You know when people tweet about how much they miss hockey in the summer?
Here’s your cure. A one-week summer tournament pitting some of the best draft-eligible prospects together in Edmonton, Alberta. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is the first major event on the NHL Draft calendar, with the best 2025 and 2026 draft players taking center stage in front of representatives from all 32 NHL franchises. It’s not always the most thrilling hockey, with one team – Canada – often dominating, and players are still trying to find their footing after months away from competitive hockey action.
But for the true diehards, there isn’t a better way to kick off the season.
Many of the top 2025 NHL Draft prospects are either too old to play (such as James Hagens and Porter Martone), nursing an injury (Anton Frondell and Michael Misa) or, in the case of Russia’s Ilya Ryabkin, banned. And perhaps the most skilled player in the tournament might be Gavin McKenna, the top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft. But there’s still plenty of high-caliber players worth keeping a close eye on in Edmonton over the next week.
The Hlinka features eight teams: Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany. Canada beat Czechia in an exciting final that saw Malcom Spence win the game in overtime. It was Canada’s second consecutive gold and 24th ever, with no active team having won more than once in tournament history.
The action runs in Edmonton from Aug. 5-10, with most games taking place at the home of the Oilers, Rogers Place. Here’s a look at 20 players you need to know:
Matthew Schaefer, LHD (Canada)
Drafted first overall by the Erie Otters last spring, the 6-foot-1 defender is an incredible skater and is always actively engaged at both ends of the ice. Offensively, Schaefer has real potential, but he’s also positionally sound and aggressive in his own zone. He had a decent first year with Erie, registering 17 points, but there was still a lot of feeling out to be done. I feel like he showed he can be a consistent threat at the U-18 World Championship and helped renew the belief that he can be a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL. I’m not sure he’s a lock to be the first defender taken, but I think he’s got the upper edge in a year that won’t be as dominated by high-end blueliners as 2024 was. At the very least, he’ll be one of the best players in Edmonton.
Caleb Desnoyers, C (Canada)
I really like Desnoyers, who was taken first overall in the 2023 QMJHL Draft. He made an immediate impact, playing around 20 minutes a night as a rookie while showing speed, skill and two-way smarts. He’s not someone who’ll get caught slacking off and just floating around – he’s fully committed to getting the puck every time he can. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he put on some serious muscle since his QMJHL Draft year. There’s a lot to like about Desnoyers, who could give the Q a much-needed top prospect after very little representation in 2024. Plus, his experience at the U-18 World Championship helps.
Cole Reschny, C (Canada)
Reschny was one of the most impressive rookies in the CHL, moving about at a near point-per-game pace throughout the season. A stout playmaker, Reschny has quick feet, an active motor, and is great at getting himself in spots to pick up rebounds. He’s small at 5-foot-9 and that often leads to bigger defenders drawing to him, but Reschny is smart enough to get him out of trouble often. His play at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge was fantastic, too. If he and McKenna get paired together again, watch out.
Jackson Smith, LHD (Canada)
At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Smith already has an excellent frame for his age. He had a decent first full year with 29 points and 41 penalty minutes, but I feel like he’s trending more toward becoming a shutdown defender. He’s a pain in the rear end to try and beat in 1-on-1 situations because he loves getting in your face as much as possible. With this being on NHL ice, I think Smith will have no problem overpowering players that are not used to the more compact surfaces.
Jake O’Brien, C (Canada)
O’Brien turned heads this year with Brantford thanks to the way he sees the ice. He already looked like a veteran, with his playmaking, especially under pressure, being advanced for his age. O’Brien isn’t big or physically strong, but he does an excellent job of keeping the puck on his stick and his 51 assists is a good start. The 2024 OHL rookie of the year is only just getting started, and this tournament will be a good way for him to show how good he is with the puck.
Émile Guité, LW (Canada)
Guité was a man on a mission last year. After scoring seven goals and 10 points in eight games, he helped Canada White win gold at the U-17s. He then went on on to win QMJHL Rookie of the Year after scoring 25 goals and 57 points, making Chicoutimi look smart for taking him second overall. He’s a dynamic, skilled forward who’s equally good as a playmaker and a shooter, and few players can generate scoring chances at this tournament as well as Guité can.
Jacob Rombach, LHD (USA)
The first thing that stands out about Rombach is his size; he’s 6-foot-6 and isn’t afraid to make people pay. The Lincoln Stars blueliner is excellent at forcing turnovers and has a good shot, although some scouts wish he’d use it more. He’s not the most skilled defender on this team, but after spending the past year in the USHL, you can tell he’s got the maturity and hockey IQ to be effective in his own zone.
Cooper Simpson, LW (USA)
Simpson is one of the most pure skilled players on this team, having scored over a goal per game over his past three years of playing high school hockey in Minnesota. The University of North Dakota commit also got more comfortable the more he played with Tri-City last year, showing a good mix of speed and skill. Look for Simpson to play a big role for an American team needing a hero.
