Ice Hockey Australia (IHA) has released the roster for the Australian men’s under-18 national team which will compete in the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship Division II Group B tournament. The competition will take place from 5 April to 11 April 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia with Australia competing against Belgium, Chinese Taipei, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Serbia.
Sixteen changes have been made to the team compared to the 2025 roster. Artem Astafiev, Lukah Ceh, Aiden Downie, Declan Downie, Ethan Elford, Jack Fode, Etienne Janovsky, Aiden Li, Mickey Nottle, Tyler Rodden, Easton Shearer, Yongen Song, Kai Stolee, Sam Sywak, Joseph Zanlunghi, and Jacob Zyl will all make their debut for the team in 2026. Bryce Kitching was also announced as part of the team but was later dropped from the roster.
The fifteen players not returning for 2026 are Justin Baxter, Hunter Boland, Logan Brodie, Thomas Garas, Tobie Gilchrist, Arki Hearn, Bryce Hodges, Rafael Lakandula, Jed Lake, Nikita Loria, Jack Mollee, Keenan Nelson, Colby Shumak, Jackson Staneke, and Kael Telfer.
Last updated: 21 April 2026.
Roster
| No. | Player | Pos. | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kai Stolee | G | Norwest Emperors 17U |
| 3 | Jacob Zyl | F | Liverpool Saints 17U |
| 5 | Etienne Janovsky | D | Rytíři Kladno U17 |
| 6 | Easton Shearer | F | North Shore Academy 16U AAA |
| 7 | Benjamin Shearer (C) | F | Elmira Junior Aviators 18U |
| 8 | Lukah Ceh | F | King Heights Academy Prep U18 |
| 9 | Ruben Nalos | F | Elmira Junior Aviators 18U |
| 11 | Luka Loria (A) | D | Adelaide Adrenaline |
| 12 | Jack Fode | F | Adelaide Tigers A |
| 13 | Artem Astafiev | F | Melbourne Mustangs |
| 14 | Tyler Rodden | D | Cockburn Icehawks 17U |
| 15 | Mickey Nottle | D | CIHA Voyageurs U18 Prep |
| 16 | Hugo Arps (A) | F | Kiekko-Espoo U18 Challenger |
| 17 | Sam Sywak | F | Cockburn Blackhawks |
| 18 | Joseph Zanlunghi | F | Ramapo Saints 18U AA |
| 19 | Declan Downie | D | Central Coast Rhinos |
| 20 | Aiden Li | D | Norwest Emperors 17U |
| 21 | Yongen Song | F | Adelaide Redwings |
| 22 | Aiden Downie | F | Norwest Emperors 17U |
| 23 | Ethan Elford | D | Blyth Academy Raiders U18 |
| 24 | Rowan Barrett | D | Melbourne Mustangs |
| 25 | Thomas Papas | G | New Hamburg Firebirds U18 A |
Staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Andrin Christen | Head coach |
| Sami Mantere | Assistant coach |
| Donald MacDonald | Goaltending coach |
| Jillian Murphy | Team leader |
| Thomas Näf | Equipment manager |
| Lara von Bühren | Equipment manager |
| Manuela Oettli | Physiotherapist |
Updates
- 5 April 2026: Sam Sywak added to the roster. Donald MacDonald, Jillian Murphy, Thomas Näf, Manuela Oettli, and Lara von Bühren added to the staff list. Player numbers and captain labels added.
- 14 April 2026: Kai Stolee added to the roster and Bryce Kitching dropped from the roster.
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