Hockey Canada has selected 40 officials—20 referees and 20 linespersons—for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase and 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and a pair of series against the United States featuring Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and Canada’s National Women’s Development Team.

“This slate of summer events presents our officials with an opportunity to test themselves in international environments,” said Dan Hanoomansingh (Vancouver, BC), officiating manager for Hockey Canada. “Just like the players, our officials aspire to officiate top international competition. These events are crucial opportunities to measure their progress and receive high-level coaching in an elite environment.”

The Hockey Canada Officiating Program of Excellence (OPOE) provides a pathway for Canadian officials to be selected for top national and international assignments. All officials are recommended by their provincial or regional Member before attending development camps and receive ongoing feedback prior to event selections.

2026 World Junior Summer Showcase (Windsor, ON)

The officiating coaches for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase are Hanoomansingh and Scott Oakman (Toronto, ON).

2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Edmonton, AB)

The officiating coaches for the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup are Mike Campbell (Surrey, BC), Hanoomansingh, Fraser Lawrence (Edmonton, AB) and Nathan Van Oosten (Victoria, BC).

Women’s Series vs. United States (Richmond, BC)

As part of an exchange with USA Hockey, referee Kaitlyn Sauser (Hockey Saskatchewan) and linesperson Shadei Saadé (Hockey Québec) will participate in the USA Hockey Elite Officiating Camp in Lake Placid, New York. American referee Tasha Adams and linesperson Aimee Konet will join the six Canadian officials selected for the series in Richmond. This collaboration strives to create stronger competition and success for Canadian officials at the international level.

The officiating coaches for the series are Gabrielle Ariano-Lortie (Laval, QC) and Cianna Murray (Saskatoon, SK).

For more information about the Hockey Canada Officiating Program, visit HockeyCanada.ca/Officials.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 32 players that have been invited to the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase, set for July 26-Aug. 1 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario.

Four goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 18 forwards will take part in practices, scrimmages and a trio of exhibition games against Finland, Sweden and the United States in preparation for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship, Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta .

The camp roster features eight players who are eligible to return from Canada’s 2026 National Junior Team (Carels, Cootes, Desnoyers, Ivankovic, Martin, Reid, Reschny, Verhoeff) and 17 players who have won gold at the IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship (Carels, Cootes, Czata, Desnoyers, Hopkins, Huang, Ivankovic, Lin, Martin, Nesbitt, Reschny, Roobroeck, Rudolph, Schmidt, Smith, Verhoeff, Villeneuve) .

Landon DuPont (Calgary, AB/Everett, WHL)was invited to participate in the World Junior Summer Showcase but will play for Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup instead.

The player selection process was led by Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), general manager of the National Junior Team, alongside Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), Program of Excellence (POE) head scout, and Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL), assistant general manager of the National Junior Team. Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), Hockey Canada’s senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON) ,director of hockey operations, also provided input.

"We're excited to announce the 32 players who will attend the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor as we begin our preparation for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said Millar. “This is an important opportunity for our staff to evaluate a talented group of players against top international competition while continuing to build our identity as a team. We're looking forward to seeing this group compete and bringing this showcase to Windsor in front of passionate Canadian hockey fans."

The team will practice July 27 and 28 before taking on Sweden on July 29, Finland on July 30 and the United States on Aug. 1.

Every game at the World Junior Summer Showcase will be livestreamed at HNLive.ca (subscription required).

Tickets for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase are on sale now starting at $18 plus applicable fees. Full event packages and team-specific ticket packages can also be purchased. Visit HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets for more information.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the coaching and support staffs that will work with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, this winter.

Head coach Misha Donskov (London, ON) will be joined by assistant coaches Drew Bannister (Belleville, ON/Sault Ste. Marie, OHL) , Brad Lauer (Humboldt, SK/Spokane, WHL), Jim Hulton (Wolfe Island, ON/Saint John, QMJHL) and Ryan Getzlaf (Regina, SK), goaltending coach Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC/Kamloops, WHL) and video coach Adam Filmon (Winnipeg, MB)with additional support from James Emery (Calgary, AB), Hockey Canada's director of performance analysis.

The coaches and support staff were selected by National Junior Team general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON) and Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, with input from director of hockey operations Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON) and Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL), the assistant general manager of the National Junior Team.

"We are excited to officially announce our coaching staff for Canada’s National Junior Team and bring together a group of experienced, accomplished leaders who are deeply committed to player development and winning on the international stage,” said Millar. “Misha, Drew, Ryan, Jim, Brad and Dan each bring a unique set of skills and perspectives, along with extensive experience at the professional, Major Junior and international levels. We are confident this staff will create an environment that allows our players to succeed and proudly represent Canada as we prepare for the World Juniors."

