At just 17 years old, Daxon Rudolph is getting pretty comfortable in the Red and White.
The Lacombe defenceman is set to represent Canada over the next several weeks at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship in Texas.
The last time Rudolph wore the maple leaf, he won a gold medal alongside teammate Riley Boychuk and head coach Ryan McDonald at the 2024 U-17 World Hockey Challenge.
n his rookie WHL season, the six-foot-one, 191-pound blueliner had seven goals and 34 assists in 64 games. Rudolph was selected first overall by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft.
He is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
Red Deer Rebels forward Matthew Gard was also named to the Team Canada roster on Thursday.
The six-foot-four, 192-pound forward had 36 points (19G, 17A) in 66 games with the Rebels last season. He is expected to be selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, which will take place later this summer.
Three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards were selected by head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), general manager Scott Walker (Cambridge, ON) and Kyle Turris (New Westminster, BC), of the management group, with input from Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director, hockey operations.
“The opportunity to represent your country and defend a gold medal is not something that happens often,” Walker said. “These young men have worked hard all season and earned this opportunity to play on the international stage here in Texas. 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.”
Canada started its pursuit of the title at the U18s on Thursday, when they took on Czechia. They will play Latvia on Friday.
Preliminary action continues until Monday, with the quarter finals set to start April 30. The final is set for Saturday, May 3.
