Team Canada held a practice at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls, Ont. before flying to Minneapolis on Monday.
Team Canada landed in Minnesota on Monday with a clear mission statement for the 2026 World Juniors.
“Just shutting every other team down,” said Penn State winger Gavin McKenna, who is one of six returning players from the team that finished fifth in Ottawa last year. “I think obviously every team’s goal is to win it, and we want to kill their dreams. I think that’s a good motto for us.”
“It’s always fun kind of being the villain going into another rink,” said Owen Sound Attack goalie Carter George. “And being dream killers and going in there and killing everyone’s dreams in this tournament.”
Team Canada embraced a ‘dream killers’ mentality at the under-18 World Championship in 2024 when McKenna and Michigan State winger Porter Martone led the way to a gold medal. Gardiner MacDougall, an assistant coach on this year’s Team Canada staff, was the head coach of that team.
“It was kind of saying we had,” Martone recalled. “We want to be the dream killers. Every team we played, it was a new dream that we wanted to kill. It is going to continue on here.”
Team Canada is looking to return to the top of the podium at the under-20 level after suffering consecutive quarterfinal losses at the World Juniors and there is no shortage of motivation.
Canada will open the tournament against Czechia, the country that knocked them out of the past two events, on Boxing Day. The next game will be against Latvia, who shocked Canada in a preliminary round game last year. The Finns, who beat Canada 6-3 in a heated World Junior Summer Showcase game a few months back, will be waiting on New Year’s Eve.
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The United States beat Canada on New Year’s Eve last year and Canada is itching for a rematch in Minnesota.
“That’s the plan,” said Brantford Bulldogs defenceman Ben Danford with a smile. “Yeah.”
The Americans relished the villain role in Ottawa with players taunting the fans at times.
“For them to win it on Canadian soil, I mean, it’d just be even sweeter if we won it on American soil,” said George, who led the World Juniors with a .936 save percentage last year (four games). “I think we’re all pretty motivated.”
Canada and the United States are in different groups this year so any rematch will have to wait until the knockout stage.
The Americans are looking to win World Junior gold on home ice for the first time.
“Obviously they want it,” said McKenna. “They’re on their home turf. We want to steal that away from them, steal their pride.”
The American team was booed throughout last year’s stay in Ottawa even when they didn’t play Canada. What sort of reception are the Canadian players expecting in Minnesota?
“I’m expecting a pretty good Canadian crowd,” said McKenna, who is projected to go first overall in the 2026 NHL draft. “Obviously, I’m hoping for that. Minnesota’s pretty close to the border, so hopefully we can get some Canadian fans there. Obviously there’s going to be some U.S. [fans], so it could be a hostile environment, but I’m looking forward to it.”
What’s it like playing in that type of atmosphere?
“I don’t mind it,” said McKenna. “I think in college you get a feel for that, so it kind of prepares you for this. I think sometimes I feed off of that, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Canada will play its group stage games at 3M Arena at Mariucci, which seats about 10,000 spectators and is the home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s team. McKenna played a pair of games in Minnesota already this season.
The American group will be based at the Grand Casino Arena, which is where the NHL’s Minnesota Wild play.
“I’ve heard Minnesota is the state for hockey in the U.S. so it should be pretty cool,” said Danford, who is a first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I heard all the games are sold out so it will be a cool experience.”
And Canada is certainly not concerned about playing in a hostile environment.
“When you go to hostile territory, it’s fun,” said head coach Dale Hunter. “Every hockey player wants to play in that atmosphere and have the challenge of it. It’ll be good. It’s good for the kids, and you got a rise to the challenge. It gets your adrenaline going, and you got to just be in control.”
Canada won the gold medal the last time the United States played host to the World Juniors in 2018 although the Americans beat Canada during a preliminary round game played outdoors that year.
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Canada is making some changes ahead of Tuesday’s final pre-tournament game against Denmark. The left wingers on the top two forward lines – McKenna and Tij Iginla – flipped spots at practice.
McKenna is now back with Michigan Wolverines centre Michael Hage, who is a Montreal Canadiens prospect, and Soo Greyhounds sparkplug Brady Martin.
“We scored two goals our first game, played pretty well, and, yeah, I wasn’t too shocked that we changed something up,” McKenna said.
McKenna played with Martone and San Jose Sharks centre Michael Misa on Saturday, but that line did not get on the board.
“The other line was good the game before, so put them back together and try to get two really good scoring lines together and go from there,” said Hunter.
In the first pre-tournament game, Martin scored twice with both goals assisted by McKenna.
“Me and Hager are kind of the playmakers on that line,” McKenna said. “And then Marty’s the shooter. He’s got a bomb, so feed him the puck. I think we just complement each other well. We work hard, we can make plays, and overall it’s just a good line.”
Iginla scored a goal, assisted by Hage, in Saturday’s game. The Kelowna Rockets forward skated with Misa and Martone at Monday’s practice.
“He’s almost like a dog out there trying to get a bone,” Martone said. “He’s always all over the puck and he’s never giving up with great second efforts. And then he’s got the skill and the smarts to take over hockey games. I think it’s gonna be good to try out and see how things go.”
The bottom six lines remained unchanged at practice.
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Canada failed to score on five power-play chances on Saturday.
“We had some looks,” said Hunter. “We had five scoring chances on it. We just got to get it in and keep going to the net with it, look for rebounds. It’s not always the pretty play that scores. There’s a lot of rebounds.”
