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

Team Canada’s government committee and training workers formally named the roster for his or her Dec. 12-22 coaching camp in Niagara Falls.

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

The administration group has invited a complete of 27 gamers with the intention of finalizing a 24-man roster earlier than heading to Minnesota for his or her closing pre-tournament sport versus Denmark on Dec. 23. They might want to minimize one ahead, one defenceman and one goaltender earlier than they depart. 

The Canadians are coming off back-to-back fifth place finishes on the match, however seem higher organized this time round. Their roster consists of a mixture of gamers who’ve already skated in NHL video games, high-end NCAA prospects, and a number of the prime gamers from the CHL. 

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

• Canada’s roster is flush with prospects who have been chosen on the prime of their draft class, however it additionally consists of two of the highest ranked gamers for this 12 months’s NHL Draft, with each ahead Gavin McKenna (Penn State, NCAA) and defenceman Keaton Verhoeff (North Dakota, NCAA) on the group.

• Experience issues at an occasion just like the WJC and Canada is about to return forwards McKenna, Cole Beaudoin (Barrie, OHL), Jett Luchanko (Brantford, OHL), Porter Martone (Michigan State, NCAA) in addition to goaltenders Carter George (Owen Sound, OHL) and Jack Ivankovic (Michigan, NCAA).

• Players who’ve been loaned from their NHL golf equipment (up to now) embody ahead Michael Misa (San Jose) in addition to defencemen Zayne Parekh (Calgary) and Harrison Brunicke (Pittsburgh).

• The roster has a steadiness of dimension, velocity and ability. Almost half of the gamers (12 in complete) are listed at 6-foot-2 or taller. Verhoeff is the most important participant on the roster at 6-foot-4, 212 kilos.

The look of this roster leads me to imagine they’re a bunch that might find yourself having balanced scoring at even energy from prime to backside. Having mentioned that, they’ve a plethora of decisions to make when assembling their prime two strains and energy play items. 

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

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

McKenna is a number one candidate (together with Verhoeff) to go first total within the 2026 NHL Draft. He’s produced 4G-14A in 16 video games at Penn State after contributing 41G-88A in 56 video games enjoying for Medicine Hat within the WHL final 12 months. 

McKenna must skate within the top-six ahead group to maximise his worth. He averages effectively over 20 minutes per sport at Penn State with nearly all of his ice time coming at even energy and the facility play. He craves having the puck on his stick and making performs offensively. 

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

Misa has been loaned to Team Canada from the San Jose Sharks after being drafted second total within the draft final June and making the NHL group out of camp. 

Misa has been rehabbing an ankle harm just lately and has solely skated in seven NHL video games up to now this season. The former Saginaw Spirit ahead led the whole CHL in scoring final 12 months with 62G-72A in 65 video games. He had been out and in of the Sharks lineup earlier than his harm as a wholesome scratch once in a while. He has contributed 1G-2A on the NHL degree in a restricted position. 

Porter Martone, 6-foot-3, 208 kilos, proper shot winger

Martone leans shooter greater than pure playmaker, however his mixture of dimension, ability and may have offered optimistic ends in his freshman 12 months at Michigan State. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect (sixth total final June) has contributed 11G-9A in 16 NCAA video games. He’s the type of winger who enhances gamers like Misa and McKenna together with his skill to increase pucks alongside the boards and create house in excessive hazard scoring areas together with his leverage.

Michael Hage, 6-foot-1, 188 kilos, proper shot centre

The Montreal Canadiens chosen Hage 21^st total on the 2024 NHL Draft. I anticipate Hage to be deployed at even energy and on the facility play for Canada. He’s a high-end offensive expertise who’s at the moment tied for the NCAA scoring lead with 10G-18A by means of 20 video games with the Michigan Wolverines. Hage is a play driver and an enormous purpose why Michigan is the top-ranked group within the NCAA. Hage might find yourself skating on Canada’s prime line on the match. 

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

Reschny has been on a heater just lately at North Dakota, producing 1G-13A in his final 10-game section. The reality he can play both the wing or at centre is a bonus. Reschny is a really detailed ahead who doesn’t minimize corners on both facet of the puck. The Calgary Flames drafted Reschny within the first-round (18^th total) final June. Before making the transfer to North Dakota he performed for Victoria within the WHL and contributed 26G-66A in 62 video games final 12 months. 

Other candidates for top-six roles who’ve a confirmed monitor report of manufacturing elite degree offence, embody:

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

Team Canada’s administration group focused gamers who would contribute to the general group sport, so these with each an “A” and “B” sport. When the next group of forwards isn’t scoring, they may nonetheless present reliable element defensively and compete to win puck battles in all three zones. 

