The top players to watch at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
The scouting season is kicking off at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
The 2025 NHL Draft, though 10 months away, will take center stage from Aug. 5-10 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB, as a strong collection of 2007-born skaters will hit the ice for their respective countries at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
The Hlinka is widely regarded as the kickoff to the draft process, with many of the top draft-eligible skaters competing head-to-head on the international stage. In total, 55 participants at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup were selected in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Needless to say, a strong performance sets the standard for some, while efforts needing improvement can be improved upon over the course of the club team season.
Here’s a look at some of the top members of the 2025 draft class to keep an eye on at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup:
Adam Benak | F | 5’7″ | 157 pounds | Czechia
Adam Benak, who helped Czechia to silver with a tournament-leading eight assists at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, played 18 games with HC Plzen in Czechia’s top men’s circuit last season. He also registered 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 29 regular-season games and four points (one goal, three assists) in four playoff games at the under-20 level. Benak, who will play with Youngstown in the United States Hockey League this season, added three points (one goal, two assists) for Czechia at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Challenge. He could be a projected first-round pick in 2025.
“Benak is an exceptional passer and, quite frankly, a pure playmaker who creates offense on a consistent rate,” FCHockey scout Samuel Tirpak said. “He’s not much of a shooter, but always a threat to create a scoring chance for others. Great hands. Benak is a great skater who developed quite the ability to protect the puck due to always being the smallest player on the ice.”
Sascha Boumedienne | D | 6’2″ |183 pounds | Sweden
Sascha Boumedienne, the son of former NHL defenseman and one-time Columbus Blue Jackets professional scouting director Josef Boumedienne, was second amongst all rookie defensemen in scoring in the United States Hockey League with 27 points (three goals, 24 assists) in 49 games for Youngstown — garnering a USHL All-Rookie Team nod in the process. Boumedienne, who also helped Sweden to bronze at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, currently finds himself in top-15 consideration for the 2025 draft.
Caleb Desnoyers | F | 6’0″ | 178 pounds | Canada
Caleb Desnoyers, at least in the early going, is a contender to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 draft next June, and is no stranger to lofty draft goals. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft some 13 months ago, and was a near point-per-game player for Moncton as a freshman with 56 points (20 goals, 36 assists) in 60 games. For his efforts, Desnyoers was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team, and followed up that result with five points (one goal, four assists) in five games for Canada as an underager at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
“Desnoyers is a polished, two-way center with notable size and skill,” FCHockey scout Joey Fortin Boulay said. “He’s constantly supporting plays in all three zones as he displays impactful vision, hands and anticipation. He’s also very proficient at the faceoff circle.”
Filip Ekberg | F | 5’10” | 168 pounds | Sweden
Filip Ekberg, a first round pick by Ottawa (OHL) and one of seven Swedish players to be selected during the 2024 CHL Import Draft, played with Almtuna IS, including a 19-game stint in HockeyAllsvenskan last season as a 16-year-old. Ekberg, who had two points with the senior team, also logged 33 games in J20 Nationell and amassed 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 33 games. He is garnering early consideration as a first-round candidate.
Milton Gastrin | F | 6’2″ | 179 pounds | Sweden
Milton Gastrin, who captained Sweden’s entry to bronze at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, played for MoDo in 2023-24. He had six points (two goals, four assists) in four games in J18 Region and one goal in two games in J18 Nationell, but logged most of his work in J20 Nationell, registering 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 41 games. He is a late first-round prospect for the 2025 draft, at this stage.
“Gastrin is a pure competitor with good game smarts,” Phillips said. “He combines these traits with his above-average puck skills to create offence in a variety of ways.”
Reese Hamilton | D | 6’0″ | 172 pounds| Canada
Reese Hamilton launched himself into first-round consideration in 2023-24 with Calgary, registering 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in 42 games– finishing tied for first in goals and third in points among rookie blueliners in the WHL. The No. 4 pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft is a former Canadian Sport School Hockey League standout and a Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League champion.
“Hamilton has a lot of offensive elements to his game that’ll make him an attractive commodity for the 2025 draft, but I think there’s enough of a two-way element in his game for him to push as one of the top blueliners in the class,” FCHockey scout Aaron Vickers said. “His skating is top notch and his ability to transition the puck from defense to offense is a positive element in his game.”
Carlos Handel | D | 6’1″ | 168 pounds | Germany
Carlos Handel, a first round pick of Halifax (QMJHL) and one of five German players selected in the 2024 CHL Import Draft, played both at the J18 and J20 levels last season with Malmo in Sweden. He had 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in the under-18 league, but was held without a point in nine games at the under-20 level. Händel had five points, all assists, in five games as Germany won Division 1A of the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He had one assist in four games at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Jakob Ihs-Wozniak | F | 6’3″ | 185 pounds | Sweden
Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, regarded as potentially Sweden’s top prospect for the 2025 draft, had an impressive season with Lulea HF in J20 Nationell in 2023-24. He led all 16-year-old scorers — ahead of Anton Frondell, Luka Radivojevic, and Filip Ekberg — with 50 points (22 goals, 28 assists). Only three players in the history of J20 Nationell have produced more in their draft-minus-one season than Ihs-Wozniak, who is a projected top-10 pick, potentially top-five, for the 2025 draft.
