Image credit: CFJC Today

By Marty Hastings

NATIONAL DUTY

De Palma of Blazers talks second crack at world juniors, role at summer showcase, NHL aspirations

Jul 28, 2025 | 5:25 PM

KAMLOOPS — Dan De Palma’s first experience at the World Junior Hockey Championship did not end on the podium, with Canada placing fifth at the 2025 tournament in Ottawa.

Hockey Canada announced on Saturday (July 26) the Kamloops Blazers’ director of goaltending development is part of the team that will aim to do better in 2026.

“The goal is to win,” said De Palma, speaking to CFJC Today on Monday from the World Junior Summer Showcase in Minneapolis, “so when you don’t win there’s change, there’s focus — not that there wasn’t focus in the past — but yeah, there’s definitely a push to make sure that we represent Canada and Canadians well, especially in this era, and bring back a gold medal.”

The 2026 world juniors will run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Evan Gardner of the Saskatoon Blades, Carter George of the Owen Sound Attack, Jack Ivankovic of the Michigan Wolverines and Joshua Ravensbergen of the Prince George Cougars are among goaltenders under the tutelage of De Palma at the summer showcase, each trying to stake their claim for a roster spot at world juniors.

The showcase will include practices and games featuring players from Canada, the U.S., Finland and Sweden

“You want to have the best team, the best players, the best people who are going to give you a chance to win a gold medal,” De Palma said, noting management will often consult him prior making roster decisions. “It’s not personal. These are four great young men, great goaltenders. You just want to make sure that you do the right thing and pick the right players to win the gold medal.”

De Palma is entering his 17th season with the Blazers and was recently promoted to director of goaltending development from goaltending coach.

He has an ever-growing Hockey Canada resume that includes two gold medals at the under-18 world championships, gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and silver at the U17 World Hockey Challenge.

Graduating Blazers often rave about De Palma and lean on him for counsel long after their major-junior careers are over, with Hartford Wolf Pack netminder Dylan Garand among his proponents.

“[We’re] unbelievably close,” said Garand, the New York Rangers’ prospect who returns to Kamloops each summer to train. “We talk probably two or three times a week on the phone during the season. He just lives up the road from my billet house [in Kamloops], so I go over whenever he’s not busy and visit him and the family. He helps me out on the ice. He’s my best friend.”

De Palma was asked if he will consider making the jump to the NHL.

“There’s timing for everything,” he said. “Family comes first. The NHL has always been a dream. But at the end of the day, it has to make sense for a lot of people as you get older. If somebody were to ask a question and wanted to talk about it, I obviously would listen.

“But I have a pretty good job. [Arrow Transportation has] been unbelievable to me. The Blazers have been unbelievable. Loyalty to those two groups is pretty important to me. First and foremost, loyalty to my family will always decide everything.”