North Bay Battalion head coach Ryan Oulahen will be wearing Team Canada colours this summer as part of Team Canada's U18 summer team for the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
After helping lead Canada to back-to-back gold medals as an assistant coach at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Kris Mallette (Kelowna Rockets / WHL) returns to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team for the third consecutive year, this time serving as head coach.
Mallette will be joined on the bench by assistant coaches Oulahen, Gordie Dwyer (Acadie-Bathurst Titan / QMJHL), along with goaltending consultant Dan De Palma (Kamloops Blazers / WHL) and video coach Ethan O’Rourke (Kingston Frontenacs / OHL).
“We are excited to unveil the coaching and support staff that will lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team as we look to defend our gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup,” said Benoit Roy, senior manager of hockey operations.
“Kris, Gordie, Ryan, Dan, and Ethan bring extensive experience both at the international and Canadian Hockey League levels, and they will be great leaders for this talented group of young men who will compete for Canada in Edmonton next month.”
Oulahen just completed his sixth season as head coach of the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Prior to that, he spent three seasons as head coach of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds and six seasons as an assistant coach with the Battalion (2010-16).
Oulahen was also behind the bench at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014 (assistant coach, Canada Red), 2015 (assistant coach, Canada Black) and 2016 (head coach, Canada White), and was an assistant at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning silver.
The roster for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp will be announced at a later date.
