Last summer, Boston Bruins fans showed limited interest in the Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament due to the team’s few draft picks. However, this time, the situation has improved slightly. It offers a valuable opportunity to observe the players eligible for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
The Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament marks the start of the scouting season, with NHL General Managers and their scouting teams gathering in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from August 5 to 10 to observe the top talent from across the globe.
I always stress not to place an excessive amount of importance on a single tournament. As noted, this marks the beginning of the draft year, and a lengthy season lies ahead. However, this tournament offers a chance to observe players you may not have the opportunity to see otherwise.
In Canada, TSN and RDS will air the entire tournament. In the USA, NHL Network will show all American games, along with the semi-finals, the third-place match, and the final.
Here is a look at the rosters for each country and the players I feel you should keep an eye on:
GROUP A
| SLOVAKIA | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Patrik Brezani | 2007 | 6’2″ | 168 | 2025 |
| Roberto Leonardo Henriquez | 2007 | 6’1″ | 159 | 2025 |
| Michal Pradel | 2007 | 6’5″ | 194 | 2025 |
| DEFENCEMEN | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Michal Capos | 2007 | 6’4″ | 209 | 2025 |
| Adam Goljer | 2008 | 6’2″ | 192 | 2026 |
| Matus Lisy | 2007 | 6’2″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Adrian Raska | 2007 | 6’4″ | 192 | 2025 |
| Patrik Rusznyak | 2007 | 6’4″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Michal Tkac | 2007 | 6’3″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Tomas Tomaskovic | 2007 | 5’10” | 161 | 2025 |
| Patryk Zubek | 2007 | 6’3″ | 201 | 2025 |
| FORWARDS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Jan Chovan | 2007 | 6’2″ | 181 | 2025 |
| Tomas Chrenko | 2007 | 5’11” | 159 | 2026 |
| Pavol Moravek | 2007 | 5’9″ | 170 | 2026 |
| Martin Kalis | 2007 | 6’2″ | 192 | 2025 |
| Timothy Kazda | 2008 | 6’0″ | 181 | 2027 |
| Alex Misiak | 2007 | 5’11” | 176 | 2025 |
| Samuel Murin | 2007 | 6’0″ | 170 | 2025 |
| Adam Nemec | 2007 | 6’0″ | 159 | 2026 |
| Adam Salon | 2007 | 6’0″ | 170 | 2025 |
| Andreas Straka | 2007 | 6’1″ | 183 | 2025 |
| Michal Svrcek | 2007 | 5’10” | 172 | 2025 |
| Tobias Tomik | 2007 | 6’0″ | 179 | 2026 |
| Lukas Tomka | 2007 | 6’1″ | 203 | 2025 |
Two players to keep an eye on from Slovakia are Jan Chovan and Andreas Straka. For those interested in 2026 draft prospects, be sure to also watch Tomas Chrenko, Adam Nemec, and Tobias Tomik.
| SWEDEN | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Love Harenstam | 2007 | 6’1″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Isak Sorqvist | 2007 | 6’0″ | 174 | 2025 |
| DEFENCEMEN | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Sascha Boumedienne | 2007 | 6’2″ | 183 | 2025 |
| Axel Brongel-Larsson | 2007 | 6’0″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Hugo Hallin | 2007 | 5’9″ | 163 | 2025 |
| Zeb Lindgren | 2007 | 6’2″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Oliwer Sjostrom | 2007 | 5’10” | 176 | 2025 |
| Malte Vass | 2007 | 6’1″ | 179 | 2025 |
| Joe Wahlund | 2007 | 6’0″ | 183 | 2025 |
| FORWARDS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Viggo Bjorck | 2008 | 5’9″ | 165 | 2026 |
| Arvid Drott | 2007 | 6’1″ | 187 | 2025 |
| Filip Ekberg | 2007 | 5’10” | 168 | 2025 |
| Eddie Genborg | 2007 | 6’2″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Milton Gastrin | 2007 | 6’2″ | 179 | 2025 |
| Gustav Hillstrom | 2007 | 6’2″ | 176 | 2025 |
| Jakob Ihs-Wozniak | 2007 | 6’3″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Torkel Jennersjo | 2007 | 5’10” | 176 | 2026 |
| Viktor Klingsell | 2007 | 5’10” | 183 | 2025 |
| Jonas Lagerberg Hoen | 2007 | 6’2″ | 176 | 2026 |
| Eric Nilson | 2007 | 6’0″ | 154 | 2025 |
| Noel Skarby | 2007 | 6’0″ | 170 | 2025 |
| Ivar Stenberg | 2007 | 5’10” | 168 | 2026 |
The most interesting player to watch on Sweden at this point is Jakob Ihs-Wozniak. But don’t sleep on Sascha Boumedienne, Eric Nilson, Milton Gastrin, Viktor Klingsell and Filip Ekberg. In goal keep an eye on Love Harenstam, one of the top goaltenders in the draft class.
