Projected first overall pick in the 2027 NHL draft, Landon DuPont takes pride in leading Team Canada as the captain at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He understands how important claiming that gold medal is for his country.
Captaining Team Canada comes with enormous expectations and responsibility, but Landon DuPont isn't letting the moment overwhelm him.
The 17-year-old defenseman has led Canada to a perfect 3-0 record to open the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, drawing on lessons from last year's tournament and advice from a father who also represented Canada internationally.
Landon's family, including his father, Micki, has been making the daily drive up the Queen Elizabeth II Highway from Calgary to watch the tournament. Micki enjoyed a professional career that spanned nearly two decades, including 23 NHL games with the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. He also represented Canada internationally, giving his son valuable perspective heading into the tournament.
"Yeah, he had a lot of advice," DuPont said. "His biggest thing was to play it like it's any other game. You don't want to put too much pressure on yourself and overthink the game. You just want to go out and have fun, be with your teammates on the ice, and just try to enjoy every moment since these are quick tournaments."
Meanwhile, DuPont is no stranger to wearing a letter on his sweater, having served as an alternate captain at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup before being named captain for this year's tournament in his home province of Alberta.
"It feels unreal. It's a huge honor to lead these guys," he said after a decisive 6-1 win over Slovakia on Tuesday. "I try to guide them in the right way; they are all great players, and they know the different situations. And they are all leaders in their own way, so I am not trying to overlead them, just lead them in the right way."
Considering that wearing the 'C' for Canada at any international event is special, DuPont learned he would captain Team Canada from a former captain who knows exactly what the role means.
"I think it was the night before the first round-robin game; we had a Zoom call with Matthew Schafer, who announced all the captains. It was pretty cool," he said.
Schaefer led Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 tournament, alongside Gavin McKenna, in Edmonton, the same venue where this year's event is being held. Playing at Rogers Place in front of family and friends has made this year's tournament even more meaningful for the Calgary-born DuPont.
"It's unreal, I mean, going through it last year, it was really cool being in Europe," he said. "It's just so much better to be on home soil, seeing lots of red in the crowd, and having family here; it's really close to Calgary."
While representing Canada at Rogers Place has been a dream come true, returning to Alberta also reminded him of another rink which shaped his love of hockey. Growing up in Calgary, DuPont spent plenty of time at the Scotiabank Saddledome, making its farewell season a bittersweet one.
"Yeah, I am actually pretty heartbroken they are getting rid of it," he said. "I know everyone is kinda trashing it, but deep down in my heart, I love that building. I think it's such a historic building; it's so unique, it was so cheap, and the fans were so great. But I think everyone is pretty excited about the new building coming up."
Over the past two seasons with the Everett Silvertips in the WHL, he recorded 35 goals and 133 points in 127 games and served as an alternate captain in 2025-26, his first formal leadership role.
DuPont will begin the next chapter of his career at the University of Michigan after the tournament, where he hopes to continue developing every aspect of his game.
"Come into it open-minded, soak it all in from all the seniors and older guys," DuPont said about his first NCAA season coming up. "We have a pretty skilled team, so learning from my teammates and coaching staff."
Although many early projections have DuPont as a top-10 selection for the 2027 NHL draft, he isn't focused on where he gets picked. His priority is becoming the best player he can be before draft day arrives.
For now, though, all of DuPont's attention remains on one goal: bringing gold back to Canada. After recent disappointments at events like the World Junior Championship and the 2026 Olympics, he knows how much another international championship would mean.
"It would be huge," he said. "Obviously, it's Canada's game. Everything but a gold medal is a disappointment, and we failed to bring it home last year. And the Olympics didn't go Canada's way, but we are pretty motivated and dedicating it to all of the country, starting this year on the right note."
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