- Hockey Canada named 32 players for its 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, running July 26 to Aug. 1
- No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna was eligible but left off, with top-10 picks Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff headlining instead
- Read below for the full roster and why McKenna is missing from the camp
Canada is opening its World Junior road without its most talked-about teenager.
Hockey Canada named 32 players Friday for the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, and Gavin McKenna is not on the list. The Maple Leafs’ first overall pick is eligible for the 2027 tournament, but he did not get an invite to the July 26 to Aug. 1 camp at the WFCU Centre.
Top-10 picks Carson Carels and Keaton Verhoeff headline the group instead. Carels went sixth to Calgary, Verhoeff ninth to San Jose, and both just helped Canada win bronze at the 2026 tournament. They are two of seven 2026 first-rounders in Windsor, joined by Caleb Malhotra, Daxon Rudolph, Tynan Lawrence, Ethan Belchetz and Ryan Lin.
Hockey Canada rolled out the full 32-man group:
Leaving McKenna out is not a snub. He already looks like a lock. The 18-year-old put up 14 points in seven games at the 2026 World Juniors, second in tournament scoring, and took Player of the Game honors in the bronze-medal win over Finland.
There is also the Toronto factor. The Leafs drafted him first overall and could carry him on their NHL roster this season, and the league does not stop for the World Juniors. A summer selection camp is separate from the tournament itself, so his absence in Windsor says little about who suits up in December.
Eight players are back from the bronze-medal team, including goalie Jack Ivankovic, defenseman Cameron Reid and forwards Braeden Cootes, Caleb Desnoyers, Brady Martin and Cole Reschny. Misha Donskov, an assistant on that squad, takes over as head coach.
Here is the full Canadian roster from the announcement:
The Canadians are chasing their first World Junior gold since 2023 after back-to-back fifth-place finishes and last winter’s bronze. The camp runs against the United States, Finland and Sweden and starts the road to the 2027 tournament in Edmonton and Red Deer. Canada set its coaching staff earlier this month.
