2026 World Junior Championship: Projecting Canada’s roster

2026 World Junior Championship: Projecting Canada’s Roster

Canada is poised to compete for gold at the 2026 World Junior Championship in Minnesota, though some crucial roster decisions are still pending. Thirteen U-20 NHL players have appeared in at least one NHL game. Except for Russia’s Matvei Gridin, all of these players are Canadian.

Current NHL Players and Loaned Prospects

Players loaned back include Nashville’s Brady Martin, Philadelphia’s Jett Luchanko, and Vancouver’s Braeden Cootes.
Nine players remain active in the NHL:
- Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke
- Calgary’s Zayne Parekh
- New York Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer
- Pittsburgh’s Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke
- San Jose’s Sam Dickinson, Michael Misa, and Macklin Celebrini

Macklin Celebrini is confirmed not to be loaned back under any circumstances. Among these players, most are likely to remain in the NHL, with Matthew Schaefer standing out as one of the top-performing defensemen and unlikely to be sent down.

Prospects for Loaning Back

The players most likely to be sent back for the tournament include Zayne Parekh and Catton, with some possibility for Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke. The majority, however, appear destined to continue their NHL development.

"After two quarterfinal losses, Canada won’t accept anything less than gold at the 2026 World Junior Championship in Minnesota."

Preparation and Training Plans

Instead of a traditional selection camp, Hockey Canada will run a 10-day training camp with the finalized roster in Niagara. This camp will be followed by two exhibition games in Kitchener and London.

Author's summary: Canada enters the 2026 World Junior Championship with a strong U-20 NHL core and is focused on securing gold after consecutive quarterfinal exits.

Daily Faceoff — 2025-11-07