Donskov, who expanded his role within Hockey Canada in April, made his international head coaching debut at the 2026 IIHF World Championship. Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach returns to the World Juniors for a second-consecutive season after helping Canada to a bronze medal as an associate coach at the 2026 tournament in Minnesota. He spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars (2023-25). Prior to that, he spent four seasons as an assistant coach (2020-23) with the Vegas Golden Knights, winning the Stanley Cup in 2023, and was the team’s director of hockey operations for four seasons (2016-20). Internationally, Donskov has been an assistant coach with several successful Canadian teams, including winning a silver medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, as well as championships at the 4 Nations Face-Off and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He won gold at two IIHF World Championships (2015, 2016) and one IIHF World Junior Championship (2015) as manager of hockey operations, analytics and video. Donskov also won the 2019 Spengler Cup as director of hockey operations and assistant coach, as well as the 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament as a video coach.

Bannister was named head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the second time on June 22, 2026. He most recently served as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship in May. He was head coach of the St. Louis Blues during the 2024-25 season after being promoted from the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he served more than two seasons (2021-23) as head coach. He previously spent three seasons (2015-18) as head coach of the Greyhounds. Internationally, Bannister served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2025 Spengler Cup, won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup and was an assistant with Ontario at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. As a player, he won a gold medal with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 1994 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Hulton was named head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) last month, after 11 seasons as head coach of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders. He has represented Canada six times over the course of his career, starting with his debut as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2001 Six Nations Cup. He made his head coaching debut for Canada at the 2003 Junior World Cup, before helping Canada to a World Juniors silver medal in 2004 and a gold medal in 2005 as an assistant coach. He also represented Canada as associate head coach at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games and was an assistant coach at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. Hulton has also served in various coaching capacities with the North Bay Centennials (1998), Mississauga IceDogs (1998-00), Belleville Bulls (2000-03), Kingston Frontenacs (2003-06), Royal Military College (2007), St. Michael’s Majors (2008), Florida Panthers (2008-10) and Tri-City Storm (2013-15).

Lauer returns to Canada’s National Junior Team for the second-consecutive year after winning bronze as an assistant in Minnesota. He recently completed his second season as head coach of the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL), reaching the WHL championship series in 2025. He also served as head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings for four seasons (2018-22), winning the WHL championship (2022) and Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL coach of the year (2019-20), and previously was an assistant with the Kootenay Ice for five seasons (2002-07). Lauer was also an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets (2022-24), Tampa Bay Lightning (2015-18), Anaheim Ducks (2012-15) and Ottawa Senators (2009-11), as well as with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch (2011-12) and Milwaukee Admirals (2007-09).

Getzlaf made his international management debut at the 2024 IIHF World Championship serving under general manager Doug Armstrong (Sarnia, ON/St. Louis, NHL). Since then, Getzlaf has worked alongside Hockey Canada management at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, 2025 IIHF World Championship and 2026 Olympic Winter Games as a player relations advisor. The Regina, Saskatchewan, native played 17 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks (2005-22), serving as captain for 12 seasons (2010-22) and winning the Stanley Cup in 2007. Getzlaf played in 1,157 NHL games, recording 1,019 points (282-737—1,019) and appearing in three NHL All-Star Games (2008, 2009, 2015). Internationally, he won gold medals at the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championship, 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship, and 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games, as well as the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Getzlaf also won silver at the 2004 World Juniors and 2008 IIHF World Championship. He also captained Team Canada at Men’s Worlds in 2012 and suited up for Team West at the 2002 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He spent the 2023-24 season as a development coach with the Ducks.

De Palma is entering his 20th season as the goaltending coach for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. He began his coaching career with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars in 2006-07 and spent three seasons in northern British Columbia before joining the Blazers. De Palma has won two IIHF U18 World Championship gold medals (2024, 2025) as a goaltending coach, as well as a gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also served as the goaltending coach at the 2025 and 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships, as well as for Canada Black at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

The support staff that will work with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship includes:

• Head equipment manager Blair Smook (Airdrie, AB)
• Equipment manager AJ Murley (St. John’s, NL)
• Manager of medical services and sport physiotherapist Scott Cyr (Saskatoon, SK/Calgary, NHL)
• Athletic therapist Mike Burnstein (Hamilton, ON/Vancouver, WHL)
• Strength and conditioning coach Ryan van Asten (Calgary, AB)
• Team physician Dr. Ben Cameron (Summerside, PE/Calgary, AHL)
• Hockey operations coordinators Miah Armitage (Creston, BC)and Jared Power (Calgary, AB)
• Media relations coordinator Branden Crowe (Virden, MB)

Canada’s National Junior Team will begin preparations for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship at the World Junior Summer Showcase, July 26-Aug. 1 in Windsor, Ontario, where it will be joined by Finland, Sweden and the United States.

