Team Canada enters the 2025 World Deaf Ice Hockey Championships on home ice with a balanced roster featuring experienced veterans and promising newcomers. As the host nation, Canada aims to reclaim gold with a squad that represents the best of Canadian deaf hockey talent from coast to coast.
Goaltending Strength
Canada's net is anchored by a blend of youth and experience. Brent Walters of Brookfield, NS returns after backstopping Canada to a silver medal at the 2017 World Deaf Championship in Buffalo. Walters, now 25, even earned Player of the Game honors in a win over Team USA during that tournament, showcasing his quick reflexes. He started playing at age 5 on a backyard rink and made his international debut in 2017 at just 17 years old.
Joining him in the crease is Michael Hildahl, a newcomer from Manitoba, who will be making his first appearance for Team Canada. Hildahl is a lifelong Winnipeg hockey fan and brings a steady presence between the pipes. Together, Walters and Hildahl give Team Canada a reliable last line of defense as they chase gold on home ice.
Defensive Core
A remarkable story on Team Canada's defense is the Kyte family, which contributes three defensemen. Johnny Kyte (age 29) from Carp, Ontario is a four-year NCAA veteran – he patrolled the blueline for the University of Southern Maine and balanced hockey with academics. Johnny has represented Canada internationally since 2015 and comes from a distinguished deaf hockey lineage: his uncle is Jim Kyte, the first legally deaf NHL player who played 598 NHL games.
Lining up with Johnny are his relatives Sam Kyte and Frayne Kyte. Frayne brings leadership and a gold-medal pedigree from Canada's deaf hockey program. His son Sam Kyte represents the youth of the clan, continuing the family tradition on defense.
Beyond the Kytes, Team Canada's defense features a mix of seasoned players and rising talents. Jack Desroches is one of the younger defensemen at 25. Hailing from rural Prince Edward Island, Desroches cracked the national team as a teenager and made his international debut at the 2017 world championship when he was just 17 years old. The experience of playing for Canada at such a young age was "unbelievable" for him, and he's continued to grow into a key defensive contributor.
Another Deaflympic veteran is Andrew Hughes of Ajax, Ontario. Originally a forward, Hughes played Junior A hockey in the OJHL (suiting up for the Stouffville Spirit) and first donned the Maple Leaf at the 2015 Winter Deaflympics in Russia. Now 27, he has two international medals (2015 and 2017) and provides two-way versatility on the back end. This defensive corps, blending family chemistry, veteran savvy, and youthful energy, forms a formidable unit in front of the goal.
Forward Depth
Up front, Canada boasts an impressive mix of seasoned scorers and fresh talent. A core of forwards has been playing together for nearly a decade, giving the team valuable chemistry. Long-time national team mainstays Jesse McIntyre, Matthew Sheffield, Dimitri Theofilaktidis, Ryan Chramtchenko, David Gingera, and Scott Savard have each donned Team Canada colors in multiple major tournaments.
McIntyre (from Brucefield, ON) and Sheffield (Mississauga, ON) were teenage phenoms on the squad – both were part of Canada's silver medal runs at the 2013 World Deaf Championship in Finland and the 2015 Deaflympics in Russia. Now in their late 20s, they remain offensive leaders. Toronto's Dimitri Theofilaktidis has likewise been with the program since 2013 and brings speedy winger play; he's proud to have represented Canada in three straight international events.
Leading the offensive charge is Massimo Luciani, arguably Canada's best forward and a standout on the international stage. The 28-year-old Quebec native combines exceptional skating with elite hockey IQ and a lethal finishing touch, making him a constant threat in the attacking zone. Luciani's ability to create plays at high speed and find teammates in tight spaces has made him a cornerstone of Canada's power play. Having represented Canada at the 2019 Winter Deaflympics, his experience and leadership will be crucial as the team pursues gold on home ice.
One high-profile addition is Tyson Gillies, a 36-year-old former professional baseball player turned hockey forward. Gillies was a Team Canada baseball star – he was the starting centerfielder on Canada's gold-medal-winning squad at the 2015 Pan Am Games and spent years in the minor leagues. Diagnosed with significant hearing impairment at age 4, Gillies overcame his disability to excel in pro sports. Now he's returned to his first love, hockey, and as a speedy power forward he gives Team Canada a boost of elite athleticism and big-game experience.
Youth Movement
Team Canada has also injected youthful talent into the forward group. Nathan Flodell, 21, represents the next generation of deaf hockey stars. Hailing from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Flodell is coming off a junior hockey career in the Prairies – in his rookie season with the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League he tallied 4 points in 20 games and earned a reputation as a hard-working winger. He was thrilled to be selected for the national deaf team while still a teenager, calling it an honor to represent his country.
Another newcomer is Nolan Philip, one of the youngest players on the roster at 18. Philip is a Vancouver Island native who grew up with a severe bilateral hearing loss yet never let it slow him down – he's played hockey for over 10 years and learned to adapt his communication on the ice by reading lips and using visual cues. Nolan will be experiencing his first world championship just after graduating high school, and he's seen as a role model for young deaf athletes in BC.
Tournament Outlook
With the tournament on home soil, Team Canada has high expectations. The roster represents a true cross-section of Canada's deaf hockey community featuring players from coast to coast, from teenagers to veterans in their 40s, all wearing the Maple Leaf with pride.
With goaltending solidity, a savvy defensive corps, and a forward unit blending skill and tenacity, the Canadian team will be a formidable contender in Vancouver – driven by a strong hockey tradition and the hunger to reclaim gold after taking silver in the 2017 world championship.
As hosts, Canada will have the advantage of passionate home crowds at UBC's Father David Bauer Arena, adding extra energy as they pursue world championship glory.