On Friday, Hockey Canada unveiled its preliminary roster for the 2026 IIHF World Championship, featuring a calculated blend of emerging superstars and established NHL veterans.
Meet the 2️⃣3️⃣ players who will wear the 🍁 at #MensWorlds!
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 8, 2026
Voici les 2️⃣3️⃣ joueurs qui porteront la 🍁 au #MondialMasculin!
ROSTER: https://t.co/sfrs3l0ZKL
FORMATION : https://t.co/MfjPGLV9Nn pic.twitter.com/NUFFnwTn9t
Longtime NHLers such as John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Mathew Barzal, Robert Thomas, and Mark Scheifele will anchor the group, bringing significant professional pedigree to the locker room.
There is immense intrigue surrounding Macklin Celebrini, who looks to build on his standout performance at the Winter Olympics in February, and Gavin McKenna, who is using this tournament to further solidify his status as the consensus top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft. Joining them are NHL rookies Fraser Minten and Emmitt Finnie.
On the blue line, Morgan Rielly, Dylan DeMelo, and Darnell Nurse bring years of defensive reliability to the squad. They are joined by Evan Bouchard, the NHL’s highest-scoring defenceman this season, who is set to make his highly anticipated senior national team debut. Bouchard is expected to play a massive role, likely quarterbacking the top power-play unit.
The crease will be shared by Detroit Red Wings veteran Cam Talbot and Jet Greaves, who enters camp following an impressive breakout season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Adding to the intrigue is Nashville Predators prospect Jack Ivankovic. Ivankovic joins the senior team fresh off a dominant freshman season at the University of Michigan, where he helped lead the Wolverines to a Big Ten Championship.