Regina Pats teammates Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue helped Team Canada to a gold medal over Team USA at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
In the under-18 international hockey tournament in Edmonton, the two 16-year-olds who were the two youngest players on Canada’s roster featuring mostly 17-year-olds, each had two goals and one assist in Saturday’s 8-1 gold medal win over Team USA.
Team Canada celebrates the gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup at Rogers Place with an 8-1 win over Team USA on August 8, 2026.
Photo by Andy Devlin / Hockey Canada Images Andy Devlin / Andy Devlin / Hockey Canada Imag
Schultz, a Regina product who was named Canada’s player of the game in the final, finished as the tournament’s scoring leader with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in five games while Pue (six goals, three assists) was tied for second with teammate Jaako Wycisk with nine points. Pue, a Langley, B.C. product, led the tournament in goals with six.
Canada’s Liam Pue celebrates one of his two goals against Switzerland during action in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Monday, August 3, 2026 in Edmonton. Greg Southam-Postmedia Greg Southam / 10112360A
Canada’s roster also featured Estevan product Boston Tait, a defenceman for the Wenatchee Wild, and Saskatoon’s Kayden Stroeder, who plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings.
After finishing the round robin with a 3-0 record following wins over Switzerland, Slovakia and Sweden, Canada got by Finland 6-3 in Friday’s semifinal before defeating the defending champion Team USA, who were also undefeated heading into the gold medal game, on Saturday in the final.
After finishing with bronze at last year’s tournament, it’s Canada fourth goal medal in the last five years at the event. It was also the nation’s 14th goal in the last 18 tournaments.
This season, Schultz and Pue are eligible to play a full season with the Regina Pats after being selected first- and third-overall respectively in last year’s WHL draft. Last season, the duo played 34 games for the Pats while also suiting up for the under-18 AAA Regina Pat Canadians, who claimed bronze at last year’s Telus Cup national championship after winning gold the year prior.