Local players take next steps on roster for 2026/27 Boys Under-16 Program of Excellence
A group of Manitoba’s top young hockey players will take the next step in their development pathway as Hockey Manitoba has announced the roster for the 2026–27 Boys Under-16 Program of Excellence (POE) Spring Selection Camp.
The camp is scheduled for April 10–12 at the Scotiabank Hockey for All Centre in Winnipeg and marks the first stage in identifying athletes who will represent the province on the national stage.
Players selected to attend the camp come from communities across Manitoba, reflecting the depth of talent developing throughout the province.
The Spring Selection Camp will feature a series of scrimmages, a goaltender session and a Western Hockey League (WHL) presentation, giving athletes both on-ice evaluation opportunities and exposure to the next levels of hockey.
Following the April camp, a reduced group of players will advance to the Top-40 Camp, set for May 21–24 at the Southeast Event Centre in Steinbach.
From there, the final roster for Team Manitoba will be selected ahead of the 2027 Canada Winter Games, which will take place Feb. 27 to March 14, 2027, in Quebec City.
Heading the program is Brad Purdie of Winnipeg, who returns for his second stint as head coach of the U16 squad and his fifth year with the Program of Excellence. He is joined by assistant coaches Dave Funk of Winnipeg and Garrett Szeremley of Morden, while Bernie Reichardt serves as director of operations.
The U16 Program of Excellence represents the first step in Hockey Canada’s high-performance pathway. Athletes introduced at this level gain exposure to elite training standards and competition, with many advancing to represent Canada at the U17, U18 and World Junior levels.
Hockey Manitoba officials say the program is designed to provide elite athletes with the tools and opportunities needed to succeed at higher levels, including major junior, U SPORTS and NCAA hockey.
The full camp schedule includes multiple intra-squad scrimmages across the three-day event, beginning Friday afternoon and concluding Sunday, along with a mandatory WHL presentation for all participants and one parent.
Hockey Manitoba continues to partner with CCM Hockey and the Western Hockey League in supporting the Program of Excellence and its athlete development pathway.
Selected players include Andrew Abbott (Winnipeg), Koen Braunberger (Winnipeg), Kingston Catcheway (Dauphin), Declan Champagne (Winnipeg), Aiden Christie (East St. Paul), Maddux Clark (Winnipeg), Jaxson Cullen (Killarney), Carter Cunningham (Winnipeg), Alex Delorme (La Salle), Alexander Dyrland (Winnipeg), Mohamad El Hossari Garcia (Winnipeg), Reed Everett (Winnipeg), Logan Fey (West St. Paul), Daniel Flett-Neapew (Brandon), Mason Froese (Winkler), Nixon Gaudet (Île-des-Chênes), Bentley Goulden (Virden), Joshua Harvey (Winnipeg), Owen Hirst (Lac du Bonnet), Carter Hope (Winnipeg), Felix Huberdeau (Russell), Benjamin Kolton (Winnipeg), Rhett Legaarden (Grandview), Sawyer Lepp (Rivers), Camden Lesuk (East St. Paul), Owen Lovie (Holland), Tyler McCallum (Winnipeg), Declan McNicol (Winnipeg), Liam Meier (Stonewall), Jacob Mirrlees (Oak Bluff), Kale Nicol (Brandon), Ryder Olford (Île-des-Chênes), Easton Pitz (Virden), Bo Sabourin (Winnipeg), Max Sauders (Winnipeg), Reed Sherry (St. Malo), Kellan Shtykalo (Dauphin), Cooper Soltys (Erickson), Taylor Sullivan (Brandon), Wyatt Sydenham (Hodgson), Greyson Urquhart (Winnipeg), Beck Van Kemenade (Rosser), Graycen Van Meijl (Brandon), Evan Vigier (Notre Dame), Brock Vodden (Manitou), Eli Waslyk (Winnipeg), Everhett Weiser (Winnipeg), Jett Wood (Brandon), Easton Anderson (Brandon), Jack Arseniuk (Winnipeg), Madden Atkinson (Swan River), Mason Auger (Virden), Bryson Calder (Carlowrie), Asher Carey (Selkirk), Owen Derkach (Winnipeg), Braedan Gilbertson (Lorette West), Zachary Haney (Winnipeg), Garrett Henderson (Morden), Walker Kempthorne (Souris), Jett Kuypers (Winnipeg), Daxton Lopushniuk (Oakbank), Ryder MacLean (Winnipeg), Marko Malbasa (St. Andrews), Alexander Malmstrom (Winnipeg), Zander Maloney (Winnipeg), Gabriel May (Mitchell), Maverick McFarlane (Oak Bluff), Blake Meier (Stonewall), Joshua Nowe (West St. Paul), Brayden Olsen (Brandon), Andren Paulsen (Oak Bluff), Colton Pawlyshyn (Winnipeg), Brady Piec (Oakbank), Will Preston (Brandon), Drew Simpson (Winnipeg), Chimezie Uzoruo (Winnipeg), Neely Victor (Morden), Dane Wubbe (La Rivière), Haize Brightnose (Ste. Anne), Nicholas Buhay (Niverville), Nicolas Fontaine (Winnipeg), Benjamin Gardner (Dauphin), Connor Lemieux (Stonewall), Leonid Nekipelov (Lorette), Ethan Radke (Morden), Nash Siemens (Winnipeg), Jaxon Smedvik (Winnipeg), Champ Vannus (East St. Paul), Aurick Veldhuisen (Brandon) and Darby Wilson (Neepawa).
