2026 IIHF World Junior Championship: San Jose Sharks loaning Michael Misa to Team Canada
Team Canada will have a significant addition to their roster for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship as the San Jose Sharks will loan Michael Misa to play in the tournament.
Here’s what you need to know.
Michael Misa
San Jose is reportedly set to loan Misa to Team Canada on Wednesday for the tournament which will run from Dec. 26, 2025 to Jan. 5 2026 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
When Hockey Canada originally released the training camp roster on Dec. 12, Misa, taken second overall in the 2025 NHL draft, was listed as day-to-day.
However, while Misa has missed time this season due to a lower-body injury, Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky told reporters on Tuesday the injury didn’t keep Misa from joining the start of Team Canada’s training camp.
Warsofsky said Misa was no longer injured and he skated that day. Instead, Warsofsky said the Sharks wanted Misa to get back involved with the team after his AHL conditioning stint in early December.
“We wanted a few more days with him,” Warsofsky said. “He was nicked up. He’s missed some time. (This) gives us more time with our strength coaches, with our resources here, and then he’ll join Team Canada here shortly.”
Misa recorded one goal and two assists in his first seven NHL games before suffering the injury. He notched one assist in two AHL games during his conditioning loan with the San Jose Barracuda on Dec. 3 and 5.
Team Canada
Misa is one of three NHL players loaned to Canada for the World Juniors, along with Calgary Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh and Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Harrison Brunicke.
Team Canada began its training camp Saturday in Niagara Falls, Ontario. They will need to cut at least one forward, one defenceman and one goalie before the tournament opens on Boxing Day.
Despite a fifth-place finish in each of the last two World Junior Championships, Canada enters this year’s tournament as a +145 favourite to win gold, followed by Team USA (+175) and Team Sweden (+450).
Canada has the tournament record for both gold medals (20) and total medals (35). They last won gold in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023.
