Hockey Canada to miss 2026 Spengler Cup
One of the Spengler Cup’s top teams will not participate in 2026.
Hockey Canada has announced that it will not send a team to the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, set to take place from Dec. 26-31, citing a lack of agreement to keep the team involved.
🇨🇦's National Men's Team will not participate in the 2026 #SpenglerCup. L’équipe nationale masculine du 🇨🇦 ne participera pas à la #CoupeSpengler 2026.
Canada had participated in the event since 1984, becoming the only constant team outside of the hosts, HC Davos. The Spengler Cup is the oldest invitational hockey tournament in the world, having run its first outing in 1923. The event has only not been held six times ever since, with war, financial problems and the COVID-19 pandemic being the reasons for previous cancellations.
But through it all, Canada has emerged as one of the most successful teams in tournament history. Canada is second all-time in tournament championships with 16, and second with 10 runner-up finishes. The team hasn’t won the title since 2019, with Davos – the 2025 champs – overtaking them as the winningest team in tournament history.
Canada typically sends a team full of players participating in European pro hockey leagues, with some AHL, ECHL and NCAA players thrown in. The 2012 team was one of the best in tournament history, with notable players including John Tavares, Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron, Jason Spezza, Matt Duchene and Devan Dubnyk. Canada went on to beat Joe Thornton, Patrick Kane and Davos for the title that year.
“Team Canada has been an integral part of the tournament since 1984 and enjoys great popularity among fans,” a tournament statement said. “Despite this year’s absence, both sides remain in dialogue – with the aim of enabling a return in the future.”
Davos, U.S. Collegiate Selects, Frölunda HC and the SCL Tigers have been confirmed for the 98th running of the tournament, with two more squads still to be announced.