The Hlinka-Gretzky Cup serves as the unofficial kickoff to the 2026 NHL Entry Draft season. Unlike its counterpart, the IIHF World Junior Championship Under-18, all eligible draft prospects born in 2008 can take part if asked. The WJC U-18 takes place from late April to early May, often overlapping with league play and playoffs for many players, therefore are unable to participate.
However, the United States rarely ices its top players for this tournament. Many of the best—often from the National Team Development Program (NTDP)—are typically held back for the U-18 tournament in April. Casey Mutrun, Mikey Berchild and Luke Schairer are a few examples of players who will garner first round consideration not taking part.
Others, such as Šimon Katolický, who could be Czechia’s second ranked draft eligible player, will miss the tournament as he recovers from an appendectomy. Or Adam Novotný who is the Czech’s top ranked prospect, who has aged out for this tournament, as has Gavin McKenna – by 11 days. Ivar Stenberg is the top ranked Swede who has also aged out. A pair of Slovaks – Tobias Tomik and Tomas Chrenko – who will garner first round consideration will also miss this tournament because of age.
Obviously, the absence of the Russian contingent means we won’t get to see talents like Viktor Fyodorov, Yegor Shilov, and Alexei Vlasov—though Shilov and Vlasov are currently competing in the USHL. As a result, this won’t be a true best-on-best tournament. Then again, at this level, few ever are. Still, it presents a valuable opportunity to get an early look at many of the players eligible for the upcoming draft.
This year’s tournament runs from August 11 to 16 in Brno, Czechia, and Trenčín, Slovakia. The 2026 tournament is set to return to Canada, potentially for the final time, as reports from Czechia suggest that beginning in 2027, the event will be permanently hosted in Czechia and Slovakia. This is not an IIHF sanctioned tournament and is run by Hockey Canada and the Czech Ice Hockey Association and Slovak Ice Hockey Federation.
The Bruins enter the season riding high after an impressive June draft, and they’re poised for another standout performance. This year’s prospect pool offers even more depth and talent, setting the stage for exciting developments. Top scouting organizations—including independent services—already have a book on these players. But the true evaluation kicks off with this tournament, where potential starts to materialize.
And yes, I probably watch way too much hockey.
The Bruins have eight picks in 2026 – for now anyway. That includes two firsts – one of which was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Brandon Carlo trade – and two fourths – one acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning when the Bruins swapped their 2025 fourth round pick for it. The Bruins traded away their own fifth round pick in the Charlie Coyle trade.
NHL General Managers are drawn to this tournament, and Bruins GM Don Sweeney is no exception. Known for their commitment to cross-over scouting, the Bruins face logistical challenges (like every team) with the event taking place overseas—making the size of their traveling contingent a point of interest. Ryan Nadeau is a guaranteed attendee, alongside European scouts P.J. Axelsson, Viktor Nybladh, and Teemu Numminen.
The 2026 draft holds just as much weight for the Bruins as the 2025 draft did—perhaps even more. And like 2025 – you don’t need me to remind you – the Bruins cannot afford to take risks. While fans typically wait for draft guides to drop before forming opinions, this is your opportunity to get ahead of the curve. Take an early look at some of the top prospects, along with hidden gems who may be selected in the later rounds. And as a bonus? You’ll be treated to some high-quality hockey along the way in August.
The countries participating are: Canada, United States, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany.
How to watch:
Canada: TSN/RDS and stream on TSN.ca or TSN+ app
United States: NHL Network (all USA games and the final)
Czechia: CT Sport and CT Sport Plus (all Czechia games including the finals)
Slovakia: TV JOJ
Finland: TV5 and HBO Max
Switzerland, Sweden and Germany: Check here for broadcasts and stream closer to the games.
