2026 IIHF World Junior Championship: Team Canada roster nearly set after first cuts
Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship is almost set.
Centre Jake O’Brien, winger Marek Vanacker and defenceman Jackson Smith were all reportedly trimmed from Canada’s training camp roster on Thursday.
Here’s what you need to know.
Team Canada
The first cuts to the training camp roster comes after Canada won 2-1 over Sweden in their first pre-tournament game on Wednesday. All three cut players were held without a point.
The roster now stands at 24 players. The tournament allows a 25-man roster, but Canada still needs to cut a goalie before the opening game on Boxing Day.
The depth of the Canadian team is clear as the three players cut on Thursday are all first-round NHL draft picks.
O’Brien, who had a high-sticking penalty on Wednesday, has 46 points (11G, 35A) in 27 games with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs this season. The 18-year-old was drafted eighth overall by the Seattle Kraken in 2025.
Vanacker also plays for Brantford, putting up 41 points (26G, 15A) in 26 games. The Chicago Blackhawks took the 19-year-old 27th overall in the 2024 draft.
Smith has nine points (3G, 6A) in 14 games in his first season with Penn State. The 18-year-old was drafted 14th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2025.
World Junior odds
Team Canada kicks off the 2026 World Juniors against Czechia on Dec. 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET. They play Latvia on Dec. 27, then Denmark on Dec. 29 and close out the round-robin against Finland on Dec. 31.
Canada is looking for a much better tournament after losing in the quarter-finals in each of the last two years. They’ve failed to reach the podium in three straight years just once in tournament history, from 1979 to 1981.
With the likes of Gavin McKenna, Michael Misa and potential NHL reinforcements, oddsmakers have given Canada the edge as +125 favourites to win the tournament. Team USA, the back-to-back gold medalists, have the second-shortest odds at +180, followed by Sweden at +450.
Team Canada roster after the cuts
Forwards:
Michael Misa, Braeden Cootes, Gavin McKenna, Tij Iginla, Carter Bear, Jett Luchanko, Cole Reschny, Porter Martone, Sam O’Reilly, Liam Greentree, Caleb Desnoyers, Cole Beaudoin, Brady Martin, Michael Hage
Defencemen:
Kashawn Aitcheson, Harrison Brunicke, Carson Carels, Cameron Reid, Ethan MacKenzie, Ben Danford, Zayne Parekh, Keaton Verhoeff
Goaltenders:
Jack Ivankovic, Carter George, Joshua Ravensbergen
