CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Stanley Cup champion Misha Donskov (London, ON) has joined the organization as vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach, effective immediately.

Reporting to Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, Donskov brings National Hockey League (NHL) experience as an executive and coach to the organization and will be responsible for implementing the vision and strategies for Hockey Canada’s men’s, women’s and para hockey teams, and strengthen the alignment between the organization’s hockey operations and business operations staffs.

Donskov will also serve as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Team at the IIHF World Championship, as assistant coach with the Men’s Olympic Team and as associate coach with Canada’s National Junior Team.

“We are thrilled to name Misha to his role today as he will play a critical role to ensure Canada’s national teams are set up for sustained success when representing our country on the world stage,” said Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer. “Misha is a proven winner, collaborative leader and unwavering in his commitment to supporting our athletes, coaches and staff, and we know he will make Canadians proud throughout his work with Hockey Canada.

“We received a tremendous number of applications from candidates in Canada, across North America and around the world for this position and appreciate their interest in the role as part of the extensive recruitment process.”

Donskov recently completed his second season as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars after spending parts of four seasons as an assistant coach (2020-23) with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2023. Before joining the Golden Knights coaching staff, he was the team’s director of hockey operations for four seasons (2016-20). Internationally, Donskov has been part of a number of successful Canadian teams, including championships as an assistant coach at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He also won gold at two IIHF World Championships (2015, 2016) and one IIHF World Junior Championship (2015) as manager of hockey operations, analytics and video, and won the 2019 Spengler Cup as director of hockey operations and assistant coach as well as the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament as video coach.

Donskov 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.

“It is a tremendous honour to be trusted to serve as Vice President, Hockey Operations and National Men’s Teams Coach for Hockey Canada,” said Donskov. “I would like to thank the Hockey Canada Board, Katherine Henderson and Scott Salmond for this incredibly unique opportunity. Hockey Canada has played a significant role in my hockey journey and development — both personal and professional. I am excited to be returning to Hockey Canada to help support our world leading teams, programs and people. In addition, I would like to thank Tom Gaglardi, Jim Nill and Pete DeBoer for affording me the privilege to coach in the National Hockey League and be a part of the Dallas Stars family and organization.”

This is the second critical hockey operations staff announcement ahead of the 2025-26 international hockey season after Hockey Canada announced the hiring of Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), the first full-time general manager of the Program of Excellence.

“Misha brings a coaching acumen and focus to Hockey Canada that our programs will benefit immensely from,” added Salmond. “With a full time general manager in Alan Millar and now the addition of Misha Donskov, we are in a great position as an organization moving forward.”

Additions to the Program of Excellence management group, as well as the coaching staffs, support staffs and rosters for the under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has unveiled a new, limited edition Team Canada Nike heritage jersey for the 2020-21 season, set to be worn by Canada’s national teams at upcoming world championships.

The heritage jersey features a classic red base colour with a white maple leaf crest and white maple leaf accents on the sleeves, as well as a single white stripe. It will make its debut on the ice at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton, and is scheduled to be worn by Canada’s National Women’s Team, Canada’s National Men’s Team and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team.

“This jersey is an updated look from classic Team Canada jerseys that have been worn during some of Canada’s most memorable moments, and represents the pride Canadians have in our heritage and the game of hockey,” said Tom Renney, chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “Our partners at Nike have created a new design that fits in with the long line of historic Team Canada jerseys, and we know our players and fans alike will embrace the heritage jersey as part of Canada’s largest team.”

The jersey also prominently features Hockey Canada shoulder patches, as well as white maple leaves with CANADA inscribed along the inside bottom hem of the jersey. A gold maple leaf can be found inside the collar to signify Canada’s place in hockey history and achievements on the international stage.

“It’s always an honour for our players and staff to wear the Maple Leaf, but it’s even more special when you have the opportunity to wear a jersey that represents Canadian heritage,” said Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of national teams for Hockey Canada. “We know our athletes will be excited to wear the heritage jersey, and we look forward to seeing fans across the country cheering us on in their new Team Canada jerseys.”

Before Team Canada takes to the ice in the new heritage jersey, fans can purchase their own customized jersey by visiting shop.hockeycanada.ca. The heritage jersey is also available for purchase starting today at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT at participating retail locations, including Sport Chek, Pro Hockey Life, Sports Experts, Hockey Experts and National Sports.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

TORONTO – May 18, 2018 – Hockey Canada and Bauer Hockey have extended their partnership through a new eight-year deal that will see the nation’s top teams provided with equipment from the world’s top brand, and a continued collaboration on opportunities to increase participation, welcome new players and engage existing players.

