Nine Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) alumni have been named to the Team Canada roster for the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
The following CSSHL alumni were all selected to represent their nation at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup:
- Braeden Cootes (Yale Hockey Academy) – Team Canada
- Blake Fiddler (Okanagan Hockey Academy) – Team USA
- Reese Hamilton (Northern Alberta Xtreme) – Team Canada
- Peyton Kettles (RHA Winnipeg) – Team Canada
- Benjamin Kindel (BWC Academy/Yale Hockey Academy) – Team Canada
- Gavin McKenna (RHA Kelowna/South Alberta Hockey Academy) – Team Canada
- Cole Reschny (Northern Alberta Xtreme) – Team Canada
- Cameron Schmidt (RHA Kelowna) – Team Canada
- Jackson Smith (Edge School) – Team Canada
Cootes joined Yale for the 2021/22 U15 Prep season, finishing second on his team and fifth in the league with 67 points in 30 games. Selected in the first round, 10th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds at the 2022 WHL Draft, Cootes had 35 points in 64 WHL games in 2023/24.
The first overall pick at the 2022 WHL US Prospects Draft by the Edmonton Oil Kings, Fiddler tallied 15 points in 63 games this season. The defenseman put up 18 points in 9 games with OHA during the 2020/21 U15 season.
Hamilton led all U15 Prep defensemen with 54 points in 27 games during the 2021/22 season earning him Top Defenseman Award honours. Selected fourth overall at the 2022 WHL Draft by the Calgary Hitmen, Hamilton produced 31 points in 42 games this season.
Selected sixth overall at the 2022 WHL Draft by the Swift Current Broncos Kettles finished this season with 13 points in 61 games. the defenseman spent the 2021/22 U15 Prep and 2022/23 U18 Prep seasons with RHA Winnipeg, recording 51 points in 52 games.
Kindel joined BWC Academy for the 2020/21 U15 season tallying 11 points in 6 games. The following U15 Prep season he finished second in team scoring with 47 points, including a team best 35 assists in 22 games. During the 2022/23 U18 Prep season he was named the CSSHL Top Freshman having produced 46 points in 29 games with Yale. A second round pick, 43rd overall by the Calgary Hitmen at the 2022 WHL Draft, Kindel was third on Calgary with 60 points in 68 games this season.
The first overall pick at the 2022 WHL Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers, McKenna joined RHA Kelowna in 2020/21. During the 2021/22 U18 Prep season he tallied a division best 42 assists and 65 points as an underage player. The following U18 Prep season with SAHA he would lead the division with 38 assists, 37 goals and 75 points while being named CSSHL U18 Prep MVP. This season he was named the CHL and WHL Rookie of the year with a WHL rookie high 63 assists, finishing with 97 points in 61 games.
Reschny joined NAX for the 2020/21 U15 Prep season. The following year he would would be named U15 Prep MVP after leading the league with 40 goals, finishing second with 92 points in 25 games. The third overall pick at the 2022 WHL Draft by the Victoria Royals, Reschny recorded 59 points in 61 games this season.
Schmidt played just 13 games during the 2021/22 U15 Prep season but tallied 41 points as the Vancouver Giants selected the forward seventh overall at the 2022 WHL Draft. The following U18 Prep season he would tally 13 goals and 8 assists in 14 games with RHA Kelowna. This season he finished with 58 points in 59 games with the Giants.
Selected second overall at the 2022 WHL Draft by the Tri-City Americans, Smith recorded 38 points in 29 U15 Prep games in 2021/22. The defender tallied 9 points in 16 games before adding 4 assists in 5 playoff games as Edge School captured the 2023 CSSHL U18 Prep Western Championship. This season he produced 8 goals and 21 assists in 62 games with the Americans.
The 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup will take place August 5-10 2024 in Edmonton, AB.
