Projected top draft pick Gavin McKenna and five players with NHL experience headline Canada’s training camp roster for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
McKenna, who turns 18 Dec. 20, has totaled 18 points in 16 games as a freshman forward at Penn State. He is the consensus best prospect in the ‘,26 draft class and scored one goal in five appearances for Canada at the 2025 world junior tournament.
The 27-man roster announced by Hockey Canada on Monday includes four forwards (Braeden Cootes, Jett Luchanko, Brady Martin, Michael Misa) and one defenseman (Zayne Parekh) who have played a smattering of games at the NHL level.
The electrifying Parekh, a Calgary Flames prospect, was controversially snubbed from the lineup that underperformed at the 2025 world juniors in Ottawa. Czechia eliminated Canada in the quarterfinals.
The United States beat Finland in overtime to win that edition of the tournament and will host the upcoming world juniors in Minnesota from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.
Six returning Canadian players are part of the 2026 camp roster — Luchanko and McKenna, fellow forwards Cole Beaudoin and Porter Martone and goaltenders Carter George and Jack Ivankovic.
Hockey Canada will trim the roster to 24 ahead of the tournament opener against Czechia in Minneapolis on Boxing Day.
Besides McKenna, the draft-eligible players on the roster are defensemen Carson Carels, Ethan MacKenzie and fellow star prospect Keaton Verhoeff.
The other Canadian players, all recent NHL draft picks, are forwards Carter Bear, Caleb Desnoyers, Liam Greentree, Michael Hage, Tij Iginla, Jake O’Brien, Sam O’Reilly and Cole Reschny; defensemen Kashawn Aitcheson, Harrison Brunicke, Ben Danford, Cameron Reid and Jackson Smith; and goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen.
Teenagers still occupying fringe roles in the NHL, such as Seattle Kraken forward Berkly Catton and San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson, could potentially be added to the team at another player’s expense.
Canada is a 20-time tournament winner. The U.S. (seven wins) is the reigning back-to-back champion.
–Field Level Media
