For the second time this year, Daxon Rudolph is golden with Team Canada.
The Prince Albert Raiders defenceman suited up for Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship in Allen and Frisco, Texas. Canada won gold with a 7-0 win over Team Sweden in the championship game.
Rudolph also won gold with Canada White at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in Sarnia, Ontario in November alongside Raider teammate Riley Boychuk and coach Ryan McDonald.
“It’s always special when your name gets called and Hockey Canada gives you a call to go compete in the tournament for them.” Rudolph explained in an interview with the Daily Herald on Tuesday. “As a kid, everyone wants to play for them and have that maple leaf on their chest. It’s something I’ve got to do a couple of times now. Coming home with a gold medal is always something we want to do and we ended up doing that.”
Rudolph got the invite after the Raiders were eliminated in the second round of the 2025 WHL Playoffs by the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Rudolph says he enjoyed the experience of being on the national stage once again.
“I think this one a little bit different because it’s not necessarily Canada’s best as some guys are still in the playoffs competing with their CHL teams, but we’re back-to-back champions in the U18 worlds now, so that’s really cool for Canada and really great for us and for myself to be a part of it again.”
As a 2008-born player, Rudolph will still have another year of eligibility to compete in the U18 World Championship in 2026 assuming he is not playing for the Raiders in the postseason.
Throughout the tournament, Rudolph found himself as a depth option for Canada only appearing in a single game in the tournament and didn’t record a point in that lone outing.
Rudolph says he would’ve liked to have been on the ice more, but he was able to soak up a lot of valuable experience at the tournament.
“I didn’t get in the lineup as much this time around. I played one game, but just to be a part of it and just embrace my role. Maybe not the top guy this time around and being that eighth D man for them and just being that guy who’s ready if they ever need me. You got to embrace your role and I think make the most of it. That’s what I did there. Obviously I wish I was playing, but just to be there and share that experience and come home with a gold medal is really exciting and something I’m super proud of.”
Overall, it was a successful 16-year-old campaign for Rudolph. The former first overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft finished the season with 41 points (7g, 34a) in 64 games for Prince Albert and was a finalist for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the WHL Rookie of the Year.
In the playoffs, Rudolph was even better, registering 12 points (1g, 11a) in 11 playoff games with a plus-three rating.
Rudolph will be eligible for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. With all the experience gained from the Raider playoff run and international success with Canada, Rudolph says he is looking forward to getting back to work in Prince Albert this September.
“The playoffs we had with the Raiders this year was super exciting. Seven game series and not many people can play in a game seven. That’s an experience that’s going to last with every single one of those guys in that locker room. We battled back in round one, ended up winning. In round two playing a tougher team, we didn’t end up getting one. That’s something you’ve got to go through. You’ve got to learn as a group and I’m glad we did. It sucked at the time, but I think we all learned a lot. We’ll be ready going forward next year. For myself, that and under-18s are just opportunities for me to keep proving my game. Next year is my (NHL) draft year and I’m just super excited to get back in PA and keep working.”
sports@paherald.sk.ca
