CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Stanley Cup champion Misha Donskov (London, ON) has joined the organization as vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach, effective immediately.

Reporting to Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, Donskov brings National Hockey League (NHL) experience as an executive and coach to the organization and will be responsible for implementing the vision and strategies for Hockey Canada’s men’s, women’s and para hockey teams, and strengthen the alignment between the organization’s hockey operations and business operations staffs.

Donskov will also serve as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Team at the IIHF World Championship, as assistant coach with the Men’s Olympic Team and as associate coach with Canada’s National Junior Team.

“We are thrilled to name Misha to his role today as he will play a critical role to ensure Canada’s national teams are set up for sustained success when representing our country on the world stage,” said Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer. “Misha is a proven winner, collaborative leader and unwavering in his commitment to supporting our athletes, coaches and staff, and we know he will make Canadians proud throughout his work with Hockey Canada.

“We received a tremendous number of applications from candidates in Canada, across North America and around the world for this position and appreciate their interest in the role as part of the extensive recruitment process.”

Donskov recently completed his second season as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars after spending parts of four seasons as an assistant coach (2020-23) with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2023. Before joining the Golden Knights coaching staff, he was the team’s director of hockey operations for four seasons (2016-20). Internationally, Donskov has been part of a number of successful Canadian teams, including championships as an assistant coach at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He also won gold at two IIHF World Championships (2015, 2016) and one IIHF World Junior Championship (2015) as manager of hockey operations, analytics and video, and won the 2019 Spengler Cup as director of hockey operations and assistant coach as well as the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament as video coach.

Donskov spent five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights (2009-12) and Ottawa 67s (2012-14), highlighted by an OHL championship as London’s assistant general manager and assistant coach in 2012. In addition to his coaching and management career, Donskov has extensive experience in hockey development, including previous NHL roles with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers.

Prior to pursuing a full-time career in hockey, Donskov spent six years with Cardinal Health, a Fortune 500 global, integrated healthcare solutions company. He held roles of increasing responsibility in finance, sales, and sales management. He holds a master's degree in kinesiology with a specialization in coaching education from the University of Western Ontario.

“It is a tremendous honour to be trusted to serve as Vice President, Hockey Operations and National Men’s Teams Coach for Hockey Canada,” said Donskov. “I would like to thank the Hockey Canada Board, Katherine Henderson and Scott Salmond for this incredibly unique opportunity. Hockey Canada has played a significant role in my hockey journey and development — both personal and professional. I am excited to be returning to Hockey Canada to help support our world leading teams, programs and people. In addition, I would like to thank Tom Gaglardi, Jim Nill and Pete DeBoer for affording me the privilege to coach in the National Hockey League and be a part of the Dallas Stars family and organization.”

This is the second critical hockey operations staff announcement ahead of the 2025-26 international hockey season after Hockey Canada announced the hiring of Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), the first full-time general manager of the Program of Excellence.

“Misha brings a coaching acumen and focus to Hockey Canada that our programs will benefit immensely from,” added Salmond. “With a full time general manager in Alan Millar and now the addition of Misha Donskov, we are in a great position as an organization moving forward.”

Additions to the Program of Excellence management group, as well as the coaching staffs, support staffs and rosters for the under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

As long as I can remember, I've heard and read stories of my ancestry dating back to the Red River Resistance, including a book written about my great-grandma’s family living on a reserve in Northern Manitoba. Families on my dad’s side settled in small Métis towns called St-Malo and St-Pierre-Jolys.

I’ll admit… after hearing about my ancestors’ experiences, I wasn't sure if being Indigenous was good or if it was something I should be ashamed of. In minor hockey, people used to always ask ‘Who is that little native boy on the ice?’ just because I was playing on a boys’ team and had a long braid.

I didn’t think much of it at the time, until I heard some of the things people were saying about other Indigenous people in the community, things I never thought I would hear. Although we spoke regularly in our household about our Métis heritage, it was difficult to express it outside our walls.

After that, I thought if I didn't expose myself as being Indigenous that I wouldn't get bullied or hurt. I buried it away and focused on my real passion—hockey. Every time I stepped on the ice, I wanted to be the best player so one day I could be a role model for other Indigenous athletes with similar experiences.

I lived by the motto “I work hard today to be better for tomorrow.” Carrying that with me, I was able to make the British Columbia roster as a double under-ager for the 2023 Canada Winter Games on Prince Edward Island, and was lucky enough to help Team B.C. win its first-ever gold medal!

That event was a huge moment in my journey; I believe I made a name for Indigenous athletes to show that you can play with everyone.

My journey with Team B.C. has continued for the last two seasons, winning a pair of bronze medals at the U18 Women’s National Championship, getting to serve as captain at the most recent tournament in New Brunswick and being named Top Defender.

I have also won two Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) championships with RHA Kelowna in the Female U18 Prep division, broke the record for most career assists in division history and earned CSSHL Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Oh, and I lived out a dream by getting to wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and win a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Finland. How’s that for a platform for Indigenous athletes!

