Scout’s Analysis: Thoughts on Canada’s world juniors roster

Team Canada’s executive committee and coaching staff officially named the roster for their Dec. 12-22 training camp in Niagara Falls.

The camp includes two exhibition games versus Team Sweden, on Dec. 17 in Kitchener, Ont., and Dec. 20 in London, Ont.

The management group has invited a total of 27 players with the intention of finalizing a 24-man roster before heading to Minnesota for their final pre-tournament game versus Denmark on Dec. 23. They will need to cut one forward, one defenceman and one goaltender before they depart. 

The Canadians are coming off back-to-back fifth place finishes at the tournament, but appear better organized this time around. Their roster includes a mix of players who have already skated in NHL games, high-end NCAA prospects, and some of the top players from the CHL. 

Here are some of my pre-training camp thoughts on how Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship is shaping up:

• Canada’s roster is flush with prospects who were selected at the top of their draft class, but it also includes two of the top ranked players for this year’s NHL Draft, with both forward Gavin McKenna (Penn State, NCAA) and defenceman Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota, NCAA) on the team.

• Experience matters at an event like the WJC and Canada is set to return forwards McKenna, Cole Beaudoin (Barrie, OHL), Jett Luchanko (Brantford, OHL), Porter Martone (Michigan State, NCAA) as well as goaltenders Carter George (Owen Sound, OHL) and Jack Ivankovic (Michigan, NCAA).

• Players who have been loaned from their NHL clubs (so far) include forward Michael Misa (San Jose) as well as defencemen Zayne Parekh (Calgary) and Harrison Brunicke (Pittsburgh).

• The roster has a balance of size, speed and skill. Almost half of the players (12 in total) are listed at 6-foot-2 or taller. Verhoeff is the biggest player on the roster at 6-foot-4, 212 pounds.

TOP-SIX FORWARDS

The look of this roster leads me to believe they are a group that could end up having balanced scoring at even strength from top to bottom. Having said that, they have a plethora of choices to make when assembling their top two lines and power play units. 

Here are the forwards I believe will compete for top-six roles:

Gavin McKenna, 5-foot-11, 162 pounds, left shot winger

McKenna is a leading candidate (along with Verhoeff) to go first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. He’s produced 4G-14A in 16 games at Penn State after contributing 41G-88A in 56 games playing for Medicine Hat in the WHL last year. 

McKenna needs to skate in the top-six forward group to maximize his value. He averages well over 20 minutes per game at Penn State with almost all of his ice time coming at even strength and the power play. He craves having the puck on his stick and making plays offensively. 

Michael Misa, 6-foot-1, 183 pounds, left shot centre

Misa has been loaned to Team Canada from the San Jose Sharks after being drafted second overall in the draft last June and making the NHL team out of camp. 

Misa has been rehabbing an ankle injury recently and has only skated in seven NHL games so far this season. The former Saginaw Spirit forward led the entire CHL in scoring last year with 62G-72A in 65 games. He had been in and out of the Sharks lineup before his injury as a healthy scratch on occasion. He has contributed 1G-2A at the NHL level in a limited role. 

Porter Martone, 6-foot-3, 208 pounds, right shot winger

Martone leans shooter more than pure playmaker, but his combination of size, skill and will have provided positive results in his freshman year at Michigan State. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect (sixth overall last June) has contributed 11G-9A in 16 NCAA games. He’s the kind of winger who complements players like Misa and McKenna with his ability to extend pucks along the boards and create space in high danger scoring areas with his leverage.

Michael Hage, 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, right shot centre

The Montreal Canadiens selected Hage 21^st overall at the 2024 NHL Draft. I expect Hage to be deployed at even strength and on the power play for Canada. He’s a high-end offensive talent who is currently tied for the NCAA scoring lead with 10G-18A through 20 games with the Michigan Wolverines. Hage is a play driver and a big reason why Michigan is the top-ranked team in the NCAA. Hage could end up skating on Canada’s top line at the tournament. 

Cole Reschny, 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, left shot centre/winger

Reschny has been on a heater recently at North Dakota, producing 1G-13A in his last 10-game segment. The fact he can play either the wing or at centre is a bonus. Reschny is a very detailed forward who doesn’t cut corners on either side of the puck. The Calgary Flames drafted Reschny in the first-round (18^th overall) last June. Before making the move to North Dakota he played for Victoria in the WHL and contributed 26G-66A in 62 games last year. 

Other candidates for top-six roles who have a proven track record of producing elite level offence, include:

Tij Iginla (17GP-13G-14A)
Jake O’Brien (26GP-11G-34A)
Caleb Desnoyers (22GP-6G-16A)

BOTTOM-SIX FORWARDS

Team Canada’s management group targeted players who would contribute to the overall team game, so those with both an “A” and “B” game. When the following group of forwards isn’t scoring, they will still provide trustworthy detail defensively and compete to win puck battles in all three zones. 