Additional support staff that will work with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase includes:

• Hockey operations student Cédrik Cabana (Sherbrooke, QC)

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

WINDSOR, Ontario – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the City of Windsor and the Windsor Spitfires, has announced the schedule and ticket information for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase, July 26-Aug.1 at the WFCU Centre.

Canada’s National Junior Team hopefuls will be joined by Finland, Sweden and the United States for 10 games in preparation for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship, set for Dec. 26, 2026-Jan. 5, 2027 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

“The World Junior Summer Showcase is a very important step in our preparations and building our team for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton,” said Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), general manager of the Program of Excellence. “This showcase gives us the opportunity to continue our player evaluation, build relationships and chemistry amongst players and staff, and set our standards and expectations for our team in a very competitive environment.”

Canada will kick off the World Junior Summer Showcase against Sweden at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Wednesday, July 29, and will also take on Finland on Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and the United States on Saturday, Aug. 1 at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

The 2025 edition of the World Junior Summer Showcase in Minnesota featured 104 National Hockey League draft picks, including 34 first-round selections. The Canadian roster led the way with 22 first-rounders, highlighted by 2025 No. 1 draft pick Matthew Schaefer (Hamilton, ON/New York Islanders, NHL) and four of the next six picks: Michael Misa (Oakville, ON/San Jose, NHL), Caleb Desnoyers (Saint-Hyacinthe, QC/Utah, NHL), Brady Martin (Elmira, ON/Nashville, NHL) and Porter Martone (Peterborough, ON/Philadelphia, NHL).

The showcase also included two of the top five North American skaters ranked by NHL Central Scouting for the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft – Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, YT/Penn State University, Big Ten) and Carson Carels (Cypress River, MB/Prince George, WHL) – and two of the top five international skaters – Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg and Viggo Björck.

“The City of Windsor is proud to welcome the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase to the WFCU Centre this July,” said Mayor Drew Dilkens. “This event brings together some of the best young hockey talent in the world and inspires youth to strive for excellence, while reinforcing Windsor’s strong reputation as a premier destination for sports tourism. In partnership with Hockey Canada and the Windsor Spitfires, we look forward to showcasing our community, supporting our local economy and creating an unforgettable experience for players, coaches, officials, volunteers, fans and visitors alike.”

Tickets for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase will go on sale on Friday, May 15, with full-event packages starting at $164. A three-game Canadian package begins at $129, while single-game tickets start at $18 plus fees. For more information, visit HockeyCanada.ca/SummerShowcase .

“We are incredibly proud to welcome the World Junior Summer Showcase back to Windsor. This is a tremendous opportunity for our city to once again be on the international stage, and a testament to the passion our community has for the game of hockey,” said John Savage, Governor of the Windsor Spitfires. “On behalf of the Windsor Spitfires organization, we are excited to partner with Hockey Canada to deliver a first-class event. Our staff, volunteers, and fans all play a role in creating an unforgettable experience, and we look forward to showcasing everything Windsor has to offer to players, officials, and visitors from around the world.”

All World Junior Summer Showcase games can be livestreamed at HNLive.ca .

For more information on Hockey Canada, the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca , or follow along via social media on Facebook , X, Instagram , and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers that will comprise the Program of Excellence (POE) management group for the 2026-27 season, under the leadership of POE general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON).

Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL) returns for his second-consecutive stint with the POE, guiding the under-17 program through the 2026 U17 World Challenge in Oakville, Ontario, while Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) returns for the third-straight year to support the under-18 program through the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, Alberta. Dave Brown (Niagara on the Lake, ON/Erie, OHL) returns to the POE management group, working with Canada’s National Junior Team for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta.

The management group was selected by Millar, Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations.

“We are very pleased to have Dave, Yanick, and Mike return to the POE Management Group,” said Millar. “All three individuals bring great leadership, CHL management, and international experience to our National Teams. Dave, Yanick, and Mike, will play a significant role in player evaluations, team build, and establishing the standard for culture and expectations across all our programs.”