| SWITZERLAND | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Matia Nico Birchler | 2007 | 6’5″ | 175 | 2025 |
| Gian-Andri Steinmann | 2007 | 6’2″ | 168 | 2026 |
| Jovin Trachsel | 2007 | 6’2″ | 174 | 2026 |
| DEFENCEMEN | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Simon Bar | 2007 | 6’0″ | 181 | 2025 |
| Gael Haas | 2007 | 6’0″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Saro Heyer | 2007 | 6’2″ | 165 | 2025 |
| Nik Lehmann | 2007 | 5’10” | 170 | 2026 |
| Luca Nappiot | 2007 | 5’10” | 172 | 2025 |
| Flavio Sauser | 2007 | 5’9″ | 161 | 2025 |
| Filippo Schmidt | 2007 | 6’0″ | 179 | 2025 |
| Guus Van der Kaaij | 2007 | 6’0″ | 187 | 2025 |
| FORWARDS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Niklas Aebli | 2007 | 6’0″ | 176 | 2026 |
| Mike Aeschlimann | 2007 | 6’1″ | 183 | 2025 |
| Noel Blaha | 2007 | 5’7″ | 139 | 2025 |
| Arthur Dandois | 2007 | 5’9″ | 154 | 2025 |
| Moritz Hasler | 2007 | 5’7″ | 150 | 2025 |
| Jan Kneubuler | 2007 | 5’11” | 168 | 2025 |
| Lucien Lehmann | 2007 | 6’0″ | 177 | 2025 |
| Jeremiah Mundy | 2007 | 6’2″ | 196 | 2025 |
| Lauro Peter | 2007 | 5’8″ | 150 | 2025 |
| Florian Schenk | 2007 | 6’3″ | 198 | 2025 |
| Matti Tiziano Schmid | 2007 | 5’11” | 172 | 2025 |
| Lars Steiner | 2007 | 5’10” | 170 | 2026 |
| Daniele Wagner | 2007 | 5’9″ | 159 | 2025 |
There isn’t much to get excited about the Swiss squad this season but keep an eye on Florian Schenk and Jeremiah Mundy. If you want to get a look at a 2026 draft eligible player then Lars Steiner is a guy to watch.
| CANADA | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Lucas Beckman | 2007 | 6’1″ | 194 | 2025 |
| Jack Ivankovic | 2007 | 6’0″ | 179 | 2025 |
| DEFENCEMEN | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Quinn Beauchesne | 2007 | 6’0″ | 183 | 2025 |
| Reese Hamilton | 2007 | 6’0″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Alex Huang | 2007 | 6’0″ | 170 | 2025 |
| Peyton Kettles | 2007 | 6’5″ | 190 | 2025 |
| Cameron Reid | 2007 | 5’11” | 183 | 2025 |
| Matthew Schaefer | 2007 | 6’1″ | 174 | 2025 |
| Jackson Smith | 2007 | 6’3″ | 190 | 2025 |
| FORWARDS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Braeden Cootes | 2007 | 5’11” | 181 | 2025 |
| Ethan Czata | 2007 | 6’1″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Caleb Desnoyers | 2007 | 6’1″ | 179 | 2025 |
| Emile Guite | 2007 | 6’1″ | 174 | 2025 |
| Tyler Hopkins | 2007 | 6’1″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Liam Kilfoil | 2007 | 5’11” | 176 | 2025 |
| Benjamin Kindel | 2007 | 5’10” | 176 | 2025 |
| Brady Martin | 2007 | 6’0″ | 176 | 2025 |
| Gavin McKenna | 2007 | 6’0″ | 165 | 2026 |
| Jake O’Brien | 2007 | 6’0″ | 168 | 2025 |
| Cole Reschny | 2007 | 5’10” | 183 | 2025 |
| Luca Romano | 2007 | 5’11” | 172 | 2025 |
| Cameron Schmidt | 2007 | 5’8″ | 152 | 2025 |
There is no other way to say it. Most of the players drafted from this tournament are going to come from the Canadian squad. So, keep your eyes on as many as you can. Matthew Schaefer is the early top Canadian from this group. Jack Ivankovic is one of the top goaltenders in the draft class, but size may make teams think twice.