I’m forecasting players like Jett Luchanko, Braeden Cootes, Sam O’Reilly, and Carter Bear to track up and down the ice with pace and, especially Luchanko and O’Reilly, land on one of Canada’s penalty killing units. 

If head coach Dale Hunter is looking for a group of forwards he can call on to wear down opponents with their physicality, Liam Greentree (6-foot-3, 216 pounds), Cole Beaudoin (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) and Brady Martin, the hardest hitting forward in the OHL, are perfect for the role.

TRANSITIONAL DEFENCEMAN, POWER PLAY QUARTERBACK

The defenders who have been selected for training camp range in stature and skill attributes. One thing they have in common, however, is that every one of them plays the game quickly.

Zayne Parekh, 6-feet, 186 pounds, right shot

Parekh has been rehabbing an injury with the Calgary Flames and hasn’t seen game action since Nov. 7. Hunter has gone head-to-head with Parekh when he played for the Saginaw Spirit, so he knows exactly what the defenceman provides. Parekh isn’t someone you want on the ice to protect a one-goal lead with less than a minute to play in the game, but he can be a difference maker offensively. The power play quarterback produced 33G-74A last season in Saginaw, and stands out as the most qualified for the role with team Canada.

TWO-WAY DEFENCEMEN, SECONDARY OFFENCE

Most of the remaining defencemen on the training camp roster bring at least a secondary scoring element to the defence corps, with the exception of Ben Danford from the Brantford Bulldogs.

Keaton Verhoeff, 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, right shot

Verhoeff is a two-way defenceman. His size and length are defensive assets and he has also proven he can beat goaltenders from long range with a heavy and accurate shot. The offence he provides is better than a secondary level. He produced 21G-24A last year playing for Victoria in the WHL and has contributed 4G-7A in 16 games as a freshman at North Dakota this season. He’s competing with McKenna to be the first name called at this season’s NHL Draft. 

• Kashawn Aitcheson has scored 19 goals in only 26 games playing for the Barrie Colts (OHL). But he also plays with a physical presence and can be deployed in a match-up role. 

• Cam Reid is traditionally deployed in all situations for the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). He’s contributed 9G-18A in 27 games.

• Jackson Smith has been playing heavy minutes at Penn State as a freshman and being deployed in all situations. He’s contributed 3G-6A in his first 14 college games.

• Harrison Brunicke is on loan from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s a rangy 6-foot-3, 196-pound right shot and someone Team Canada will potentially look to in more of a defensive role, but he’s a capable distributor.

• Carson Carels can be trusted in all situations. He’s a fantastic skater who never backs down from contact. He’s contributed 8G-21A in 28 games playing for Prince George (WHL) and is 2026 draft eligible. I had him ranked No. 4 earlier this month.

• Ethan MacKenzie from the Edmonton Oil Kings is an intriguing, yet to be drafted, 19-year-old who provides the relentless compete and physical push back that Team Canada has said they are looking for. He plays much bigger than his listed size (6-feet, 174 pounds). MacKenzie has contributed 10G-21A in 30 games. 

SHUTDOWN/MATCH-UP DEFENCEMAN

Ben Danford, 6-foot-2, 193 pounds, right shot

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Danford 31^st overall in 2024 and what he contributes is easily defined. Danford is a two-way, shutdown and penalty killing defenceman who blocks shots. He’s the kind of player Hunter knows he can trust to not stray outside his skill set. Danford plays a buttoned-up, low-risk, defence-first style. 

GOALIES

Carter George and Jack Ivankovic are returning from last year’s team. George was Canada’s best player at last year’s tournament in Ottawa and Ivankovic is having a fantastic freshman season at Michigan (1.97 GAA/.927 SV%). George and Ivankovic are netminders who have extensive experience suiting up for Canada on the international stage. 

The third goaltender at the training camp is also capable of carrying the load if required, but Joshua Ravensbergen (San Jose, 30th overall in 2025) is in tough with both George and Ivankovic returning and playing well heading into the camp. Ravensbergen is big in his net, gives shooters a different look as a goalie who catches with his right-hand, and posted a 2.50 GAA and .921 SV% so far this season playing for Prince George (WHL).

FORECASTING CANADA AT THE WJC

After listening to Canada’s GM Alan Millar speak about how his management team went about selecting the players for the training camp, I have to agree with their philosophy. The group of prospects they have assembled definitely plays a fast, thoughtful, skilled, competitive game.

“It’s not an all-star team,” Millar said of how they went about building the roster. “We have to build what is a true team.”

This is a team that should contend for a gold medal. But as we’ve seen in the past, opponents are always amped up to play Canada and nothing should be taken for granted after how the team has recently finished at the WJC. 

More from Sportsnet

Why Michael Misa can be a ‘go-to guy’ for Canada at the world juniors

Canada names training-camp roster for 2026 world juniors