Chicago Blackhawks 2024 first-round pick (No. 27 overall) Marek Vanacker was one of three players cut from Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship on Thursday. Vanacker’s teammate in the Ontario Hockey League, Jake O’Brien, and Jackson Smith were the other two players cut from the roster.
ROSTER UPDATE | 🇨🇦’s National Junior Team has returned the following players to their club teams.
MISE À JOUR | L’équipe nationale junior du 🇨🇦 a renvoyé les joueurs suivants à leurs équipes de club.
-Jake O’Brien
-Jackson Smith
-Marek Vanacker#WorldJuniors | #MondialJunior
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 18, 2025
Vanacker was named as a late addition to Canada’s training roster last week after Michael Misa, the second overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, remained with the San Jose Sharks while rehabbing from an injury. However, Misa was loaned to Team Canada from San Jose and got cleared to participate on Tuesday, which put Vanacker’s spot in jeopardy.
Canada held its first pre-tournament exhibition match against Sweden on Tuesday night, and Vanacker skated on the fourth line with his good buddy O’Brien and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Sam O’Reilly. But neither Vanacker nor O’Brien seemed to impress the coaching staff enough in a 2-1 win over the Swedes to crack the final roster.
This marks the second consecutive year in which the OHL’s leading goal-scorer won’t play for Team Canada at the World Juniors. Vanacker is currently scoring at a goal-per-game clip for the Brantford Bulldogs as the season approaches the midway point, leading the league with 26 tallies in 26 games. Funny enough, it was Misa who the Canadians left watching the tournament from home last year, despite pacing the OHL in goals.
Vanacker, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward, figured to be a strong fit for the Canadians on the fourth line. He’s been a frequent penalty-killer throughout his junior career with Brantford, and he plays with a noticeable pace for his size. With a well-rounded makeup, Vanacker’s versatility could have been useful, even in a lesser role.
While the result isn’t too surprising, it’s still somewhat frustrating that Vanacker, who’s also seventh in the OHL with 41 points, won’t get the opportunity to represent his country. He’s played a vital part in Brantford having the best record in the league this year and has been among the most dominant players in all of Canadian junior hockey. What more must he do?
Vanacker and O’Brien will return to Brantford together and look to pick up where they left off before selection camp started. O’Brien, the Bulldogs’ captain, is second in the OHL with 46 points this season. He leads the league with 1.70 points per game.
The 2026 World Junior Championship begins in just eight days, with the tournament being held in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Canada’s first game will be played against Slovakia at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul on Friday, Dec. 26, with puck drop scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT.
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