The men’s national team travels to Malaysia for a prestigious invitational tournament
Field Hockey Canada is proud to announce the men’s national team roster for the upcoming 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which will take place in Ipoh, Malaysia. The prestigious invitation-only men’s tournament will feature six top international teams in addition to Canada: Belgium (3), India (7), New Zealand (11), Malaysia (13) and Korea (15). Known for its competitive appeal and passionate fans, the Azlan Shah Cup provides an important opportunity for the Canadian team to test themselves against some of the best in the world in a high-pressure environment.
Canada returns to Ipoh after finishing sixth in last year’s edition of the tournament. This time the team brings a more experienced squad, aiming to build on its recent success and improve on last year’s result. Fresh off a bronze medal performance at the 2025 Pan American Cup in Santiago, the squad retains 15 of the 18 players from that event.
The selected squad consists of a balanced mix of seasoned veterans and emerging talent, with an average cap number of 42. The core group consists of Brendan Guraliuk, Sam Cabral, Thomson Harris, Harbir Sidhu, Manveer Jhamat, Gavin Bains, Roop Dhillon, Sean Davis and both goalkeepers Ethan McTavish and Zach Coombs. These are players who have steadily built up their international CV in recent seasons. Experienced leadership will come from stalwarts Matt Sarmento, Balraj Panesar and Devohn Noronha Teixeira, whose experience will be crucial in guiding the team through the challenges of the tournament.
The youth movement continues to gain momentum, with Jyoth Sidhu, Hudson Loh, Avjot Buttar, Flynn McCulloch and Rowan Childs earning spots on recent tours.
Preparation for the tournament included a week-long carding camp in Vancouver, where athletes from across the men’s national team pool trained and competed in a high-performance environment. The timing of the camp was ideal, sharpening the squad ahead of the competition period.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup acts as a springboard on Canada’s international calendar, with the FIH World Cup qualifiers looming in early 2026. While dates and locations for those events are yet to be confirmed, the chance to face elite teams at the Azlan Shah Cup will provide crucial experience.
TEAM CANADA ROSTER
| NO. | PLAYER NAME | POSITION | COMMON TOWN | CLUB | CAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Gavin Bains | DEF | Ladner, B.C | Falcons / India Club | 21 |
| 6 | Avjot Butter | MIDDLE | Richmond, B.C | United Brothers | 10 |
| 26 | Sam Cabral | DEF | Vancouver, B.C | Vancouver Hawks | 37 |
| 18 | Rowan Childs | MIDDLE | Tsawwassen, BC | Delta Falcons | 10 |
| 32 | Zach Coombs | GK | Chelsea, QC | UBC Thunderbirds | 22 |
| 15 | Sean Davis | Come on | Marondera, Zim | South Gate | 25 |
| 4 | Roopkanwar Dhillon | DEF | Surrey, B.C | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 25 |
| 13 | Brendan Guraliuk | MIDDLE | Tsawwassen, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 50 |
| 33 | Thomson Harris | DEF | Vancouver, B.C | Vancouver Hawks | 30 |
| 14 | Manveer Jamaat | DEF | Abbotsford, BC | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 30 |
| 16 | Hudson Loh | Come on | Vancouver, B.C | Vancouver Hawks | 4 |
| 24 | Flynn McCulloch | MIDDLE | Chelsea, QC | Chelsea Phoenix | 15 |
| 30 | Ethan McTavish | GK | North Vancouver, BC | West Vancouver | 22 |
| 5 | Devohn Noronha Teixeira | Come on | Mississauga, OP | Toronto Lions FHC | 133 |
| 11 | Balraj Panesar | DEF | Surrey, B.C | UBR | 105 |
| 7 | Matthew Sarment | Come on | Vancouver, B.C | Vancouver Hawks | 169 |
| 25 | Harbir Sidhu | MIDDLE | Victoria, B.C | Victoria Tigers/India Club | 37 |
| 22 | Jyoth Sidhu | MIDDLE | Abbotsford, BC | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 10 |
| RESERVES | |||||
| 17 | Aaron Foong | DEF | Vancouver, B.C | UBC Thunderbirds | 0 |
| 28 | Bhavdeep Dhaliwal | MIDDLE | Surrey, B.C | Burnaby Lakers | 0 |
| 34 | Kiefer McNaughton | GK | Chilliwack, BC | Burnaby Lakers | 8 |
| NAME OF STAFF | ROLE | ||||
| Patrick Chutshani | Head Coach | ||||
| Nancy Mollenhauer | Team manager | ||||
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