I’m forecasting gamers like Jett Luchanko, Braeden Cootes, Sam O’Reilly, and Carter Bear to trace up and down the ice with tempo and, particularly Luchanko and O’Reilly, land on certainly one of Canada’s penalty killing items. 

If head coach Dale Hunter is on the lookout for a bunch of forwards he can name on to put on down opponents with their physicality, Liam Greentree (6-foot-3, 216 kilos), Cole Beaudoin (6-foot-2, 212 kilos) and Brady Martin, the toughest hitting ahead within the OHL, are excellent for the position.

TRANSITIONAL DEFENCEMAN, POWER PLAY QUARTERBACK

The defenders who’ve been chosen for coaching camp vary in stature and ability attributes. One factor they’ve in frequent, nonetheless, is that all of them performs the sport shortly.

Zayne Parekh, 6-feet, 186 kilos, proper shot

Parekh has been rehabbing an harm with the Calgary Flames and hasn’t seen sport motion since Nov. 7. Hunter has gone head-to-head with Parekh when he performed for the Saginaw Spirit, so he is aware of precisely what the defenceman offers. Parekh isn’t somebody you need on the ice to guard a one-goal lead with lower than a minute to play within the sport, however he generally is a distinction maker offensively. The energy play quarterback produced 33G-74A final season in Saginaw, and stands out as probably the most certified for the position with group Canada.

TWO-WAY DEFENCEMEN, SECONDARY OFFENCE

Most of the remaining defencemen on the coaching camp roster deliver a minimum of a secondary scoring factor to the defence corps, aside from Ben Danford from the Brantford Bulldogs.

Keaton Verhoeff, 6-foot-4, 212 kilos, proper shot

Verhoeff is a two-way defenceman. His dimension and size are defensive property and he has additionally confirmed he can beat goaltenders from lengthy vary with a heavy and correct shot. The offence he offers is healthier than a secondary degree. He produced 21G-24A final 12 months enjoying for Victoria within the WHL and has contributed 4G-7A in 16 video games as a freshman at North Dakota this season. He’s competing with McKenna to be the primary title referred to as at this season’s NHL Draft. 

• Kashawn Aitcheson has scored 19 targets in solely 26 video games enjoying for the Barrie Colts (OHL). But he additionally performs with a bodily presence and may be deployed in a match-up position. 

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

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

• Harrison Brunicke is on mortgage from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s a rangy 6-foot-3, 196-pound proper shot and somebody Team Canada will doubtlessly look to in additional of a defensive position, however he’s a succesful distributor.

• Carson Carels may be trusted in all conditions. He’s a unbelievable skater who by no means backs down from contact. He’s contributed 8G-21A in 28 video games enjoying 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, but to be drafted, 19-year-old who offers the relentless compete and bodily push again that Team Canada has mentioned they’re on the lookout for. He performs a lot greater than his listed dimension (6-feet, 174 kilos). MacKenzie has contributed 10G-21A in 30 video games. 

SHUTDOWN/MATCH-UP DEFENCEMAN

Ben Danford, 6-foot-2, 193 kilos, proper shot

The Toronto Maple Leafs chosen Danford 31^st total in 2024 and what he contributes is definitely outlined. Danford is a two-way, shutdown and penalty killing defenceman who blocks pictures. He’s the type of participant Hunter is aware of he can belief to not stray outdoors his ability set. Danford performs a buttoned-up, low-risk, defence-first type. 

Carter George and Jack Ivankovic are coming back from final 12 months’s group. George was Canada’s greatest participant eventually 12 months’s match in Ottawa and Ivankovic is having a unbelievable freshman season at Michigan (1.97 GAA/.927 SV%). George and Ivankovic are netminders who’ve intensive expertise suiting up for Canada on the worldwide stage. 

The third goaltender on the coaching camp can be able to carrying the load if required, however Joshua Ravensbergen (San Jose, thirtieth total in 2025) is in powerful with each George and Ivankovic returning and enjoying effectively heading into the camp. Ravensbergen is huge in his web, provides shooters a distinct look as a goalie who catches together with his right-hand, and posted a 2.50 GAA and .921 SV% up to now this season enjoying for Prince George (WHL).

FORECASTING CANADA AT THE WJC

After listening to Canada’s GM Alan Millar talk about how his administration group went about choosing the gamers for the coaching camp, I’ve to agree with their philosophy. The group of prospects they’ve assembled positively performs a quick, considerate, expert, aggressive sport.

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

This is a group that ought to contend for a gold medal. But as we’ve seen previously, opponents are at all times amped as much as play Canada and nothing needs to be taken without any consideration after how the group has just lately completed on the WJC.