Just two days after wrapping up a playoff run in Spokane, Wash., two Victoria Royals swapped their Royals’ sweaters for Team Canada red and hit the ice in Texas with gold on their minds.
Canada’s bid for back-to-back gold medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship is off to a strong start, and Royals forward Cole Reschny and blueliner Keaton Verhoeff are in the thick of it.
“The opportunity to represent your country and defend a gold medal is not something that happens often,” Team Canada general manager Scott Walker said. “These young men have worked hard all season and earned this opportunity to play on the international stage here in Texas.”
The teammates were named to Team Canada’s 2025 roster and are suiting up in Allen and Frisco, Texas, as part of a squad that opened the tournament with a dominant 9-2 win over Slovakia on Thursday.
Canada knocked off Latvia 7-1 Friday before downing Finland 5-1 on Sunday. Canada wraps up the preliminary round when they take on Norway on Monday (April 28). The quarter-finals begin on Wednesday. TSN is broadcasting all Canadian games.
Reschny and Verhoeff are among 11 Western Hockey League (WHL) players selected to the national team, which is looking to build on last year’s dramatic gold medal win. In 2024, Canada roared back with three goals on a single power play to defeat the United States 6-4 in the final.
Canada has won the tournament five times overall, including twice in the last four years.
For both Royals, this tournament is a chance to shine on the international stage – and to make an early case for a spot on the 2026 World Junior roster, which will be selected later this year ahead of the tournament in Minnesota.
"As a staff, we’re excited about the talent, work ethic, and character of this group and we are excited to get things going. This tournament is an important step in athlete preparation for the World Juniors, the premier event of the Program of Excellence," Walker said.
Reschny, 18, is coming off a breakout season in Victoria, racking up 92 points in 62 games and setting a new franchise record with 66 assists.
The Macklin, Sask., product added another 25 points in 11 playoff games and is ranked 25th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2025 NHL Draft.
He also helped Canada capture gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Verhoeff, 16, quickly emerged as one of the WHL’s top young defencemen. He scored 21 goals – a new Royals record for a blueliner and the third-highest total ever by a U18 defenceman in league history – and added 24 assists for 45 points.
The Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., native is a finalist for WHL Rookie of the Year and captained Canada White to gold at the 2024 World Under-17 Challenge. He also represented Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in South Korea.
The offensive defenceman is a top-ranked prospect ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