GROUP B
| GERMANY | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Aaron Kaiser | 2007 | 6’1″ | 170 | 2025 |
| Nikita Kluev | 2007 | 5’11” | 154 | 2026 |
| Lukas Stuhrmann | 2007 | 6’0″ | 179 | 2025 |
| DEFENCEMEN | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Max Bleicher | 2007 | 6’0″ | 181 | 2025 |
| Niclas Hempel | 2007 | 5’11” | 179 | 2025 |
| Carlos Handel | 2007 | 6’1″ | 168 | 2025 |
| Fabio Kose | 2007 | 6’2″ | 205 | 2025 |
| Felix Kruger | 2007 | 5’10” | 170 | 2025 |
| Noah J. Smith | 2007 | 6’0″ | 174 | 2026 |
| Mortiz Warnecke | 2007 | 6’0″ | 168 | 2026 |
| Cedrik Wijacki | 2007 | 5’9″ | 152 | 2025 |
| FORWARDS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Tobin Brandt | 2007 | 6’1″ | 159 | 2025 |
| Andreas Grin | 2007 | 5’10” | 172 | 2026 |
| Gustavs Grivia | 2007 | 5’11” | 174 | 2025 |
| Rihards Grivia | 2007 | 5’11” | 172 | 2025 |
| Nikita Kessler | 2007 | 5’11” | 168 | 2025 |
| Timo Kose | 2007 | 6’3″ | 201 | 2025 |
| Stanislav Kronhardt | 2007 | 5’8″ | 141 | 2025 |
| David Lewandowski | 2007 | 6’1″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Elias Schneider | 2007 | 6’0″ | 170 | 2025 |
| Maxim Schafer | 2007 | 6’3″ | 183 | 2025 |
| Mateu Spath | 2007 | 5’10” | 179 | 2025 |
| Dustin Willhoft | 2007 | 5’7″ | 128 | 2025 |
| Max Ziergiebel | 2007 | 5’10” | 165 | 2025 |
| Sebastian Zwickl | 2007 | 6’2″ | 165 | 2025 |
The German team features two players to keep an eye on: David Lewandowski and Dustin Willhoft, both of whom were key contributors for Germany at the IIHF U18 World Championships.
| FINLAND | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Patrik Kerkola | 2007 | 6’1″ | 194 | 2025 |
| Jooa Sammalniemi | 2007 | 6’0″ | 181 | 2025 |
| DEFENCEMEN | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Lasse Boellius | 2007 | 5’11” | 172 | 2025 |
| Alvar Ervasti | 2007 | 6’4″ | 176 | 2025 |
| Jesper Kotajarvi | 2007 | 5’11” | 179 | 2025 |
| Aaron Paju | 2007 | 6’2″ | 176 | 2025 |
| Veeti Roustalainen | 2007 | 5’10” | 157 | 2025 |
| Julius Saari | 2007 | 6’2″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Ossi Sippola | 2007 | 5’10” | 181 | 2025 |
| Erno Uusitalo | 2007 | 6’2″ | 176 | 2026 |
| FORWARDS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Rasmus Baggstrom | 2007 | 6’1″ | 203 | 2025 |
| Atte Joke | 2007 | 6’1″ | 190 | 2025 |
| Aappo Katavisto | 2007 | 5’11” | 168 | 2025 |
| Lauri Kouhia | 2007 | 6’0″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Rasmus Kamarainen | 2007 | 5’10” | 176 | 2025 |
| Jasu Mensonen | 2007 | 5’10” | 174 | 2025 |
| Eetu Orpana | 2007 | 6’0″ | 194 | 2025 |
| Joonas Rajala | 2007 | 5’9″ | 174 | 2026 |
| Jere Somervuori | 2007 | 6’0″ | 152 | 2025 |
| Benjamin Stromberg | 2007 | 6’1″ | 187 | 2025 |
| Matias Vanhanen | 2007 | 5’9″ | 157 | 2025 |
| Aapo Vanninen | 2007 | 6’0″ | 165 | 2025 |
| Max Westergard | 2007 | 5’11” | 161 | 2025 |
The top Finnish players to watch in this tournament include Jesper Kotajarvi, Eetu Orpana, Max Westergard, Jasu Mensonen and goaltender Patrik Kerkola.
