TORONTO, ON — Hockey Canada has announced that forward Ollie Josephson (Red Deer Rebels / WHL), forward Maxim Massé (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL), defenceman Frankie Marrelli (Ottawa 67’s / OHL), defenceman Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s / OHL), and goaltender Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga Steelheads / OHL) have been added to Team Canada’s roster at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship (see the updated roster below), which is scheduled to run from April 25 – May 5 in Espoo and Vantaa, Finland.
The additions mean that there are now 24 CHL players set to lace up their skates for Team Canada at the tournament, including a total of 13 players from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), eight players from the Western Hockey League (WHL), and three from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In all, 15 of the 24 players named to Team Canada’s roster were listed in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Ollie Josephson, Maxim Massé, Frankie Marrelli, and Henry Mews are no strangers to wearing the Maple Leaf, having been a part of Canada’s gold-medal winning squad at the 2023 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup last summer. All four players were also recently listed among the Top-50 ranked North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting led by Massé (30th), who was then followed by Mews (37th), Josephson (40th), and Marrelli (46th). Massé, who led the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Saguenéens with 75 points this season, was recently awarded the 2023-24 Michael-Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL’s Top Professional Prospect.
16-year-old netminder Jack Ivankovic has also previously won gold representing Canada on the world stage, having been a part of Canada White’s first-place finish at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in November. Ivankovic registered a 14-5-4-0 record playing for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads this season, finishing with a 2.72 goals-against average (GAA) and a .915 save percentage. His 2.72 GAA was the lowest by an OHL rookie during the 2023-24 campaign, earning him the F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy.
Canada will play its final pre-tournament game against Norway on Tuesday. Canada’s quest for a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship begins April 25 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT against Sweden. Canada will play Czechia on April 26, Switzerland on April 28, and Kazakhstan on April 30 to close out preliminary-round action. The semifinals are set for May 4 before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 5.
TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners will broadcast select tournament games, including all Team Canada games and all playoff-round games. Check your local listings for details. Since 2002, Canada has won four gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship (2003, 2008, 2013, 2021), in addition to one silver (2005) and four bronze (2012, 2014, 2015, 2023).
For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
24 CHL PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA’S 2024 IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER
Goaltenders (3)
Jack Ivankovic (Mississauga Steelheads / OHL)
Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads / OHL)
Carter George (Owen Sound Attack / OHL)
Defencemen (8)
Frankie Marrelli (Ottawa 67’s / OHL)
Henry Mews (Ottawa 67’s / OHL),
Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts / OHL)
Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL)
Harrison Brunicke (Kamloops Blazers / WHL)
Reese Hamilton (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
Spencer Gill (Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL)
Charlie Elick (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL)
Forwards (13)
Ollie Josephson (Red Deer Rebels / WHL)
Maxim Massé (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL)
Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL)
Marek Vanacker (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL)
Malcolm Spence (Erie Otters / OHL)
Roger McQueen (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL)
Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm / OHL)
Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL)
Porter Martone (Mississauga Steelheads / OHL)
Carson Wetsch (Calgary Hitmen / WHL)
Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL)
Liam Greentree (Windsor Spitfires / OHL)
Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts / OHL)
Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs / WHL) and Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL) were invited, but unable to participate
Staff
Head Coach – Gardiner MacDougall (former Saint John Sea Dogs head coach)
Assistant Coach – Travis Crickard (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL)
Assistant Coach – Ryan Smith (Spokane Chiefs / WHL)
Goaltending Coach – Dan De Palma (Kamloops Blazers / WHL)
Program of Excellence management group representative – Dave Brown (Erie Otters / OHL)
Athletic Therapist – Jimmy McKnight (Edmonton Oil Kings / WHL)
Team Physician – Dr. Michael Conrad (Victoria Royals / WHL)
OHL Writers 