Augustana Hockey Head Coach Garrett Raboin will get a head start on the 2024 season, but not with the Vikings. Raboin has been chosen to lead the 23-player Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team.


Rogers Place and Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton, Alberta will host the event from August 5-10. Earlier this year Raboin was added to the 2025 USA World Juniors staff which will defend their title in 2025. 

"It's a short tournament, it's unique, it's not identical to the World Junior process, but there are some similarities. It's a great opportunity to be around a tremendous staff, learn from them, and coach high-end players." ~ Coach Raboin 

Augustana’s equipment manager Jacob Snuggerud (Chaska, Minn./Augustana University) will join Raboin in Edmonton as part of the staff along with Jason Smits (Moline, Ill./University of Nebraska Omaha). 

 

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is an annual invitation-only event held each August that is the only best-on-best competition at the U18 level. The tournament serves as the first opportunity for fans and scouts to see NHL Draft prospects in their draft year, 10 months before the draft takes place.

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Ten players who helped the U.S. to a second-place finish at the 2023 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament will be on the ice for this year's Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Team USA has finished in the top three of the Hlinka tournament 14 times since the tournament began in 1991.

Fans wanting to watch the tournament will find coverage on the NHL Network.

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