Johnston returns to the POE management group after helping guide Canada Red and Canada White to gold and silver, respectively, at the 2025 U17 World Challenge. He also served as an assistant coach for Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and has been senior vice-president and general manager of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for 14 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-26). He recently stepped down as head coach after 12 seasons (2009-12, 2013-14, 2016-24), winning executive of the year and coach of the year honours in the U.S. Division in 2023-24. He has also served as an assistant (1999-2003) and associate coach (2003-04) with the Vancouver Canucks, an associate coach with the Los Angeles Kings (2005-08) and head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins (2014-16). Johnston coached Canada’s National Men’s Team from 1994-99, winning two gold medals (1997, 2007), two silver (1996, 2008) and one bronze (1995) at the IIHF World Championship. He also won gold at three IIHF World Junior Championships (1994, 1995, 1996) as an assistant coach, was an assistant at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games and head coach at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship, and won the Spengler Cup in 1993.

Lemay returns to the POE management group for the third-straight season after helping guide Canada White and Canada Red to gold and silver, respectively, at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and leading Canada to a bronze medal at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is entering his third season as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Prior to joining Drummondville, he served as an amateur scout with the Winnipeg Jets for 12 seasons (2011-23), was head scout of the QMJHL’s Junior de Montréal for three seasons (2008-11) and spent 10 seasons with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles as a scout (1998-2002) and head scout (2002-08).

Brown returns to the POE management group after helping lead Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship in Finland and gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also helped Canada White to gold at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Brown is currently in his 11th season (2015-26) as general manager of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving four seasons (2011-15) as director of hockey operations. He helped lead Erie to an OHL championship in 2017 and contributed to a CHL record of four-consecutive 50-win seasons (2011-15). Prior to joining the Otters, Brown spent seven seasons with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs, serving as assistant general manager (2003-05) and general manager (2005-10).

The management group will work alongside Salmond, Millar, Roy and POE head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), as well as the organization’s hockey operations staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

The Program of Excellence is overseen by Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer; Misha Donskov (London, ON), vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach; Salmond; Millar; Roy; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, ON), CHL president; Bryan Crawford (Hamilton, ON), OHL commissioner; Mario Cecchini (Saint-Lambert, QC), QMJHL commissioner; and Dan Near (Markham, ON), WHL commissioner.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Misha Donskov (London, ON) will serve as head coach at three marquee events through the 2026-27 season as part of his expanded role in hockey operations.

Donskov will serve as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Team and Canada’s National Junior Team while building the coaching staffs for both teams, beginning with his international head coaching debut at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Zürich and Fribourg, Switzerland. Donskov will also lead the team at the 2027 edition of the event in Düsseldorf and Mannheim, Germany, and will take the reins as head coach at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship, which returns to Canadian ice in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, in December 2026.

Hired as vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national team coach on June 27, 2025, Donskov will expand his role in this position while reporting to Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations. He will implement the vision and technical strategies for Hockey Canada’s men’s, women’s and para hockey teams while strengthening the alignment between the organization’s hockey operations and business operations staffs.

“Misha is an integral member of our hockey operations staff, and his contributions to successful teams at Hockey Canada over the years, as well as his NHL and OHL coaching and front office experience make him the perfect fit to lead our National Men’s Team and National Junior Team as head coach starting next month,” Salmond said. “Misha is a world-class coach, and we are fortunate to have him building the coaching and support staffs that will put us in a position to win multiple gold medals at two of the marquee events on the international hockey calendar.”

Previously, Donskov was an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars for two seasons (2023-25), and spent more than three years (2020-23) as an assistant and four (2016-20) as director of hockey operations with the Vegas Golden Knights, winning the Stanley Cup in 2023. Internationally, he won a silver medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games and gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off as an assistant coach, as well as IIHF World Championship gold medals as video coach (2015) and assistant coach (2016). Donskov has also won gold and bronze at the 2015 and 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, respectively, serving as video coach (2015) and associate coach (2026), as well as bronze at the 2014 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship as video coach. He also won the 2016 World Cup of Hockey as an assistant, the 2019 Spengler Cup as director of hockey operations and assistant coach, and the 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka as video coach.

Donskov also spent five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights (2009-12) and Ottawa 67s (2012-14), highlighted by an OHL championship as London’s assistant general manager and assistant coach in 2012. In addition to his coaching and management career, Donskov has extensive experience in hockey development, including previous NHL roles with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers. 

Prior to pursuing a full-time career in hockey, Donskov spent six years with Cardinal Health, a Fortune 500 global, integrated healthcare solutions company. He held roles of increasing responsibility in finance, sales, and sales management. He holds a master's degree in kinesiology with a specialization in coaching education from the University of Western Ontario.

“Representing Canada on the international stage is a huge honour, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead Canada’s National Men’s Team and Canada’s National Junior Team as head coach at three marquee world championships,” Donskov said. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with my colleagues in hockey operations and throughout Hockey Canada, as well as coaches and staff throughout the National Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League, to build teams and programs that give us the best chance to win gold medals.”