“One of our team’s highest points of pride is our continued partnership with Hockey Canada because it is an example of the game’s best at a variety of age levels selecting BAUER for their game,” said Ed Kinnaly, CEO of Bauer Hockey. “More than the equipment, this partnership allows us to come together with Hockey Canada to advance our shared missions, such as when we created The First Shift in 2013 together, and we’re looking forward to continuing this collaborative approach over the next eight years.”

For the past 45 years, Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada have been partners, and continuing a tradition since 1996, Bauer Hockey will be the official equipment provider of Hockey Canada’s national teams. Canada’s national team players will exclusively wear BAUER helmets, gloves, visors and goal masks, including at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship when it returns to Canadian ice in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., in December 2018.

“Our partnership with BAUER provides Hockey Canada with the best equipment for our national men’s, women’s, and para hockey teams, while also aligning us with a like-minded organization that cares about growing the game at the grassroots level,” said Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer at Hockey Canada. “We look forward to eight more years of collaboration with BAUER from the grassroots level to our high-performance teams.”

In addition to the equipment partnership, Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada will continue to collaborate in areas where they have shared missions. Over the last several years, the two organizations combined resources and expertise to create, launch and expand The Canadian Tire First Shift, a successful program that welcomes new-to-hockey families to the game.

Today in partnership with Canadian Tire it is offered in hundreds of communities across Canada. Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada will continue to identify and develop other initiatives to further advance the game for both new and existing players, including activation at major hockey tournaments and all IIHF events hosted by Hockey Canada.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, visit www.HockeyCanada.ca.

TORONTO, ON, August 2, 2016 - Hockey Canada, in partnership with Nike and players representing Canada’s national women’s, men’s, and sledge teams, unveiled the new Team Canada jersey in Toronto on Tuesday.

Designed by Nike to celebrate Canada’s 150^th anniversary of Confederation, the jersey will make its competitive debut this week when 41 of the nation’s best under-20 players face off against teams from Finland,Sweden, and the United States in Plymouth, Mich., in their quest to represent Canada on home ice when the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship returns to Toronto and Montreal this December.

Tailor-made for the nation’s athletes, the Team Canada jerseys give a nod to Canada’s rich history while also incorporating performance innovation by Nike.

“This jersey is designed to match performance with patriotism,” said Tom Renney, president and chief executive officer, Hockey Canada. “I have been lucky to be able to turn my passion for the game into a career; and what I realized very early on is that hockey goes well beyond what’s learned on the ice. Hockey is part of the fabric of our nation, and teaches all of the life lessons that build great citizens. We wanted to ensure that every aspect of this jersey had a deep meaning to Canadians, while still pushing the envelope with innovation. From the bottom white stripe to the embedded maple leaves, the jersey is emblematic of that intrinsic link between the game and the 35 million Canadians who carry the Maple Leaf in their hearts.”

Engineered using Nike AeroSwift Technology and woven with Ripstop Fabric, the jersey is made to endure the athletes’ fast and physical performance on the ice. Meshed zones under both arms support thermoregulation through optimal ventilation allowing players to stay cool during the game.

The jersey prominently features the Canada 150 logo on both sleeves, composed of a series of diamonds that represent the four original Confederation provinces, forming the shape of the iconic Maple Leaf. On the upper section of the jersey, rows of maple leaves fill the jersey’s shoulder caps, forming one of the most patriotic features ever seen on a national jersey. The icon of the Maple Leaf represents one voice and the repeat of the icon represents the nation rallying around hockey. The unique and classic double-stripe on the jersey’s sleeves returns, but has been accentuated with a black and red accent making the exclusive design pop like never before.

“In 2017, as we celebrate the milestone 150^th anniversary of Confederation, we naturally reflect on the integral role that hockey plays in uniting Canadians,” says Raj Grewal, MP for Brampton East. “This year’s jersey reflects the pride this great game brings to our country and its importance in our culture.”

In addition to the upcoming National Junior Team development camp games, Team Canada fans will see the new jersey in action at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cupwhen the men’s summer under-18 team look to defend their golden streak this month, as well as during a three-game series hosted in Calgary featuring Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and Canada’s National Women’s Development Team going head-to-head against their U.S. rivals.

The new Team Canada jersey is available on August 2 at Nike stores and online at Nike.com and HockeyCanada.ca/Shop, at Hockey Canada’s official retail partner SportChek, and other Canadian retailers from coast to coast.

About Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada is the governing body for hockey in Canada and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), with a membership through its 13 provincial member associations of over 700,000 players, coaches and officials. Hockey Canada is a not-for-profit organization that creates leading-edge hockey development programs for its members to deliver in communities across Canada; provides consistent rules and regulations and various other membership services from coast to coast to coast; manages numerous regional, national, and international hockey championships and events; and leads the operation of all teams that represent Canada in international hockey competition. Hockey Canada’s mission is to “lead, develop and promote positive hockey experiences.”For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or join our social media communities onFacebook, Instagram, SnapChat (@hockey_canada), and Twitter.

About NIKE Inc.

NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Ore., is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikeinc.com and follow @Nike.

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.

The goaltenders representing Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship will also be representing their counterparts from Canada’s National Women’s Team with new masks commissioned as part of the Janes ALL IN program.

What do all six goaltenders think of the helmets and what it means to be part of Team Canada?

How do you feel being featured on a mask at World Juniors?

Kristen Campbell (KC): The Canadian hockey tradition growing up is watching the World Juniors and the country really rallies around it, so it’s an honour to be recognized and a part of this year’s World Juniors.

Emerance Maschmeyer (EM): Last year there were six trailblazers of women’s hockey that were honoured on the masks, so to be in this year’s edition, it’s pretty incredible to even be put in the category that they are in.

What does it mean to wear a mask featuring the women’s goalies?

Sebastian Cossa (SC): Hockey is for everybody, male or female it doesn’t matter who, so respecting and appreciating the women’s game is important.

Brett Brochu (BB): Credit is due to women’s hockey; they deserve a lot more attention from fans and professional leagues.

Dylan Garand (DG): It’s great hockey that the women play and they’re just as talented as we are, so it’s cool to be able to share this experience with them and have them be a part of it.

What message do you hope young players take from the masks?

Ann-Renée Desbiens (AD): We’re trying to raise awareness of women’s hockey and most Canadians during the holidays are going to be watching World Juniors, so it’s a good discussion starter … it brings a lot of exposure to women’s hockey and it’s nice to have the support of the men’s side.

EM: The visibility of the men’s game is a lot more than the women’s game, so having that platform and having us on their masks for all those young girls who are watching the World Juniors [is important]. Maybe some young girls don’t even know it’s possible to play at the level we’re playing at.

KC: [Whether] we all started playing boys’ hockey or girls’ hockey, it doesn’t matter, and we got to where we are. I think it just shows that you can pave your own road and end up reaching your goals in the end.

What is your favourite part of the mask?

DG: Designing a mask is a unique and personal thing, but I’m not very good at it myself … so to have a mask designed by Emerance is pretty cool. There are some personal things of hers on there that are creative, like the outdoor rink, I like that a lot.

SB: I think the maple syrup is a good touch with being Canadian and especially since Ann-Renée is from Quebec. And then with [the highlighted word] ‘Family’, family to me is everything.

BB: They did a really good job on the mask and the designs are really cool. I love the picture of Kristen. It would definitely be pretty special to have a helmet with you on it.

CALGARY, Alta. – After a 2020-21 season that saw limited on-ice opportunities and virtual summer camps, Hockey Canada has announced its men’s and women’s national teams will return to the ice in July for their annual summer camps.

From July 25-Aug. 10, Hockey Canada’s national team program, including the men’s under-18 and under-20 teams, and women’s under-18, NextGen (born in 2003), development and senior national teams, will gather in Calgary for a series of on- and off-ice activities for the first time since 2019.

“After a unique and difficult season, Hockey Canada is thrilled to provide our national team athletes and staff the opportunity to return to the ice for our annual summer camps in Calgary,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of national teams. “We look forward to hosting the top athletes and staff from across the country in July, and are excited to kick off our preparations for a new season and a number of international competitions.”

The Program of Excellence (POE) camps, which includes the men’s under-18 and under-20 programs, will take place at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut'ina Nation, while the BFL National Women’s Program Summer Showcase, presented by Sobeys, will take place at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park. Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will also gather for a five-day off-ice boot camp in preparation for the 2021-22 season and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

“This year’s summer camps mark the first time that all levels of the National Women’s Program will participate in camp at the same time, helping us provide consistency with all our athletes and staff throughout the program,” said Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), director of women’s national teams. “Despite a difficult season, our athletes have done an excellent job of staying connected and working hard with limited resources, and we are excited to get back on the ice this summer as we work towards the upcoming season.”

