Report: Celebrini, McKenna among players expected to join Canada for 2026 World Championship
Canada is looking a little younger and a little stronger heading into a big international tournament next month.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Macklin Celebrini, Gavin McKenna, Mathew Barzal and Morgan Rielly are expected to join Canada for the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship next month.
Team Canada has added some big names to its Men’s World roster. Celebrini, McKenna, Scheifele, Barzal all committed. Morgan Rielly has agreed to go to Switzerland as well. More to come.
Celebrini is coming off a marvelous season. With the San Jose Sharks, he posted career highs in goals (45), assists (70) and points (115), setting a franchise record for most points in a single season while finishing fourth in the NHL in scoring. He was also one of Canada’s top players at the Winter Olympics. He finished second in tournament scoring behind captain Connor McDavid, notching 10 points in six games, helping the Canadians reach the gold medal game.
McKenna is the undoubted top prospect heading into the 2026 NHL Draft. He spent the year honing his craft at Penn State University, finishing tied for fifth in the NCAA in scoring with 51 points, ending up as a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. The Whitehorse, Yukon native also finished second behind Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Gage in scoring at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring 14 points in seven contests.
Barzal had another solid season with the New York Islanders, scoring 19 goals and 72 points in 81 games. However, it wasn’t enough to get the team to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This would be his first bit of international experience since helping Canada take home the silver at the 2022 Men’s Worlds.
Rielly hasn’t played for Canada since the 2016 World Championship, where the team won gold. The longtime Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman hasn’t had any international experience since he played for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The quartet joins a veteran core of John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Robert Thomas and Mark Scheifele for the tournament in Switzerland, along with goaltender Jet Greaves.
Canada is looking to medal for the first time in three years. The nation is the record holder for the most gold medals (28) and total medals (53). They won gold in 2021 and 2023, and silver in 2019 and 2022. Canada will kick off the tournament on May 15 against Sweden, and will face the likes of Italy, Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Czechia in Group B play.