Canada’s National Men’s Team coaching staff for the 2026 IIHF World Championship will be announced in the coming days, while the coaching staff for Canada’s National Junior Team will be announced at a later date.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota – Canada's National Junior Team has won the bronze medal at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship after defeating Finland 6-3 in the third-place game Monday at Grand Casino Arena.

Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, YT/Penn State University, Big Ten) finished with a goal and three assists, while Michael Hage (Mississauga, ON/University of Michigan, Big Ten) recorded four helpers.

Hage led the tournament with 15 points (2-13—15). His 13 assists are the second-most by a Canadian in a single tournament, trailing only Connor Bedard (14 in 2023).

Zayne Parekh (Nobleton, ON/Calgary, NHL) had a goal and an assist to set a pair of Canadian records—most points by a defenceman at a World Juniors (13), surpassing Bryan McCabe (1995) and Alex Pietrangelo (2010), and most goals by a defenceman at a World Juniors (5), one more than Kris Russell (2007) and Thomas Chabot (2017).

“We came into today a little down, obviously, but we worked hard to get our heads in the right place and come to work like any other day,” Parekh said following the game. “After the first 20 minutes, we said to each other—why not? Let’s do this for the country and we got the job done. It’s bittersweet for me when you talk about the record, because you want to win [a gold medal] and today was tough, but I’m proud of the group, and those are friends for life.”

Sam O’Reilly (Toronto, ON/London, OHL) scored twice, while Braeden Cootes (Sherwood Park, AB/Seattle, WHL) and captain Porter Martone (Peterborough, ON/Michigan State University, Big Ten) rounded out the scoring for the Canadians, who led 3-2 after one period and 5-3 after two before McKenna finished the scoring in the final frame.

“Tough turnaround from last night to today, but I’m proud of how we regrouped,” said Martone. “I love how resilient we were today. There were a lot of tears shed last night and ton of disappointment in that room, so to reset and respond the way we did with a full 60-minute effort is something I will remember for a long time.”

Tij Iginla (Lake Country, BC/Kelowna, BC), Keaton Verhoeff (Fort Saskatchewan, AB/University of North Dakota, NCHC) andLiam Greentree (Oshawa, ON/Windsor, OHL)all found the scoresheet with assists.

Carter George (Thunder Bay, ON/Owen Sound, OHL) made 32 saves in his eighth and final World Juniors appearance across two tournaments.

A full game summary can be found here.

“It really is a good feeling. Credit to the boys to bounce back, both teams really; losing in the semifinals is hard, but I thought both teams came today and gave it their all,” said head coach Dale Hunter (Petrolia, ON/London, OHL). “You always want to win the gold, but the boys came out hard and worked and have something to be proud of.”

Since 1977, Canada has won 20 gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship, along with 10 silver and six bronze.

The 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, from Dec. 26, 2026-Jan. 5, 2027. Hockey fans interested in attending the tournament can sign up for the 2027 World Juniors Priority Draw for free. The deadline to enter is tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. MT. Visit HockeyCanada.ca/PriorityDraw for more information.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.caor follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. FINLAND (JAN. 5)

Canada’s National Junior Team closes out the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship on Monday afternoon, facing off against Finland in the bronze medal game at Grand Casino Arena.

Last Game

Canada dropped a close one in its Sunday semifinal, erasing three one-goal deficits over the final 40 minutes before Czechia scored the winner with just 74 seconds remaining in what finished as a 6-4 defeat. Jack Ivankovic was terrific between the pipes, finishing with 31 saves, and the Canadians got goals from Tij Iginla, Zayne Parekh, Cole Reschny and Porter Martone.

The Finns could not have come any closer to the gold medal game without actually getting there, falling 4-3 in a shootout to Sweden. Aron Kiviharju hit the crossbar on an overtime power play, and Finland had three separate chances to earn the win in the shootout before coming up just short. Atte Joki scored in the first period, Jasper Kuhta scored in the second and Joona Saarelainen tied the game with 5:59 left in the third.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Finns met just five days ago, capping off the preliminary round on New Year’s Eve. The teams combined for four goals on the first four shots and six total goals in the first period before Canada netted four of the last five in a 7-4 win. Brady Martin and Cole Beaudoin scored two goals apiece, Beaudoin and Parekh had three points each and the Canadians outshot Finland 24-10 over the final 40 minutes to finish an unbeaten preliminary round and earn first place in Group B.