The following national team camps and programs will be hosted in Calgary this summer:

• National Para Hockey Team boot camp (July 21-25)
• National Women’s Team pre-worlds camp (July 25-Aug. 10)
• National Men’s Under-18 Team summer development camp (July 26-Aug. 3)
• BFL National Women’s Under-18 Team summer camp, presented by Sobeys (July 29-Aug. 5) – including NextGen athletes
• BFL National Women’s Development Team summer camp, presented by Sobeys (July 29-Aug. 9)
• National Junior Team summer development camp (July 29-Aug. 3)

In the coming weeks, Hockey Canada will announce the rosters and staffs for each national team program.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

More than a week later, there’s one singular sentence that sticks with Sarah Nurse.

“Diversity is who’s on the team, but inclusion is who gets to play.”

The National Women’s Team forward was one of close to 500 athletes and staff involved with Canada’s national teams – men’s, women’s and para hockey – who took part in mandatory diversity and inclusion training last week.

Hockey Canada remains committed to continuing to listen and learn, and being open to change in an effort to take action around diversity. The seminars are an early step in that commitment.

Discussions on diversity and inclusion had actually been going on for more than a year, championed by Denise Pattyn, Hockey Canada’s director of human resources. As the world changed in the last few months, the conversations picked up.

“We had an opportunity in early June to just continue to have that discussion and talk about what the next steps in her plan were,” says Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of national teams with Hockey Canada. “And then it came to light that with some other things that were happening in our game and around our game and in the world, that we were really short-sighted in not providing an opportunity and taking advantage, quite honestly, of the time that we have right now with our athletes virtually to have an impact.”

Salmond and Pattyn did their research and found Tina Varughese, who has worked extensively with the Province of Alberta’s immigration office and is the president of t Works Inc., which that specializes in cross-cultural communication and work-life balance seminars, and provides customized cultural diversity training.

“She understands the game and she had a really great way of communicating her message to the athletes,” Salmond says.

Varughese focused her seminars on the idea of unconscious bias – underlying attitudes and stereotypes that people attribute to another person or group of people that affect how they understand and engage with others.

“I think the majority of us, if not everyone, feels like they don't have bias towards people. They don't discriminate,” Salmond says. “But when you start to understand what an unconscious bias is and the language that you maybe use in the conversations that you have with other people, you realize that in some ways, without even meaning it, maybe you've created that bias or maybe you have that bias.”

For her part, Varughese was thrilled with the response she received from the athletes and staff.

“They were very keen to be an agent of change … this was incredibly inspiring for me because they are all athletes and in positions of influence,” she said in an interview last week with the Toronto Star.

“I felt they were much more transparent and honest about not only recognizing that they either had unconscious bias or didn’t even know what it was, but they were also very transparent in understanding what other people might go through.”

So what comes next? How does Hockey Canada ensure this is a conversation that continues internally, and also reaches outside the organization to the greater hockey community?

“We've done the virtual part, [so] next time that we have players together, we workshop,” Salmond says. “Talk about what we want the environment to look like, what the athletes want it to look like. I think it's one thing to have a policy or an expectation and to present that or write that somewhere. It's more powerful if the athletes are behind it and they have an opportunity to create it.

“It's really a responsibility that we have as a national sport organization and an opportunity that we have with our athletes and our staff to have an impact at the national level. And hopefully that impact finds its way to club teams and into communities across Canada.”

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence and National Women’s Program are preparing for the 2019-20 season with a pair of four-day goaltending camps at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. 

The camps bring together the top goaltending talent and elite-level instructors from across the country. They serve as the initial evaluation stage for summer development and selections camps for Canada’s national teams.

The Program of Excellence goaltending camp, set for June 5-8, will welcome 26 male goaltenders, including 10 at the under-20 level, four at the under-18 level and 12 in the under-17 category.

“The Program of Excellence goaltending camp is another great opportunity to work with the top young goaltenders in the country, and a very important part of the development process for these athletes,” said Shawn Bullock, director of men’s national teams for Hockey Canada. “This four-day camp will provide goalies at all levels of our program the benefit of working with and learning from some of the top instructors in Canada in preparation for the upcoming season.” 

On the National Women’s Program side, 20 goaltenders will gather in Calgary from June 6-9 for four days of practices. Eleven goaltenders will participate in the National Women’s Team and National Women’s Development Team camp, joined by nine in the under-18 category.

“We are excited to welcome 20 of the top goaltenders in the country, and to continue to develop the strong talent pool of goalies in Canada,” said Gina Kingsbury, director of women’s national teams for Hockey Canada. “Having all our athletes from the under-18 level to the national team work with the same group of elite coaches provides consistency to our program and allows for development at all ages of the National Women’s Program.”

All on-ice sessions are open to the public and media.

For more information on Hockey Canada, the Program of Excellence and National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook and Twitter.