At just 19, San Jose Sharks sophomore superstar Macklin Celebrini will serve as Team Canada’s captain for the upcoming World Hockey Championship in Switzerland, Hockey Canada announced on Sunday morning.
Veterans Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators and John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs will wear the ‘A’ as alternate captains.
Macklin Celebrini will wear the "C" for Canada at the IIHF World Hockey Championship, with Ryan O'Reilly and John Tavares serving as alternate captains https://t.co/LalGTYra7G
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 10, 2026
After a solid rookie season in 2024-25, producing 63 points in 70 games, Celebrini took his game to a different level this past season, becoming one of the best players in the NHL.
The native of North Vancouver, B.C., scored 45 goals and 70 assists over 82 games for 115 points, passing Hall of Famer Joe Thornton for most points in a single season in Sharks’ history.
Celebrini also ranked fourth in the NHL in points.
The forward excelled at the Olympics in Italy, netting five goals and five assists over six games as Canada settled for the silver medal.
Celebrini also represented Canada at last year’s World Championship, producing three goals and three assists over eight games.
Tavares scored 31 goals and 40 assists over 82 games for the Maple Leafs, his eighth in Toronto and 17th in the NHL.
The 35-year-old centre is no stranger to international hockey, competing in four world championships, most recently in 2024 when Canada finished off the podium in fourth.
Tavares won gold at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
O’Reilly, 35, had 25 goals and 49 assists over 81 games for the Predators this season, his 17th in the NHL.
The 2019 Stanley Cup champion helped Canada win gold at the 2015 and 2016 World Championship before earning silver in 2017. He also represented Canada at the event in 2018 and 2025.
Canada posted a perfect 6-0 record in round-robin robin play last year before being upset by Denmark, 2-1, in the quarter-final.
The 2026 tournament is set to take place in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland from May 15-31.
All games will be broadcasted on TSN, TSN.ca and the TSN App.
Here’s the full roster set to compete for Canada.
Canada at the 2026 World Hockey Championship
| Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Jet Greaves | Goaltender | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Jack Ivankovic | Goaltender | University of Michigan (NCAA) |
| Cam Talbot | Goaltender | Detroit Red Wings |
| Evan Bouchard | Defenceman | Edmonton Oilers |
| Dylan DeMelo | Defenceman | Winnipeg Jets |
| Sam Dickinson | Defenceman | San Jose Sharks |
| Denton Mateychuk | Defenceman | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Darnell Nurse | Defenceman | Edmonton Oilers |
| Morgan Rielly | Defenceman | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Zach Whitecloud | Defenceman | Calgary Flames |
| Parker Wotherspoon | Defenceman | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Mathew Barzal | Forward | New York Islanders |
| Connor Brown | Forward | New Jersey Devils |
| Macklin Celebrini | Forward | San Jose Sharks |
| Dylan Cozens | Forward | Ottawa Senators |
| Emmitt Finnie | Forward | Detroit Red Wings |
| Dylan Holloway | Forward | St. Louis Blues |
| Fraser Minten | Forward | Boston Bruins |
| Ryan O’Reilly | Forward | Nashville Predators |
| Mark Scheifele | Forward | Winnipeg Jets |
| John Tavares | Forward | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Robert Thomas | Forward | St. Louis Blues |
| Gabriel Vilardi | Forward | Winnipeg Jets |
