Key Takeaways
- The 2026 World Junior Championship is approaching, and Canada is looking to improve after back-to-back fifth-place finishes.
- Six players from last year’s team will return, including Gavin McKenna, Porter Martone, and Carter George.
- Eight players to watch for Team Canada include McKenna, George, Michael Hage, Brady Martin, Porter Martone, Tij Iginla, Zayne Parekh, and Kashawn Aitcheson.
- These players have shown exceptional skills and abilities, making them potential game-changers for Team Canada.
- The team will face Czechia, the team that sent them home in the quarter-finals the past two years, on Boxing Day.
Introduction to the 2026 World Junior Championship
The 2026 World Junior Championship is right around the corner, and Canada is looking to rebound after back-to-back fifth-place finishes at the tournament. The Canadians return six players from last year’s team, with Gavin McKenna and defencemen Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ethan MacKenzie all eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. Canada opens the World Juniors on Boxing Day against Czechia, the team that sent them home in the quarter-finals the past two years.
Gavin McKenna: A Favourite to Go First Overall
Gavin McKenna is a favourite to go first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, and for good reason. After piling up 129 points in 56 games last season with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, McKenna decided to make the jump from the CHL to the NCAA for his draft year. He is averaging just over a point-per-game pace in his first year with Penn State, scoring four goals and 18 points in 16 games. According to TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button, "Gavin is such a brilliant thinker, he’s so creative. Understands how to open up the ice and how to create opportunities."
Carter George: An Elite Thinker
Another returning player, Carter George, led the 2025 World Juniors in save percentage (.936) and goals-against average (1.76) and was named a top-three player on the team despite Canada’s early exit. George, who is in his fourth year with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack, is 10-9-2 in 20 appearances with an.899 save percentage and 3.12 GAA this season. Button describes George as an "elite thinker," saying "his sense of the game, his sense of where danger lurks, how to shut it down, is simply outstanding."
Michael Hage: An Exceptionally High-End Thinker
Michael Hage went from not being invited to last year’s Team Canada camp to being expected to play a top-six role this year. A first-round pick (21st overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in 2024, Hage is third in the NCAA in scoring this season with 10 goals and 28 points in 20 games for the University of Michigan. Button says of Hage, "We’re talking about an exceptionally high-end thinker. He knows how to facilitate with his wingers. Michael is skilled and he’s a hard competitor too. He can flat out play the game."
Brady Martin and Porter Martone: The Engines for Team Canada
Brady Martin and Porter Martone are expected to play big roles up front for Team Canada. Martin and Martone were taken fifth and sixth in the 2025 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers, respectively. Button identifies them as the "engines" for Team Canada, saying "you need dual engines to power, and Canada has it in those two guys." Martin started the season in the NHL with Nashville, notching an assist in three games before being returned to junior, while Martone made the jump to the NCAA this season and has 11 goals and 20 points in 16 games with the Spartans.
Tij Iginla: A Power Forward
Tij Iginla missed a lot of the 2024-25 campaign after undergoing double hip surgery in December of 2024, but is now in his fourth junior season and third with the Kelowna Rockets. Iginla has 13 goals and 27 points in 17 games with Kelowna, which is also set to host the 2026 Memorial Cup. Button says of Iginla, "Tij is today’s power forward. He’s so smart and so aware of how to take advantage. He gets what he is, he knows what he is and then he goes and does what he is."
Zayne Parekh: A Dual Threat
Zayne Parekh is expected to log heavy minutes for Canada after being cut from last year’s team. On loan from the Calgary Flames, Parekh has one assist in 11 games with Calgary this season but suffered an upper-body injury in early November. Button says of Parekh, "Zayne commands the game with the puck. He commands the game offensively. He can quickly make offence out of something that seems impossible. His anticipation is exceptional."
Kashawn Aitcheson: The Back-End Motor
Kashawn Aitcheson is a co-captain for the OHL’s Barrie Colts this season and has continued to bring the offence in his fourth junior year. The 19-year-old leads all OHL defencemen in goals with 19 and is third in points with 32 in 27 games. Button insists Aitcheson is more than just an offensive player, saying "I think Kashawn is the back-end motor. Such a great competitor. Kashawn is a really well-rounded player who plays hard defensively, plays physical, gets opponents uneasy."
Carson Carels: A Young and Talented Defenceman
For the first time since 1987, Team Canada will be bringing two 17-year-old defencemen to the World Juniors in Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff. Carels is off to a strong start in his second WHL season with the Cougars, scoring eight goals with 29 points in 28 games. Button says of Carels, "I’m a big believer that the best defencemen need to command and control the game and that’s exactly what Carson does. And he does it in so many different ways. He does it with his brain, skating, passing, physical play."