Four WHL players named to U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team for 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Four WHL players named to U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team for 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Calgary, Alta. – Four players signed to WHL Standard Player Agreements have been named to the roster for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team, USA Hockey announced Monday afternoon.
The WHL will be represented by three forwards and one goaltender on the U.S. roster at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which is scheduled for Monday, August 3, through Saturday, August 8, in Edmonton, Alta.
U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team – WHL Players
| Last Name | First Name | WHL Club | Hometown | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| Burcar | Gavin | Spokane Chiefs | Cota de Caza, Calif. | 6’2” | 174 | F |
| DeMars | Brooks | Penticton Vees | Hugo, Minn. | 6’1” | 183 | F |
| Grubb | Colin | Brandon Wheat Kings | Minot, N.D. | 5’11” | 174 | F |
| Tate | Kaeden | Kamloops Blazers | Huntington Beach, Calif. | 6’3” | 165 | G |
Gavin Burcar, Spokane Chiefs
The 6-foot-2, 174-pound Burcar spent the 2025-26 season with the Spokane Chiefs, appearing in 63 games and recording 17 points (7G-10A). Hailing from Cota de Caza, Calif., Burcar also dressed in four playoff games for the Chiefs. He made his WHL debut September 19, 2025, registering one assist in an 8-2 victory at Kelowna. Burcar recorded a career-high three points (1G-2A) December 16, 2025, in a 9-2 home triumph over Portland.
Brooks DeMars, Penticton Vees
The 6-foot-1, 183-pound product of Hugo, Minn., dressed in 50 games for the Penticton Vees during the 2025-26 campaign, collecting 13 points (6G-7A) along the way. DeMars also saw action in five post-season contests for the Vees, who claimed the WHL’s B.C. Division title as an expansion team. DeMars made his WHL debut September 19, 2025, at Victoria. He scored his first-career WHL goal November 29, 2025, at Kamloops.
Colin Grubb, Brandon Wheat Kings
The 5-foot-11, 174-pound Grubb was selected by the Wheat Kings in the first round (14th overall) of the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft. The native of Minot, N.D., signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Wheat Kings on April 17, 2026, and is expected to join the Club for the 2026-27 season. Grubb spent the 2025-26 campaign with Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Prep, registering 40 points (13G-27A) in 51 high school games.
Kaeden Tate, Kamloops Blazers
The 6-foot-3, 165-pound Tate, appeared in two games with the Kamloops Blazers during the 2025-26 season, going 2-0-0-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. A native of Huntington Beach, Calif., Tate was selected by the Blazers in the second round (23rd overall) of the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft. He signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Blazers on September 9, 2025. Tate made his WHL debut November 15, 2025, turning aside 22 of 24 shots in a 6-2 home win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team enters the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with sights set on defending its gold-medal performance from 2025. The U.S. will open the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Monday, August 3, when they face Czechia at 1 p.m. MT. Next up, the U.S. will challenge Finland on Tuesday, August 4, before wrapping preliminary action Wednesday, August 5, against Germany.
Prior to tournament action, the U.S. will play Slovakia in pre-tournament competition Saturday, August 1.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