| CZECHIA | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Michal Orsulak | 2007 | 6’4″ | 183 | 2025 |
| Ondrej Stebetak | 2007 | 6’2″ | 176 | 2025 |
| DEFENCEMEN | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Stepan Cerny | 2007 | 5’9″ | 134 | 2025 |
| Vladimir Dravecky | 2007 | 6’0″ | 176 | 2026 |
| David Holub | 2007 | 5’11” | 185 | 2025 |
| Tomas Malinek | 2007 | 6’1″ | 176 | 2025 |
| Tomas Mikel | 2007 | 6’4″ | 181 | 2025 |
| Radim Mrtka | 2007 | 6’6″ | 198 | 2025 |
| Jakub Seidl | 2007 | 6’0″ | 172 | 2026 |
| FORWARDS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Adam Benak | 2007 | 5’7″ | 157 | 2025 |
| Vojtech Cihar | 2007 | 6’1″ | 170 | 2025 |
| Simon Fasner | 2007 | 5’9″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Matous Kucharcik | 2007 | 6’1″ | 154 | 2025 |
| Adam Novotny | 2007 | 6’1″ | 196 | 2026 |
| Dominik Pavlik | 2007 | 6’1″ | 187 | 2025 |
| Matej Pekar | 2007 | 5’10” | 159 | 2025 |
| Tomas Poletin | 2007 | 6’1″ | 196 | 2025 |
| David Rozsival | 2007 | 5’11” | 152 | 2025 |
| Viktor Samal | 2007 | 5’9″ | 143 | 2025 |
| Robin Svancara | 2007 | 6’3″ | 183 | 2025 |
| Vit Zahejsky | 2007 | 5’10” | 170 | 2025 |
| David Hruby | 2007 | 6’1″ | 165 | 2025 |
The best player for Czechia is Adam Benak and early projections have him as a top 10 pick. Others to watch include Radim Mrtka, Vojtech Cihar, Adam Novotny and Vladimir Dravecky.
| UNITED STATES | ||||
| GOALTENDERS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Ryan Cameron | 2007 | 6’1″ | 174 | 2025 |
| Carter Casey | 2007 | 6’1″ | 161 | 2026 |
| Charles Menard | 2007 | 6’0″ | 154 | 2026 |
| DEFENCEMEN | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Tommy Bleyl | 2007 | 5’11” | 151 | 2026 |
| Edison Engle | 2007 | 6’2″ | 174 | 2025 |
| Blake Fiddler | 2007 | 6’4″ | 207 | 2025 |
| Matthew Grimes | 2007 | 6’1″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Cullen McCrate | 2007 | 6’3″ | 205 | 2025 |
| Carter Murphy | 207 | 5’8″ | 161 | 2025 |
| Jacob Rombach | 2007 | 6’6″ | 194 | 2025 |
| FORWARDS | DOB | HT | WT | DRAFT YR |
| Alexander Donovan | 2007 | 5’10” | 168 | 2025 |
| Travis Hayes | 2007 | 5’11” | 168 | 2025 |
| Chase Jette | 2007 | 5’10” | 170 | 2025 |
| Sam Kappell | 2007 | 6’1″ | 190 | 2025 |
| Benjamin Kevan | 2007 | 6’0″ | 172 | 2025 |
| Matthew Lansing | 2007 | 6’1″ | 181 | 2025 |
| Mason Moe | 2007 | 6’1″ | 185 | 2025 |
| Teddy Mutryn | 2007 | 6’1″ | 196 | 2025 |
| Jesse Orlowsky | 2007 | 6’3″ | 205 | 2025 |
| Cooper Simpson | 2007 | 6’1″ | 179 | 2025 |
| Sam Spehar | 2007 | 5’9″ | 170 | 2025 |
| Kade Stengrim | 2007 | 6’4″ | 201 | 2025 |
| Nicolas Sykora | 2007 | 6’0″ | 174 | 2025 |
Benjamin Kevan is my early favorite from the American squad. But also keep eyes on Travis Hayes, Blake Fiddler, Cooper Simpson and Jacob Rombach.
At the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, 17 Canadians were selected from the 2023 roster followed by 10 Finns, 9 Czechs, 8 Americans 7 Swedes and 3 Swiss.
Dom - Hockey 