TORONTO – Thirty-one past and present OHL players are going for gold starting Boxing Day in Minnesota as the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gets underway. That figure is part of a larger total of 78 past and present players from across the Canadian Hockey League competing in the annual tournament.
- 2026 World Juniors – Team Canada Player Profiles (CHL)
- 2026 World Juniors – International Player Profiles (CHL)
The Brantford Bulldogs lead all OHL clubs with a total of six players developed for the tournament, followed by the Barrie Colts and Brampton Steelheads with three each.
The host United States has captured gold in each of the past two years while Canada, which features 13 past and present OHL players on its roster coached by London Knights bench boss Dale Hunter, looks to return to the podium for the first time since 2023.
Canada begins its World Junior quest on Friday against Czechia at 8:30pm in Minneapolis.
As the official Canadian broadcast partners of the IIHF World Junior Championship, TSN and RDS will carry the action. Viewers are encouraged to check their local listings for full broadcast details.
Past and present OHL players competing in 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship
CANADA (13): Kashawn Aitcheson (D, Barrie Colts), Cole Beaudoin (F, Barrie Colts), Ben Danford (D, Brantford Bulldogs), Carter George (G, Owen Sound Attack), Liam Greentree (F, Windsor Spitfires), Jack Ivankovic (G, Brampton Steelheads/Univ. of Michigan), Jett Luchanko (F, Brantford Bulldogs), Brady Martin (F, Soo Greyhounds), Porter Martone (F, Brampton Steelheads/Michigan State Univ.), Michael Misa (F, Saginaw Spirit/San Jose Sharks), Sam O’Reilly (F, London Knights), Zayne Parekh (D, Saginaw Spirit/Calgary Flames), Cameron Reid (D, Kitchener Rangers) — Dale Hunter (Head Coach, London Knights), Mark Hunter (Management Group, London Knights), Chris Cook (Equipment Manager, Brantford Bulldogs), Chris Maton (Equipment Manager, London Knights)
CZECHIA (5): Adam Benak (F, Brantford Bulldogs), Vladimir Dravecky (D, Brantford Bulldogs), Jakub Fibigr (D, Brampton Steelheads), Adam Jiricek (D, Brantford Bulldogs), Adam Novotny (F, Peterborough Petes)
FINLAND (3): Emil Hemming (F, Barrie Colts), Onni Kalto (F, Oshawa Generals), Jasper Kuhta (F, Ottawa 67’s)
GERMANY (2): Max Bleicher (D, Owen Sound Attack/Powell River Kings), Mateu Spath (Niagara IceDogs/Salmon Arm Silverbacks)
LATVIA (1): Karlis Flugins (F, Flint Firebirds/KooKoo Kouvola), Darels Uljanskis (D, Flint Firebirds)
SLOVAKIA (3): Jan Chovan (F, Sudbury Wolves), Alex Misiak (F, Erie Otters), Tomas Pobezal (F, Kingston Frontenacs)
SWITZERLAND (1): Christian Kirsch (G, Kitchener Rangers)
UNITED STATES (2): Chase Reid (D, Soo Greyhounds), AJ Spellacy (F, Windsor Spitfires)
For more information on the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit iihf.com and follow along right here at ontariohockeyleague.com for updates throughout the tournament.
