Celebrini, Scheifele highlight Canada’s preliminary 2026 World Championship roster
A good contingent is set to represent the Maple Leaf at one of hockey’s biggest events.
On Friday, Hockey Canada revealed the first 23 players named to the roster for the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship.
Nations are allowed to have a max 25 players on their rosters for the tournament. That means Canada can add two more names to their squad, which most likely will happen once teams are eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
There are a lot of familiar names on the list, with Canada boasting a solid lineup with veterans and youngsters alike. Longtime NHLers such as John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Mathew Barzal, Robert Thomas and Mark Scheifele are going to be asked to play key roles up front, though there’s some intrigue to see what Macklin Celebrini and Gavin McKenna. Celebrini was a surprising performer at the Winter Olympics in February, while McKenna is looking to further solidify his status as the top prospect heading into the 2026 NHL Draft.
On the back end, Morgan Rielly, Dylan DeMelo, and Darnell Nurse bring some experience, while Evan Bouchard, the NHL’s highest-scoring defenseman this year, is ready to make his senior national team debut.
Goaltending might be a question mark for Canada in the tournament. They named Detroit Red Wings veteran Cam Talbot, along with Jet Greaves, who’s coming off an impressive season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. There’s also Nashville Predators prospect Jack Ivankovic, who just finished his first season at the University of Michigan, helping the Wolverines win a Big Ten Championship.
Canada is looking to medal for the first time in three years. The nation is the record holder for the most gold medals (28) and total medals (53). They won gold in 2021 and 2023, and silver in 2019 and 2022. Canada will kick off the tournament next Friday against Sweden, and will face the likes of Italy, Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Czechia in Group B play.