What to Watch

Michael Hage was all over the puck again Sunday against the Czechs, picking up two more assists, hitting three posts and coming close on a second-period penalty shot. The Toronto native has racked up 11 points (2-9—11) in six games, good for a tie atop the tournament scoring race with Parekh and Czech forward Vojtech Cihar. Hage is one of just three Canadians—along with Parekh and Gavin McKenna—to record points in all six games, and he has four multi-point efforts, something only Hage and Parekh can claim. Reschny made his presence felt with the injury absence of Brady Martin, scoring the 3-3 goal early in the third period (after potentially making it 2-2 in the second… the IIHF may want to have a look at that one). The Macklin, Saskatchewan, product skated a tournament-high 17:21 and earned Player of the Game honours for the Canadians.

Petteri Rimpinen has to be getting tired, right? The Finnish goaltender has been an absolute workhorse over the last two World Juniors, playing every single second across both tournaments—more than 810 minutes in all over 13 (soon to be 14, in all likelihood) games. Rimpinen earned Best Goaltender honours last year in Ottawa, posting a 2.34 goals-against average and .933 save percentage while backstopping Finland to overtime in the gold medal game. The numbers aren’t quite as good in Minnesota (2.57 GAA and .883 SV%), but Rimpinen has shown he has the ability to steal a game (and he came within one save, or one goal from his skaters of a return trip to the final). A fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2025 (152nd overall), he has been a mainstay in the Finnish crease—since 2022, he has played in a World U17 Hockey Challenge, two Hlinka Gretzky Cups, an IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship and two World Juniors.

Be There Next Year!

The holiday hockey tradition returns to Canadian ice a year from now when Edmonton and Red Deer host the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. Fans interested in ticket packages can register until Jan. 6 for the Priority Ticket Draw at HockeyCanada.ca/PriorityDraw.

A Look Back

Going all the way back to the first World Juniors in 1977, only the United States (50 games played) has been a more frequent foe for Canada than the Finns (44).

It’ll be the ninth time Canada and Finland will face off in the playoff round, but just the second in the bronze medal game—in 2012 in Calgary, Quinton Howden scored a pair of goals and Mark Visentin posted a 27-save shutout to lead the Canadians to a 4-0 win.

All-time record: Canada leads 29-9-6 (1-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 179
Finland goals: 111

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. CZECHIA (JAN. 4)

Canada’s National Junior Team is back in the semifinals at the IIHF World Junior Championship for the first time in three years, taking on Czechia in a Boxing Day rematch, this time with a spot in the gold medal game on the line.

Last Game

Canada booked its place in the final four with a comfortable 7-1 win over Slovakia in the last quarterfinal Friday. The Canadians took charge early, striking for five goals in the span of 5:49 in the back half of the first period. In all, seven players scored and 14 recorded at least a point, while Michael Misa, Porter Martone, Sam O’Reilly and Cole Beaudoin finished with a goal and an assist apiece.

Czechia advanced to the semifinals for the fifth year in a row thanks to a 6-2 quarterfinal win over Switzerland. Petr Sikora and Jiri Klima recorded a goal and two assists each to help the Czechs erase a pair of one-goal deficits. Michal Orsulak needed to make just 18 saves as Czechia outshot the Swiss 33-11 over the final 40 minutes, and 43-20 overall.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Czechs raised the curtain on preliminary-round play nine days ago, with Canada earning a wild 7-5 victory on Boxing Day. Zayne Parekh scored a pair of goals, Ethan MacKenzie and Michael Hage chipped in with a goal and two helpers each and the Canadians got the three points in a game they led 1-0, 2-1, 4-3 and 5-4, and trailed 3-2.

What to Watch

The Canadians have the highest-scoring offence in the tournament with 32 goals in five games (five more than second-best Sweden) and the contributions have come from everywhere. Nineteen of the 22 skaters have recorded at least one point and 13 have scored goals. A look at the tournament scoring race shows six Canadians in the top 12, with Parekh (4-6—10) positioning himself to be the second defenceman in as many years to lead the tournament in scoring—after that hadn’t happened in the first 48 editions of the World Juniors. And how about clutch scoring? Five games have produced five different game-winning goal scorers—MacKenzie, Hage, Braeden Cootes, Beaudoin and Tij Iginla. To finish, let’s make a quick stop between the pipes; Jack Ivankovic has allowed just one goal in both of his starts in Minnesota. Going back to the medal round at U18 Men’s Worlds last spring, when Ivankovic backstopped Canada to gold and earned Best Goaltender honours, the Mississauga product has fashioned a 5-0 record with a 0.79 goals-against average, .968 save percentage and two shutouts.

