Ryan McDonald (Prince Albert, SK/Prince Albert, WHL) and Scott Barney (Oshawa, ON/Sudbury, OHL) will serve as head coaches of Canada Red and Canada White, respectively, for the 2025 U17 World Challenge.
Joining McDonald on Canada Red is assistant coaches Mathieu Gravel (Longueuil, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) and Brendan Taylor (Oakville, ON/Sault Ste. Marie, OHL), as well as goaltending consultant Jeff Harvey (St. Albert, AB/Saskatoon, WHL) and video coach Enrick Corneau (Chicoutimi, QC/Chicoutimi, QMJHL).
On Canada White, Barney will be joined by assistant coaches Kyle Chipchura (Westlock, AB/Edmonton, WHL), Joël Perrault (Montréal, QC/Rimouski, QMJHL) as well as video coach Alex Darling (Chelsea, QC/Peterborough, OHL).
“As the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, we are thrilled with the coaching staff we have assembled from across the CHL to help introduce our players to the program,” added Millar. “They all bring a unique skill set and are committed to the development of players on and off the ice, which we know will help set a strong foundation for future success within our program.”
McDonald was named head coach of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in May after finishing the 2024-25 season as the interim head coach. He also served as an assistant coach with the Raiders for parts of five seasons (2020-25). McDonald won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada White at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and won silver as an assistant with Team Saskatchewan at the 2023 Canada Winter Games. He also spent four seasons with the Warman Wildcats AAA program at both the U15 and U18 level.
Barney recently completed his first season as head coach of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. Prior to joining Sudbury, he spent six seasons with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Humboldt Broncos, joining the club as an assistant coach in 2018 before being promoted to head coach midway through the season. In 2019, Barney also assumed the role of general manager. Barney led the Broncos to six straight playoff appearances and two division titles, finishing with a record of 169-71-15. Internationally, he guided Canada West to a gold medal as head coach at the 2023 World Junior A Challenge. He was previously named as an assistant coach for Canada West in 2019.
Chipchura just wrapped up his second season with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Chipchura took on the role of assistant coach this season after being named as a development coach in 2023-24. Prior to joining the Oil Kings, Chipchura spent two seasons with the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) serving as head coach with the U17 Prep Team following one season as an assistant coach of the U15 Prep Team.
Gravel recently finished his third season as assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs in his second stint with the team. In his return, he helped the Voltigeurs capture the Gilles Courteau Trophy in 2024. He previously spent one season as an assistant coach in 2016-17. Prior to his return to Drummondville, Gravel was an assistant coach with Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (2017-2022), winning the U SPORTS championship in 2022. He also held head coaching positions with Ligue de Hockey Préparatoire Scolaire (U15) and the Ligue de Développement du Hockey M18 AAA. Internationally, Gravel won a silver medal with Canada Red at the 2018 U17 World Challenge, and he has also served as a skills coach for the U17 program (2016-2018).
Perrault recently completed his second season as head coach of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Océanic. Perrault guided the Océanic to a berth in the QMJHL Finals before the hosts were eliminated from playoff contention at the 2025 Memorial Cup. Perreault held various coaching roles from 2016 to 2023 in Quebec at the U15, Espoir and U18 levels, including earning coach of the year honours with the U18 AAA Saint-Eustache Vikings during the 2022-23 season.
Taylor has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Prior to joining the Greyhounds, Taylor spent six seasons with the Mississauga Steelheads as an assistant coach (2017-22) after serving as the video coach in 2016-17. Taylor was also an assistant coach with the Oakville Blades in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL).
For a full list of staff for Canada’s national under-17 teams, please click here.
For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Canada’s National Under-17 program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
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Spencer Sharkey (U18)
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Esther Madziya
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Hockey Canada
403-519-5754
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