Men’s National Team travels to Malaysia for prestigious invite-tournament
Field Hockey Canada is proud to announce the men’s national team roster for the upcoming 31st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, set to take place in Ipoh, Malaysia. The prestigious invitational men’s tournament will feature six top-tier international teams in addition to Canada: Belgium (3), India (7), New Zealand (11), Malaysia (13), and Korea (15). Known for its competitive draw and passionate fans, the Azlan Shah Cup offers an important opportunity for Canada’s squad to test itself against some of the world’s best 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 roster, aiming to build on its recent success and improve upon 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 roster features a balanced blend of seasoned veterans and emerging talent, with an average cap count of 42. The core group includes 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 their international resumes over the past few seasons. Veteran leadership will come from stalwarts Matt Sarmento, Balraj Panesar, and Devohn Noronha Teixeira, whose experience will be crucial in guiding the team through the tournament’s challenges.
The youth movement continues to gain momentum, with recent junior national team graduates Jyoth Sidhu, Hudson Loh, Avjot Buttar, Flynn McCulloch, and Rowan Childs earning spots on recent touring rosters.
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 setting. The timing of the camp was ideal, sharpening the squad ahead of the competition period.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup serves as a stepping stone in 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 opportunity to face elite teams at the Azlan Shah Cup will provide crucial experience.
TEAM CANADA ROSTER
| NO. | PLAYER NAME | POSITION | HOMETOWN | CLUB | CAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Gavin Bains | DEF | Ladner, BC | Falcons / India Club | 21 |
| 6 | Avjot Buttar | MID | Richmond, BC | United Brothers | 10 |
| 26 | Sam Cabral | DEF | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 37 |
| 18 | Rowan Childs | MID | Tsawwassen, BC | Delta Falcons | 10 |
| 32 | Zach Coombs | GK | Chelsea, QC | UBC Thunderbirds | 22 |
| 15 | Sean Davis | FWD | Marondera, Zim | Southgate | 25 |
| 4 | Roopkanwar Dhillon | DEF | Surrey, BC | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 25 |
| 13 | Brendan Guraliuk | MID | Tsawwassen, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 50 |
| 33 | Thomson Harris | DEF | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 30 |
| 14 | Manveer Jhamat | DEF | Abbotsford, BC | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 30 |
| 16 | Hudson Loh | FWD | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 4 |
| 24 | Flynn McCulloch | MID | Chelsea, QC | Chelsea Pheonix | 15 |
| 30 | Ethan McTavish | GK | North Vancouver, BC | West Vancouver | 22 |
| 5 | Devohn Noronha Teixeira | FWD | Mississauga, ON | Toronto Lions FHC | 133 |
| 11 | Balraj Panesar | DEF | Surrey, BC | UBR | 105 |
| 7 | Matthew Sarmento | FWD | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 169 |
| 25 | Harbir Sidhu | MID | Victoria, BC | Victoria Tigers/ India Club | 37 |
| 22 | Jyoth Sidhu | MID | Abbotsford, BC | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 10 |
| RESERVES | |||||
| 17 | Aaron Foong | DEF | Vancouver, BC | UBC Thunderbirds | 0 |
| 28 | Bhavdeep Dhaliwal | MID | Surrey, BC | Burnaby Lakers | 0 |
| 34 | Kiefer McNaughton | GK | Chilliwack, BC | Burnaby Lakers | 8 |
| STAFF NAME | ROLE | ||||
| Patrick Tshutshani | Head Coach | ||||
| Nancy Mollenhauer | Team Manager | ||||