Jack Ivankovic | G | 5’11” | 178 pounds | Canada
Jack Ivankovic earned significant playing time as a 16-year-old with Mississauga in the OHL, posting a team-leading 2.72 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 25 appearances. Ivankovic, who won the league’s Dinty Moore Trophy as the rookie with the lowest goals-against average and earned a Second All-Rookie Team nod, has gold medals from the 2023 World Under-17 Challenge and 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He is considered a frontrunner as the 2025 draft’s top goaltender.
“Ivankovic’s ability to track pucks, as well as his incredible technical abilities make him a very intriguing prospect,” FCHockey scout David Phillips said. “To add on, Ivankovic shows great athletic ability and wants to stop every puck, making sure he can challenge them all. His want-it-all mentality mixed with his intricate skill set makes him a must-watch for the 2025 draft.”
Benjamin Kevan | F | 6’0″ | 172 pounds | Team USA
Benjamin Kevan, who is committed to Arizona State University in 2026, led all USHL rookies in scoring last season with 57 points (24 goals, 33 assists) in 59 games — totals that paced his Des Moines squad. His production came after starting the season with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings 16U program, logging 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 10 games. He’s attracting first-round consideration for the 2025 draft.
“Kevan is an interesting player,” Pereira said. “He is a pass-first player, but there was some trouble really seeing a distinct style in his play. He plays a fast pace that relies heavily on the transitional game. He needs to improve his consistency, but there’s a game there that could blossom this upcoming season with the proper improvements.”
Jesper Kotajarvi | D | 5’11” | 179 pounds | Finland
Jesper Kotajarvi, an alternate captain for Finland at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, led all 16-year-old defensemen in U20 SM-sarja in scoring with 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 37 games for Tappara’s U20 team. Only six blueliners in the history of the league produced more in a single season at 16 than Kotajarvi’s totals. He’ll garner attention as a potential first rounder in 2025.
“Kotajarvi is a pretty versatile defenseman whose puck skills set him apart from others,” FCHockey scout Arttu Myllymaki said. “Long vertical opening passes combined with smooth and skillful skating, not forgetting his ability to run power play with right and timed decisions, make him an interesting player.”
David Lewandowski | F | 6’1″ | 172 pounds | Germany
David Lewandowski, the final pick of the 2024 CHL Import Draft by Saskatoon (WHL), had 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) in 33 games last year in the DNL U20 league, and added 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 13 games on loan in the Germany 3 league. He also helped Germany to gold at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship Division 1A earlier this year with seven points (two goals, five assists) in five games. His father, Eduard, was selected in the eighth round (No. 242) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2003 NHL Draft.
Jake O’Brien | F | 6’0″ | 168 pounds | Canada
Jake O’Brien, selected with the No. 8 pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection after winning an OHL Cup and being named tournament MVP, was voted recipient of the 2024 Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year in 2023-24 with 64 points (13 goals, 51 assists) in 61 regular-season games and five points (one goal, four assists) in six playoff games with Brantford. O’Brien, who was named to the CHL All-Rookie Team, logged the most assists by an OHL rookie since Alex Galchenyuk registered 52 in 2010-11.
Cole Reschny | F | 5’10” | 183 pounds | Canada
Cole Reschny, who ranked fourth among all WHL rookies in assists (38) and fifth in points (59) in 61 games with Victoria in 2023-24, is a projected top-20 pick. He tied for Canada Red’s scoring lead with three goals and five assists at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, and won silver as an alternate captain with Saskatchewan at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, helping his province with five goals in five games.
“Reschny profiles similarly to a lot of other high-end players out of the WHL in recent years,” Vickers said. “He’s not the most physically imposing player, but his combination of speed and heady play certainly puts him on the radar as a top-end eligible to keep an eye on.”
Matthew Schaefer | D | 6’1″ | 175 pounds | Canada
Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, is in early contention as the draft’s top blueliner. He had 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 56 games with Erie in 2023-24, and was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team. He added a strong showing at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, snagging five points (one goal, four assists) in seven games as an underager at that tournament. He’ll be heavily counted on as, potentially, Canada’s No. 1 blueliner at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
“Schaefer is a complete package defenseman,” Phillips said. “He has the mobility that teams cover, the smarts to time his defensive and offensive plays well and also the skills to complete them. Schaefer’s ceiling is one of the highest in the 2025 draft, and should he continue to impress he will end up top 10 on everybody’s draft board.”
Jackson Smith | D | 6’3″ | 190 pounds | Canada
Jackson Smith, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft behind top 2026 NHL Draft eligible prospect Gavin McKenna, had 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) while playing in 68 games for Tri-City — third in goals and fourth in assists and points among all freshmen defensemen on the circuit. He is projected to be a first-round pick next June.
“Smith has the size and skating ability that scouts and teams alike covet,” Vickers said. “He has translatable skills inside the offensive zone, including a good point shot and a layer of playmaking ability. He does have the ability to work himself into unfavorable positions, so his decision-making will be a focal point in watching his game.”
Vit Zahejsky | F | 5’10” | 170 pounds | Czechia
Vit Zahejsky, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 CHL Import Draft via Kamloops (WHL), had 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 42 regular-season games and seven points (two goals, five assists) in seven playoff games with HC Energie Karlovy Vary’s under-20 program last season, and added four points (one goal, three assists) for Czechia in the 2023 World Under-17 Challenge. In 2022-23, Zahejsky finished tied for first in Czechia’ U17 circuit with 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) in 36 games.
“Zahejsky is a smallish but smart and creative playmaker who shines on the offensive end of the ice,” Tirpak said. “He is also kind of a walking highlight reel of a player as well. His hand-eye coordination is excellent and he uses it very well in game situations.”