Hunter is urging his players to draw inspiration from Sidney Crosby.
“You see it in the National Hockey League all the time where, you know, ‘Sid the Kid’ spends half the time in the blue paint now scoring goals,” Hunter noted. “So, it’s a good lesson for these kids. It’s Sid, you know, and he’s like in the blue paint banging in goals off his skates and his feet.”
Hage replaced Misa on the flank of the top unit at Monday’s practice.
“He’s played the power play with Michigan there, and he’s done really well,” said Hunter. “He’s got a great shot, so he’ll add a shot element to it.”
Hage has four power-play goals in 20 games this season.
“He’s so poised,” said McKenna. “He’s a really smart player, and obviously on the power play you want a guy like that, who can make plays and snap it around. I think we did pretty well today.”
Although Calgary Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh, who quarterbacks the top unit, seemed frustrated and smashed his stick over the boards after the final rep.
“It’s not really fair to a power play going against their own PK,” Hunter stressed. “They shoot it, but they don’t want to hurt somebody with a shot off the foot or something.”
“That’s the best practice is when you’re going against your own kill,” said McKenna. “Obviously it’s tough and can be frustrating, but it just makes it that much easier when you’re getting out into a real game, going against a different team, who doesn’t know exactly what you’re doing. Obviously you don’t want to get too frustrated, but it happens, and I thought we did well today.”
Misa switched to the second unit, which is now being quarterbacked by Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Harrison Brunicke, who replaced Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman Ethan MacKenzie.
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Canada’s six returnees are out for redemption after last year’s disappointing performance.
Danford is new to the national junior team, but can relate to that feeling after being a part of consecutive OHL championship series losses with the Oshawa Generals.
“I’ve been runner-up a couple times the last couple years so to finish first would mean that much more to me,” the 19-year-old said.
Danford is skating on the third pair beside MacKenzie and also projects to play a key role on the penalty kill.
“He’s got a really good stick,” noted McKenna. “He battles. He doesn’t really ever give up. If you get a step on him, he’s still not going to give up. He’s just going to keep battling. He’s a great addition.”
Danford, who was traded to the Bulldogs this season, and Martone actually dropped the gloves during an Ontario Hockey League game in March.
“He plays really hard,” said Martone, who made the jump to the NCAA this season. “He’s just so reliable. You know he’s never gonna mess up. He keeps things simple and I think that’s what makes him so good. He’s always making the right play, great first pass, and lays some big hits.”
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George will always smiles after allowing a goal.
“It’s a little weird,” Canada’s incumbent starter admits. “It’s a little awkward at first. You’re kind of, like, trying to force a smile on your face, but after a while, you kind of get used to it. And after you do it a few times, it really makes sense.”
George’s mindset coach, Pete Fry, encouraged him to do it when the pair started working together two years ago.
“No one likes letting a goal in, so you’re usually pretty upset about it, or you’re kind of down on yourself,” the Thunder Bay, Ont. native said. “But usually when you smile you kind of just get your confidence back, kind of be a little bit happy, and are in a better mood. And, for me, that’s just when I play my best. When I’m in a good mood, I’m playing my game, and everything’s in the right space.”
George, who is a Los Angeles Kings prospect, felt like he was in the right space on Wednesday when he turned aside 19 of 20 shots in Canada’s 2-1 pre-tournament win over Sweden. He said he got his mojo back after making the first save.
George had allowed five goals on 33 shots in a loss in his final OHL start before arriving at Canada’s camp.
“You just want to have that swagger, have that confidence in your game, and sometimes it just takes one save,” he explained. “Sometimes all you have to do is play a puck, or something little, take a little win just to get that swagger. Sometimes you have it all the time. Sometimes you got to find it. So, for me in Kitchener, it was just, I had to make a save, and I got it.”
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Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, who is vying with McKenna to go first overall in the next NHL draft, scored the winning goal on Saturday night. What was it like for McKenna to face his draft-year rival?
“I just play my game,” the 18-year-old from Whitehorse said. “He’s just another player out there to me. Obviously, he’s got a lot of talent, but just another player.”
Stenberg and Team Sweden joined McKenna and Team Canada on a charter flight on Monday evening.
“Might be a couple of battles in there,” McKenna said with a smile before heading to the airport. “No, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“I think we’re sitting at the front of the plane and they’re sitting at the back,” Martone said. “So, you know, hopefully nothing too bad happens.”
Martone chuckled.
“It’s good,” he said. “The games are over …I think it’s gonna be good plane ride over to Minnesota.”
“Hopefully there’s something blocking us from the Swedes, and there’s no heat from the games going,” George joked. “But, no, it should be good.”
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Hockey Canada initially announced that Caleb Desnoyers would miss practice for a maintenance day, but the Moncton Wildcats forward was able to take part after all.
Lines at Monday’s practice:
F
Iginla - Misa - Martone
McKenna - Hage - Martin
Reschny - Beaudoin - Luchanko
Greentree - Cootes - O’Reilly
Bear, Desnoyers
D
Reid - Parekh
Aitcheson - Brunicke
MacKenzie - Danford
Carels - Verhoeff
G
George
Ivankovic
Ravensbergen
Power play units at Monday’s practice:
PP1
Flanks: Hage, McKenna
Middle: Reschny
Net front: Martin
PP2
QB: Brunicke
Flanks: Luchanko, Misa
Middle: Martone
Down low: Iginla
