Hockey Canada took one of its final steps towards building its roster for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. The organization announced Monday the 27 players that are taking part in its training camp, which will begin Saturday in Ontario.

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Canada is looking to erase the bad taste of back-to-back quarterfinal exits including a rough stint on home ice in Ottawa last season. The team will be led by London Knights head coach Dale Hunter, looking to repeat his success from the 2020 World Junior Championship where Canada won gold in dramatic fashion.

Canada will welcome back six returnees from last year’s team with some help from players that weren’t there last year but started their seasons in the NHL. After concerns about who would or wouldn’t be loaned, Canada is going to get some needed help from some NHL rookies including Zayne Parekh, Michael Misa and Harrison Brunicke.

They could have had more, but Beckett Sennecke, Berkly Catton, Ben Kindel and Sam Dickinson will all be staying where they are with their NHL clubs. Also, Macklin Celebrini is still actually age eligible for this tournament, but he’s been among the NHL’s best forwards this season.

Canada is going to have the tournament’s deepest team no matter its final configuration. They have talent in all positions and experience helps, too. Perhaps most importantly, they have both goalies from last year’s team back. Of all the issues last year’s team faced, Carter George and Jack Ivankovic were not among them.

Let’s take a look at the roster as it stands today. Canada will have to make two cuts -- one at forward and one on defense -- before they can register their group for the tournament.

Canada World Junior Camp Roster 2026

Forwards

• Carter Bear, LW, Everett Silvertips (DET)
• Cole Beaudoin, C, Barrie Colts (UTA)
• Braeden Cootes, C, Seattle Thunderbirds (VAN)
• Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (UTA)
• Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor Spitfires (LAK)
• Michael Hage, C/W, Michigan (MTL)
• Tij Iginla, LW, Kelowna Rockets (UTA)
• Jett Luchanko, C, Brantford Bulldogs (PHI)
• Brady Martin, C, Soo Greyhounds (NSH)
• Porter Martone, RW, Michigan State (PHI)
• Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State (2026)
• Michael Misa, C, San Jose Sharks (SJS)
• Jake O'Brien, C, Brantford Bulldogs (SEA)
• Sam O'Reilly, C, London Knights (TBL)
• Cole Reschny, C/W, North Dakota (CGY)

Defense

• Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD, Barrie Colts (NYI)
• Harrison Brunicke, RHD, Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT)
• Ben Danford, RHD, Brantford Bulldogs (TOR)
• Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George Cougars (2026)
• Ethan Mackenzie, LHD, Edmonton Oil Kings
• Zayne Parekh, RHD, Calgary Flames (CGY)
• Cameron Reid, LHD, Kitchener Rangers (NSH)
• Jackson Smith, LHD, Penn State (CBJ)
• Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (2026)

Goaltending

• Carter George, Owen Sound Attack (LAK)
• Jack Ivankovic, Michigan (NSH)
• Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George Cougars (SJS)

Instant Analysis

NHL Help Will Help A Lot

Hockey Canada is missing a ton of age-eligible players due to players reaching the NHL quickly and not being made available for this tournament, but they did still get some of them and that matters. Zayne Parekh and Michael Misa were notable snubs from last year's team and now get a chance to help stoke the offense of a team that is not really wanting for skill. This team has way more offensive potential than last year's, but adding two highly-skilled players who won a Memorial Cup in Saginaw together goes a long way.

Harrison Brunicke is another highly-valued player that is going to have a lot of opportunity to play up the lineup and help Canada at both ends of the ice. This is good for the Penguins, too, because they hadn't been able to get him the ice and reps he needs at the NHL level to keep propelling himself. He's handled himself well during an AHL conditioning stint that was about to expire and now the Pens get more runway with him, while he gets a chance to chase gold with Canada.

NHL Draft Showcase

Hockey Canada brought three players that are NHL Draft-eligible in Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff and Carson Carels. The rumors had been swirling that Carels had put himself in the mix thanks to his steady play in the WHL this season and after watching him a few weeks back at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, there were some clear reasons why. Everyone knew McKenna was going to be on the team and that Verhoeff had a good shot.

Canada does have to cut one defenseman, but I'm not entirely sure it will be one of their draft-eligibles. Verhoeff is one of four total defensemen who are right shots. But I still think he has to earn his spot. Carels, actually sounds more likely to make it at this point, but I wouldn't count out the 6-foot-4 Verhoeff. He likely has to beat out one of Jackson Smith, Carels and undrafted Ethan MacKenzie, who is committed to North Dakota for next season, by the way, for a final spot on the team's D corps. Had Sam Dickinson been loaned, one of these players wouldn't be here, but now the door is wide open.

Meanwhile, the World Juniors is extra critical for Gavin McKenna. He can quiet the noise with a strong showing at the tournament. His season has underwhelmed most scouts that have gone to see him at Penn State, but he's always shone brightly on the international stage within his age group. After a so-so underager performance last year, I think he could be in for an explosive opportunity here.

Confidence In Net

I think Canada has the strongest trio of goalies of any team in this tournament. It's not something we've been able to say often about them. Carter George is the incumbent No. 1, but I wouldn't rule out Ivankovic competing for reps as the starter. My guess is George starts Game 1, but I think we could see Ivankovic in some critical starts for this Canadian team. The fact that Ravensbergen, a first-round pick, is very likely the No. 3 just shows the strength of this group.

Goaltending matters in a big way, and that can be a difference-maker in those single-elimination games.

Is It A 19-Year-Old's Tournament?

Canada did not go heavy on older players this year. Twelve of the 27 named are 2007 born or younger, which is a bit against type. Canada likes to lean on their more senior players and they may have gone further that way with a few more NHL guys in the mix. Either way, they took a team that is not wanting for talent. The best offensive players are going to be given a chance, regardless of experience or age. Talent was at a premium here.

Notable Omissions

The most notable omission for me from this roster was Justin Carbonneau. I thought the St. Louis Blues first-rounder had done enough this year to stake a claim on a spot along the wing, but this Canada roster basically has a ton of centers that they're going to put in a bunch of different spots. I thought Carbonneau's size and physicality would help him earn a role, but it was not to be as other, older players got the nod like Liam Greentree and Carter Bear.

Another player that I thought we'd see at least in camp was OHL leading goal scorer Marek Vanacker. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect has been a scoring machine for Brantford, which is one of the biggest wagons in junior hockey in years. A number of his teammates got spots, but not him. I don't think Canada is going to struggle to score goals, but there isn't a hotter hand in junior hockey right now than Vanacker. 

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