Hockey Canada announced a 27-player training camp roster on Monday for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota, headlined by projected top draft pick Gavin McKenna. The group includes six returnees from last year's fifth-place team and emphasizes team play and discipline after recent early exits. General manager Allan Millar stressed building a cohesive unit focused on skill, speed and compete level.
Hockey Canada revealed its expanded 27-player invite list for the world junior training camp, aiming to rebound from consecutive fifth-place finishes at the IIHF World Junior Championship. The 2025 tournament in Ottawa saw Canada drop a quarterfinal to Czechia, hampered by 34 minor penalties and just 13 goals across five games. This year's approach prioritizes structure and humility, as outlined by head coach Dale Hunter and management.
Gavin McKenna, a Penn State freshman and projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, leads the forwards. The 17-year-old from Whitehorse, Yukon, returns from last year's squad with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 16 NCAA games this season. Other returnees include forwards Cole Beaudoin, Jett Luchanko and Porter Martone, plus goaltenders Carter George and Jack Ivankovic.
Six players bring NHL experience: forwards Braeden Cootes, Luchanko, Brady Martin and Michael Misa, and defensemen Harrison Brunicke and Zayne Parekh. Brunicke, a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect selected 44th overall in 2024, missed last year's event due to a broken hand but won gold at the 2024 U18 worlds.
"It's not an all-star team. We have to build what is really a true team," Millar said at the Toronto news conference. He noted the roster grew from an initial 24 invites due to injuries and strong performances, with one forward, defenseman and goalie to be cut by Dec. 22.
Dale Hunter, who recently won his 1,000th OHL game coaching the London Knights, emphasized discipline: "You can't beat yourselves... In a short tournament like this, it can be the difference between winning and losing."
Mark Hunter, leading the management group, highlighted McKenna's playmaking: "He's an elite playmaker... put players around him who can best maximize how he sees the ice."
The camp runs Dec. 12-22 at Gale Centre Arena in Niagara Falls, Ontario, followed by exhibition games against Sweden in Kitchener and London, Ontario, and Denmark in Minnesota. Canada opens the tournament Dec. 26 against Czechia at 3M Arena in Minneapolis.
