Humboldt native competing in Slovakia with Team Canada

Apr 18, 2026 | 1:00 PM

A Humboldt native is currently living one of his dreams, donning the Canadian jersey on the international stage.

Newly minted Red Deer Rebels captain, Beckett Hamilton, is in Slovakia right now as a member of Canada’s Pre-Tournament Camp Roster for the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

“It’s been a pretty surreal week plus. Obviously, losing out in the playoffs with the Rebels was tough, but being named the captain was pretty cool, and now getting to be a part of Team Canada is pretty awesome too. It’s obviously an honour whenever you get to represent your country, so I’m just super excited for this opportunity,” Hamilton told northeastNOW.

“This was definitely a goal of mine since the start of the season, but I never expected anything. I knew I’d have to work for it, and it was a hard year, but I worked pretty hard to get here, so I’m just really happy… unreal to be able to represent Saskatchewan, not too many other Sask. boys here, so it’s an honour to be able to come here and do that as well.”

Hamilton has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Rebels, including a breakout 2025/26 campaign, which saw him put up 62 points in 67 games.

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As a result, the 18-year-old was also ranked 33rd among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings, ahead of the upcoming draft.

The hope now is to have his stock rise and carry some experience and momentum from the pre-tournament into the coming year.

“Hopefully, just have some good round-robin games, get some confidence heading into the championship games, and then bring home some medals… I’m just excited for this tournament and to see how well we can all fit together,” Hamilton added.

“You can learn a lot from everyone around you. Everyone here is an unbelievable player, and the coaches have lots of great things to tell you. I’ve already learned a lot since I’ve been here, and that’s only going to continue.”

The Canadians played their first pre-tournament game on Friday, defeating Team Sweden 5-2.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

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by Ben Tompkins

Humboldt native competing in Slovakia with Team Canada

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