Czechia is led by the three-headed monster of Vojtech Cihar (2-7—9), Tomas Galvas (3-5—8) and Sikora (2-6—8), who sit third, eighth and ninth in tournament scoring, respectively. They were front and centre in the quarterfinal win over the Swiss, combining for two goals and six points. Cihar, a second-round pick of Los Angeles (59th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft, will be joining 15 of his Czech teammates in the Canadian Hockey League after the tournament, suiting up for the Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets. And you can’t ignore Adam Jiricek; the Brantford Bulldogs (OHL) blue-liner and St. Louis Blues first-rounder (16th overall in 2024) has scored in each of his last four games, including a highlight-reel overtime winner against Finland.

Be There Next Year!

The holiday hockey tradition returns to Canadian ice a year from now when Edmonton and Red Deer host the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. Fans interested in ticket packages can register until Jan. 6 for the Priority Ticket Draw at HockeyCanada.ca/PriorityDraw.

A Look Back

The head-to-head history overwhelmingly favours the Canadians. Since the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Canada has won 22 of the 28 meetings, with another two ending in ties.

This will be the fifth time the Canadians and Czechs have clashed in a semifinal, and all four of the previous final-four faceoffs have ended in favour of Canada—in 2004 (7-1), 2005 (3-1), 2018 (7-2) and 2022 (5-2).

All-time record: Canada leads 22-3-2 (1-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 130
Czechia goals: 57

The IIHF World Junior Championship has come a long way since Banska Bystrica and Zvolen, Czechoslovakia, hosted the inaugural tournament in December 1976 and January 1977.

As the 50th edition of what has become a holiday hockey tradition draws to a close over the next few days, it’s an opportunity to look back on the past half-century, at the players, teams and moments that carved their place into history.

Let’s take a closer look at the some of the more notable numbers from 50 years of the World Juniors.

1 – Player to win three gold medals; Jason Botterill topped the podium at each of his three appearances, in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

3 – Shutouts in a single tournament; Justin Pogge set the mark when he backstopped Canada to gold in Vancouver in 2006, and Devon Levi repeated the feat 15 years later in Edmonton.

5 – Fathers and sons who have represented Canada—the Tambellinis (Steve-1978 and Jeff-2024); Gagners (Dave-1984 and Sam-2007); Donovans (Shean-1995 and Jorian-2024); Gauthiers (Denis-1996 and Ethan-2025); and Iginlas (Jarome-1995 and Tij-2026).

6 – Overtime goal scorers; Matt Halischuk (2008), Kent Johnson (2022) and Dylan Guenther (2023) were golden goal scorers, Raffi Torres (2001) netted in the bronze medal game, Connor Bedard (2023) was the hero in the quarterfinals and Michael Hage (2026) was the first to score an extra-time winner in the prelims.

7 – Points in one game; five players have reached the mark—Dave Andreychuk (3-4—7 in 1983), Brendan Morrow (1-6—7 in 1999), Mike Cammalleri (3-4—7 in 2002), Gabriel Bourque (3-4—7 in 2010) and Connor Bedard (3-4—7 in 2023).

7 –16-year-olds to play for Canada—Wayne Gretzky (1978), Eric Lindros (1990), Jay Bouwmeester (2000), Jason Spezza (2000), Sidney Crosby (2005), Connor McDavid (2014) and Connor Bedard (2022).

7 – Canadians to play in three World Juniors; the exclusive club includes Trevor Kidd (1990-92), Eric Lindros (1990-92), Martin Lapointe (1991-93), Jason Botterill (1994-96), Jay Bouwmeester (2000-02), Jason Spezza (2000-02) and Ryan Ellis (2009-11).

10 – Canadians to win MVP honours; since the award was first presented in 2004, Canadian recipients include Patrice Bergeron (2005), Carey Price (2007), Steve Mason (2008), John Tavares (2009), Jordan Eberle (2010), Brayden Schenn (2011), Thomas Chabot (2017), Alexis Lafrenière (2020), Mason McTavish (2022) and Connor Bedard (2023).

10 – Goals in one tournament; the all-time Canadian record has stood since the very first World Juniors in 1977, when John Anderson and Dale McCourt both reached double-digits as part of Canada’s highest-scoring offence ever (50 goals in seven games).

12 – Most returnees in a single year; it was all hands on deck thanks to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, allowing Shawn Belle, Jeff Carter, Braydon Coburn, Jeremy Colliton, Sidney Crosby, Nigel Dawes, Stephen Dixon, Ryan Getzlaf, Dion Phaneuf, Michael Richards, Brent Seabrook and Anthony Stewart to help Canada end an eight-year gold medal drought in North Dakota.

12 – Points in one tournament by a defenceman; Bryan McCabe did it first, scoring three goals and adding nine assists to help Canada to its first-ever perfect World Juniors in Alberta in 1995. Alex Pietrangelo equalled the mark in 2010 in Saskatchewan, opening with a four-assist effort against Latvia and putting up points in all six games as Canada finished with silver on the Prairies.

