Misha Donskov to coach Canada’s men’s World Championship, World Junior teams
Canada has its man to run Team Canada for not just one, but two of the biggest tournaments in international hockey.
On Thursday, Hockey Canada announced that Misa Donskov will be the head coach of the Canadian National Team for the 2026 and 2027 IIHF Men’s World Championship, as well as the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Misha Donskov will lead 🇨🇦 as head coach at two #MensWorlds and the 2027 #WorldJuniors. Misha Donskov dirigera le 🇨🇦 lors de deux éditions du #MondialMasculin ainsi qu’au #MondialJunior 2027. 📰 hc.hockey/Release2626 📰 hc.hockey/Communique2626
Hockey Canada senior vice president of high performance and hockey operations Scott Salmond states that Donskov is the right guy to lead the nation’s top men’s teams moving forward.
“Misha is an integral member of our hockey operations staff, and his contributions to successful teams at Hockey Canada over the years,” Salmond said in a release. “Misha is a world-class coach, and we are fortunate to have him building the coaching and support staffs that will put us in a position to win multiple gold medals at two of the marquee events on the international hockey calendar.”
Donskov was hired as the organization’s vice president of hockey operations and men’s national team coach in June 2025, after serving two years as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars under Pete DeBoer. He also spent several seasons as both an assistant coach and director of hockey operations with the Vegas Golden Knights, working on the staff that won a Stanley Cup in 2023.
The London, Ont. native expressed how great an honor it is to be behind the bench, representing his country.
“I look forward to continuing to work closely with my colleagues in hockey operations and throughout Hockey Canada,” Donskov explained. “As well as coaches and staff throughout the National Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League, to build teams and programs that give us the best chance to win gold medals.”
Canada’s senior national team is the record holder for the most gold medals (28) and total medals (53). The country won gold in 2021 and 2023, and silver in 2019 and 2022. Canada will kick off the Men’s Worlds in Switzerland on May 15 against Sweden, and will face the likes of Italy, Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Czechia in Group B play.
The Canadian National Junior Team has won a record 20 gold medals, with their 36 total medals trailing the Soviet Union/Russia. Canada hasn’t won gold since 2023, having been eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2024 and 2025 before taking home the bronze in Minnesota this past January.