USA Hockey names 36-player Hlinka Gretzky Cup selection camp roster

USA Hockey named a 36-player selection camp roster for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and 24 of those invitees have USHL ties, a clear sign of how central the league remains to the U.S. Under-18 pipeline. The camp will run July 23-27 at TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minnesota, before USA Hockey trims the group to 23 players for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, Alberta.

The roster breaks down to 20 forwards, 12 defensemen and four goaltenders. Reid Cashman will coach the team, with Todd Knott, Greg Rallo and Troy Thibodeau on the bench as assistants. Alex Westlund is the goaltending coach, Marc Boxer is the general manager, and Rod Braceful and Tony Gasparini are handling player personnel. For USHL fans, that mix matters because the camp is one of the summer’s biggest evaluation checkpoints for players already committed to junior clubs, tied to USHL affiliates or positioned to land there next season.

The Americans arrive as the defending Hlinka Gretzky Cup champions after beating Sweden 5-3 in last year’s final in Trenčín, Slovakia. That title ended a run that dated back to 2003 and gave the U.S. its second championship at the event, alongside 15 all-time top-three finishes. The win also underscored how decisive special teams can be at this level, with the U.S. scoring four power-play goals against Sweden in the final.

The tournament, which began in 1991 and has carried several names over the years, again brings together the sport’s strongest age-group programs. The 2026 field includes Canada, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. USA Hockey opens against Czechia on Aug. 3 at Rogers Place, faces Finland on Aug. 4 at Downtown Community Arena and meets Germany on Aug. 5 at Downtown Community Arena. The semifinals are set for Aug. 7, with the medal games on Aug. 8 at Rogers Place.

Edmonton will host the event for the third time, and Canada enters with a record 25 Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medals. For the Americans, the camp is more than a roster announcement. It is the first real test of which prospects can translate summer momentum into a final roster spot, then into draft buzz and a must-follow junior season.