TORONTO — Hockey Canada announced its 27-player training camp roster for the 2026 World Juniors in an event at Toronto’s downtown TELUS Harbour on Monday morning.

Led by new full-time general manager Alan Millar and his management group lead Mark Hunter, Hockey Canada’s camp, which starts on Friday in Niagara Falls, will take a bit of a different shape this year. Instead of the traditional selection camp process with games against a team of U Sports All-Stars before a series of cuts, a smaller camp roster will be whittled down — likely after Canada plays its first pre-tournament game against Sweden in Kitchener on Dec. 17.

The roster

Here’s a rough depth chart for this group (returnees marked with an asterisk):

Gavin McKenna* – Michael Misa – Porter Martone*
Tij Iginla – Caleb Desnoyers – Michael Hage
Cole Beaudoin* – Jett Luchanko* – Liam Greentree
Cole Reschny – Sam O’Reilly – Brady Martin
Carter Bear – Braeden Cootes – Jake O’Brien

Kashawn Aitcheson – Zayne Parekh
Cameron Reid – Harrison Brunicke
Carson Carels – Ben Danford
Ethan MacKenzie – Keaton Verhoeff
Jackson Smith

Carter George*
Jack Ivankovic*
Joshua Ravensbergen

Canada will need to cut one forward and one defenseman from that group at minimum, with the potential for additional cuts if Berkly Catton or Sam Dickinson are made available later in the process (Ben Kindel and Beckett Sennecke will be staying with their NHL clubs). According to Millar, Canada wants decisions from their NHL clubs by Dec. 20 so that they can travel with the team from Niagara to Minneapolis on Dec. 22. Canada has also typically only brought two goalies to the event when it has been held in North America in order to give one back to their CHL team, so expect a cut in net, too, with that goalie being on call in case of injury.

2026 NHL Draft defenseman Carson Carels impressing

With Hockey Canada brass on hand, Carson Carels was the clear best defenseman at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in Calgary and Lethbridge a couple of weeks ago, building off a great season in the WHL and a strong U18 Worlds in the spring. He worked his way into the conversation to make this team, and he’s got just as good, if not better chance to make the final squad than fellow draft eligible Keaton Verhoeff due to both how well-rounded his game is and that Canada is thinner on his left side than Verhoeff’s right. Carels is a hard-nosed, competitive and strong defenseman who skates well and whose offensive game has expanded. He has a projectable role on this team as a potential No. 4-7 defenseman who can play in tough defensive situations.

Carels is one of three players who weren’t invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase in July to play his way onto Canada’s training camp roster.

Blue Jackets’ Jackson Smith, undrafted Ethan MacKenzie, play their way on

It’s not a coincidence that the other two players named to the camp roster who weren’t invited to Minneapolis by Hockey Canada in the summer were also both left-shot D. With NHLers Zayne Parekh and Harrison Brunicke available on the right side, but no confirmation yet on Sharks lefty Sam Dickinson, there are decisions to make on which 3-4 left-shot D to bring.

(According to one source, the Sharks’ coaches appear open to it, but general manager Mike Grier hadn’t made up his mind as of a couple of days ago. The Sharks do play in Toronto on Thursday, so we wonder about them potentially sending him to Niagara after that.)

The expectation is that Kashawn Aitcheson will be one of those three or four they bring.

Smith offers high-end skating and athleticism but can make mistakes. And MacKenzie is the name the average fan will be least familiar with, but he has been one of the best players in the WHL through the front part of the season and could be a solid depth option.

Hockey Canada would have loved to have Cameron Reid at U18 Worlds in the spring, too, but while he probably has a leg up for one of the jobs on the left side, he’s not a lock either. It feels wide open after Aitcheson.

Getting Dickinson would change that, though, allowing everyone else to fall into place nicely. He would likely wear a letter and obviously has the London connection with the Hunters.

Justin Carbonneau, Marek Vanacker are the most notable cuts

Blues first-rounder Justin Carbonneau’s omission will come with some criticism after his goal-per-game start in the QMJHL (he made a strong impression on the Blues through development camp and into his first training camp, too). Carbonneau has a lot of great assets between his hands, shot and physicality. His hockey sense, habits and consistency have drawn criticism from evaluators, though, and he was never going to be a penalty killer for this team, so you can see why they would omit him. He’s also a late birthday, so he won’t be able to play at next year’s tournament. Not getting the call always stings most for those players.

Blackhawks first-rounder Marek Vanacker isn’t a late birthday, but this was also his last crack at it. He has scored five more goals than the next-closest player in the OHL this year and plays a power-speed game. Perhaps he could have been a valuable bottom-sixer for this team. We wonder if it came down to him and Red Wings prospect Carter Bear for a similar left-shot role. Bear got off to a slow start in his return from an Achilles injury this season with Everett, but has come on strong enough that Hockey Canada likely felt he was just a better fit for the role it was trying to fill there.