18 – Goals in a game; Canada has reached the mark twice, in an 18-2 win over West Germany on Dec. 27, 1985 (led by three goals and three assists from Scott Mellanby) and an 18-3 win over Poland on Dec. 20, 1986 (with goals from 12 different players).

20 – Gold medals; no country has stood atop the podium more in the first 49 years of the World Juniors than Canada (1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023). Its total includes two five-year runs (1993-1997 and 2005-2009).

23 – Points in one tournament by a Canadian; Connor Bedard turned the 2023 World Juniors in Halifax and Moncton into his personal playground, recording nine goals and 14 assists in seven games to lead Canada to gold as MVP. He had 13 points in a two-games-in-two-days masterpiece against Germany (3-4—7) and Austria (2-4—6) on his way to the third-most points in tournament history.

24 – Hockey Hall of Fame inductees who played for Canada—Dave Andreychuk (1983), Dino Ciccarelli (1980), Mike Gartner (1978), Doug Gilmour (1981), Wayne Gretzky (1978), Dale Hawerchuk (1981), Jarome Iginla (1996), Paul Kariya (1992-93), Mario Lemieux (1983), Eric Lindros (1990-92), Roberto Luongo (1998-99), Larry Murphy (1980), Scott Niedermayer (1991-92), Joe Nieuwendyk (1986), Chris Pronger (1993), Mark Recchi (1988), Luc Robitaillle (1986), Joe Sakic (1988), Brendan Shanahan (1987), Joe Thornton (1997), Pierre Turgeon (1987), Mike Vernon (1983), Shea Weber (2005), Steve Yzerman (1983)

25 – Players born outside of Canada; the list includes 15 U.S.-born players and 10 born outside North America—Harrison Brunicke (2026 - South Africa), Nico Daws (2020 - Germany), Dany Heatley (1999-2000 - Germany), Mason McTavish (2022 - Switzerland), Chris Nielsen (2000 - Tanzania), Ryan O’Marra (2006-07 -Japan), Xavier Ouellet (2013 - France), Brendan Perlini (2016 - England), Robyn Regehr (1999 - Brazil), Jordan Spence (2021 - Australia)

27 – Longest unbeaten streak; across gold medal-winning efforts in the 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 tournaments, Canada did not lose a single game, totalling 24 victories and three ties. The Canadians outscored the opposition 142-63, playing in only four one-goal games (outside the three draws).

29 – No. 1 overall NHL draft picks who have played for Canada—Dale McCourt (1977), Bobby Smith (1978), Rob Ramage (1977-78), Dale Hawerchuk (1980), Gord Kluzak (1982), Mario Lemieux (1983), Wendel Clark (1985), Joe Murphy (1986), Pierre Turgeon (1987), Eric Lindros (1990-92), Alexandre Daigle (1993, 1995), Ed Jovanovski (1995), Chris Phillips (1996-97), Joe Thornton (1997), Vincent Lecavalier (1998), Rick Nash (2002), Marc-André Fleury (2003-04), Sidney Crosby (2004-05), Steven Stamkos (2008), John Tavares (2008-09), Taylor Hall (2010), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2013), Nathan MacKinnon (2013), Aaron Ekblad (2014), Connor McDavid (2014-15), Alexis Lafrenière (2019-20), Owen Power (2022), Connor Bedard (2022-23), Macklin Celebrini (2024)

34 – Wins over the United States; over 49 years of the World Juniors, no country has been a more frequent foe for Canada than its North American neighbours. From 50 meetings, the Canadians have earned 34 victories—24 in the preliminary round/round robin, two in the consolation round, one in the quarterfinals, five in the semifinals, one in the bronze medal game and one in the gold medal game.

38 – Representatives from the London Knights; no Canadian Hockey League franchise has put more players on Team Canada. Since 2005, at least one Knight has represented Canada at the World Juniors in 18 of 22 tournaments (all but 2009, 2011, 2017 and 2023).

236 – World Juniors wins; In 322 games since 1977, the Canadians have fashioned a 236-65-21 record (a .732 winning percentage). Not surprisingly, that is the best among all countries, ahead of Sweden (207-107-13, .633), the United States (179-128-11, .563) and Finland (181-128-16, .557).

880 – Players who have represented Canada; from Luke Adam to Mike Zigomanis.

1,665 – Goals scored; John Anderson had the first, a power-play marker early in the first period of a 14-0 win over Poland on Dec. 23, 1976. Cole Beaudoin had the most recent, midway through the second period of a 7-1 quarterfinal win over Slovakia on Friday night.