The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Aug. 9 (pre-tournament):
Sweden – Finland (Piešťany), 11:00 / 5:00 AM
Czechia – USA (Brno), 17:00 / 11:00 AM
Slovakia – Canada (Piešťany), 18:00 / 12:00 PM
Monday, Aug. 11:
Canada – Finland (A, Brno), 15:30 / 9:30 AM
Germany – Sweden (B, Trenčín), 15:30 / 9:30 AM
Czechia – Switzerland (A, Brno), 19:00 / 1:00 PM
Slovakia – USA (B, Trenčín), 19:00 / 1:00 PM
Tuesday, Aug. 12:
Switzerland – Canada (A, Brno), 15:30 / 9:30 AM
Sweden – USA (B, Trenčín), 15:30 / 9:30 AM
Czechia – Finland (A, Brno), 19:00 / 1:00 PM
Slovakia – Germany (B, Trenčín), 19:00 / 1:00 PM
Wednesday, Aug. 13:
Finland – Switzerland (A, Brno), 15:30 / 9:30 AM
USA – Germany (B, Trenčín), 15:30 / 9:30 AM
Czechia – Canada (A, Brno), 19:00 / 1:00 PM
Slovakia – Sweden (B, Trenčín), 19:00 / 1:00 PM
Friday, Aug. 15:
Game for 5th/6th places (Brno/Trenčín), 15:30 / 9:30 AM
Game for 7th/8th places (Brno/Trenčín), 15:30 / 9:30 AM
Semifinal (Brno), 19:00 / 1:00 PM
Semifinal (Trenčín), 19:00 / 1:00 PM
Saturday, Aug. 16:
Game for 3rd/4th places (Brno/Trenčín), 17:00 / 11:00 AM
Final (Brno/Trenčín), 17:00 / 11:00 AM
While playing in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup doesn’t guarantee an NHL draft selection, it often serves as an early showcase for emerging talent. In last year’s NHL Entry Draft, Canada led with 19 players selected, followed closely by Sweden with 18. The United States saw 9 selections, Czechia had 6, while Finland, Germany, and Slovakia each produced 3 draftees. Switzerland, however, had none. Still, for many young players, the tournament marks a crucial first step in their journey toward professional hockey.
If you have any questions, drop them here and I will answer as many as I can in an upcoming mailbag.
Here is a look at the full eight rosters participating (note some players are not eligible until the 2027 draft):
Here is a “never too early” list of potential first round picks to keep an eye on:
| Player | Country | Position | Junior Team |
| Raphaël Achermann | Switzerland | Right Wing | HC Fribourg-Gotteron (Swiss U20) |
| Ethan Belchetz | Canada | Left Wing | Windsor (OHL) |
| Carson Carels | Canada | Left Defense | Prince George (WHL) |
| Alessandro Di Iorio | Canada | Center | Sarnia (OHL) |
| Beckham Edwards | Canada | Center | Sarnia (OHL) |
| Colin Fitzgerald | Canada | Center | Peterborough (OHL) |
| Malte Gustafsson | Sweden | Left Defense | JH71 (J20 Nationell) |
| Oscar Hemming | Finland | Center/Left Wing | Kiekko-Espoo (SM-sarja U20) |
| Elton Hermansson | Sweden | Right Wing | Örebro HK (J20 Nationell) |
| Jack Hextall | USA | Center | Youngstown (USHL) |
| Oscar Holmertz | Sweden | Center | Linköping (J20 Nationell) |
| Tynan Lawrence | Canada | Center/Left Wing | Muskegon (USHL) |
| Ryan Lin | Canada | Right Defense | Vancouver (WHL) |
| Pierce Mbuyi | Canada | Left Wing | Owen Sound (OHL) |
| Marcus Nordmark | Sweden | Left Wing | Djurgårdens (J20 Nationell) |
| Filip Novák | Czechia | Right Wing | HC Sparta (Czech U20) |
| Mathis Preston | Canada | Right Wing | Spokane (WHL) |
| Daxon Rudolph | Canada | Right Defense | Prince Albert (WHL) |
| Jakub Vaněček | Czechia | Left Defense | Tri-City (WHL) |
| Vilho Vanhatalo | Finland | Right Wing | Tappara (SM-sarja U20) |
| Keaton Verhoeff | Canada | Right Defense | North Dakota (NCAA) |
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