Ben Kevan, RW (USA)
I expect Kevan to be one of the team’s top play-drivers. He is coming off a near point-per-game average with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers, with three-point efforts becoming a common theme in the final stages of the season. Kevan is smooth and smart with the puck and drives the net as well as anyone. This is as good of an opportunity as any of Kevan to prove ghimself in front of scouts on a stage that could see the Americans be a serious medal contender.
Adam Benák, C (Czechia)
Benák has been a standout at most international tournaments he has participated in, highlighted by his 10 points in five games at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The skilled playmaker has already seen time with HC Plzen’s men’s team in the top Czech league and has proven time and time again he can dominate older competition. He’s the future of Czech hockey, as long as he can outgrow his 5-foot-7 frame. On skill alone, Benak is a top-10 prospect, and if he plays like he did last year, the Czechs could be in a good spot.
Radim Mrtka, RHD (Czechia)
On the complete opposite side of the size spectrum, the 6-foot-6 Mrtka is definitely intriguing. He’s a two-way defender who isn’t afraid to lay the body and has some good offensive instincts. We didn’t get to see those on display at the U-18s last year but after playing in a few games with Trinec’s men’s team, we saw someone who is mature and difficult to play against. I expect him to help his draft stock massively at the Hlinka.
Carlos Händel, RHD (Germany)
Händel was so good at the Division IA U-18 World Championship, building upon a season that saw him put up close to a point per game in the Swedish U-18 league last year. A minute-muncher with Germany at various levels, Händel is nimble and smart with the puck. The Germans are bringing one of their stronger lineups in recent years, and many consider Händel to be one of the top countrymen for this upcoming draft. A good showing here will help him start things off on the right foot.
Jan Chovan, C (Slovakia)
I liked Chovan at the U-18s, and now he’s looking to build upon that at his second Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Chovan has the strength and skill to get around opponents and create quality scoring chances. He can get caught trying to do a bit too much at times, and his effort could improve, but he battles hard around the net, at least. Having the puck on his stick is something that’s important to him, and I felt like he gets better the more he plays.
Jakob Ihs Wozniak, RW (Sweden)
I really liked what I saw from the Woz this past season. Whether it be the U-17 World Challenge, the U-18 Five Nations in Michigan or the U-18s in Finland, Ihs Wozniak almost always stood out. At 6-foot-3, he has a good frame, and he’s not afraid to use it. A strong playmaker, he had 50 points in 36 games with Lulea’s U-20 team and even skated in two SHL games, as well. Magic seems to happen when he gets the puck on his stick, and I think he could push himself into the top-five conversation once things are said and done. This tournament is going to be his time to shine.
Filip Ekberg, LW (Sweden)
Ekberg isn’t big, but he’s so skilled. A potential first-round pick, Ekberg plays with so much pace and he used that to his advantage for a great showing at the U-17 World Challenge. He was one of Sweden’s best players in U-17 competition last year and even played 21 games in the Allsvenskan between the regular season and playoffs. The Hlinka could be an opportunity for him to demolish the competition and help his draft stock.
Sascha Boumedienne, LHD (Sweden)
The Boston University Terriers commit is one of the more fascinating defenders in this class. He had a good year with Youngstown in the USHL and put up a ton of points and showed more than his fair share of physicality with Sweden’s U-17 team. The Finnish-born but Swedish-flagged defender has a good 6-foot-2 frame, skates well, and is one of the better puck distributors in this class.e
Love Härenstam, G (Sweden)
Härenstam made an impression when he won his first Swedish U-20 league game at 15 years old, helping to put himself on the map. Now, he’s set for his second Hlinka Gretzky Cup after serving as a backup last year. Härenstam has had a rocky road at points internationally, but he was the top goalie on Sweden’s U-18 team despite being underaged last year. When Härenstam is on his game, he’s able to steal victories, and he might even be the best goaltender at this tournament.
Milton Gästrin, C (Sweden)
A leader already at 17, Gästrin does a lot that the lack of stats playing at home might not show. The two-way center has a good 6-foot-2 frame that he’s still trying to figure out, and he’s a strong playmaker, too. While I don’t expect him to be a big goal-scorer in the NHL, he’s well-rounded enough to make himself valuable in plenty of situations. At a tournament like this, though, he’ll be counted on mightily.
Viktor Klingsell, LW (Sweden)
Klingsell isn’t someone who likes to get too physical, but he’ll kill you with pure skill. He had 26 points in 22 games with Sweden’s U-17 team while also putting up some great numbers in the Swedish U-18 league. Klingsell is one of the more dynamic forwards in this tournament and I expect him to challenge for the scoring title. I haven’t seen Klingsell have many off days in his career.
Jeremiah Mundy, LW (Switzerland)
I really liked Mundy’s play with the Swiss U-17 team last year. He’s big, strong and is fully capable of knocking anyone on their rear end. He also has an excellent shot and sees the ice well enough to make some highlight-reel moves. Mundy is a hard player for opponents to read because he’s so deceptive, so Switzerland will need him to be hungry with the puck.