Through my time with Team B.C., I learned about ISPARC (Indigenous Sports Physical Activity and Recreation Council), which leads the teams that represent the province at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship (NAHC) every year. In 2023, just a few months after my Canada Games experience, I made my first NAHC appearance in Winnipeg.

I returned for a second tournament in 2024 in Grande Prairie, winning a bronze medal, and earned the Premier’s regional and provincial awards for Indigenous youth excellence in sports.

I made a third trip just a few months ago on home ice in Kamloops, just a couple hours from where I grew up in Osoyoos, getting the honour of being captain again and leading Team B.C. to silver, the best finish in program history.

Those tournaments were amazing experience, both personally and culturally. I felt accepted by opponents, fans, coaches and teammates. They were so, so important in my growth as a hockey player and as an Indigenous athlete.

There’s one story from my NAHC years that will stick with me, and I want to share it. It really drives home why I want to work with the younger generation (which is funny for me to say being only 18!) to truly embrace our culture.

One of my best friends, who is Indigenous, would constantly be reminded by her teammates that she wasn't good enough to play for Team B.C. at the U18 Women’s Nationals. No one cared if she made the ISPARC Team B.C.; to them, it would never be as good as what they considered the “real Team B.C.”

I never hesitated to remind her how skilled of a player she was. It was—and still is—very hard for me to understand how her teammates could not only be so mean, but at the same time talk about Indigenous athletes and the NAHC tournament as a lower form of competition.

Hearing them say that we aren't good enough hockey players just because we were Indigenous was something that didn’t sit well for me. It made me realize that I have to fight for what's right and stop hiding in the shadows.

I am very proud to say that I am a citizen of the Métis Nation of British Columbia (MNBC) and that I live on the traditional unceded territory of the Sylix (Okanagan) Nation!

I made a decision to learn more about being Métis. The MNBC staff was welcoming and supported me in learning about my culture and other Indigenous cultures. I was honoured to be sashed by the president of the MNBC and receive two warrior sashes made for me by Métis Elders.

I was invited by the MNBC Board of Directors to speak with government representatives and talk about the mental, physical and emotional challenges that Indigenous athletes have to face. I explained how hard it is to be faced with discrimination just for being Indigenous.

Due to the negative impact, I took a 12-week course with former NHLer Aaron Volpatti to help with my mental health and confidence. He showed me that if I envision what I want to focus on and to not let outside voices get to me, I'll be able to accomplish anything.

This knowledge was very important; I learned that it's okay to speak up and to fight for what's right. I knew I didn't have to hide who I was anymore because I had a whole team of people who would back me up and pick me up if I ever got down. Being a citizen of the MNBC has allowed me to be a role model for Indigenous athletes, proving that there are no limits if you are willing to put in the work.

Alongside the highs and lows of being an Indigenous athlete, I faced another challenge that was out of my control—I have often been overlooked or underestimated because of my height. (I’m 5-foot-2, in case you’re wondering.)

No matter what I did, every mistake and every loss was because I was short. I knew my height would come with challenges, but never did I think a coach would belittle me because of it. I would be told that I cost the team the game, implying that it was because I was too short. During my NCAA recruitment, this coach would always bring up my size as a negative when speaking to other coaches, rather than focusing on my skills.

I’m short…and I can’t do anything about it! I am so lucky to have been able to work with two coaches, Venla Hovi and Kris Hogg, who really took me under their wing and didn't just look past me because of my height.

Venla—a two-time Olympian and Women’s Worlds veteran with Finland—was the first coach who gave me confidence to use my height as an advantage. She saw my potential and worked with me to be comfortable being uncomfortable. She really changed the way I played, for the better. She allowed me to see my height as a strength and as something people wouldn't be able to stop. I was so fortunate to have a strong believer like her on my side.

When I made the move from the Okanagan Hockey Academy to RHA Kelowna, Kris was the coach who encouraged me and supported my growth as a player. He always put me out there to every single college he could, never once saying I was too short to play Division I hockey. He also pushed me past my boundaries on and off the ice, which helped me to break records I wouldn't have thought possible.

It is with the support of Venla and Kris, along with coaches and trainers like Mark Fitzgerald, Jim Liebel, Tyler Liebel, Travis Martell, Derek Ruck, my dad Dean and so many more that I have been able to live my hockey dreams—representing my province, representing my Indigenous community and (the craziest of all) representing my country!

This coming season, I’m proud to have accepted a scholarship to Penn State University to continue my hockey career.

Through my journey I have realized that no matter what, you have to fight for what's right and continue to battle against the hard. I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have had, and I continue to work hard today to be better for tomorrow so that I can make my dreams to represent Canada at the Olympics and play in the PWHL a reality.

My hope is that my journey and story will be an inspiration to young Indigenous athletes, showing them that any boundary is breakable with the right mindset.

There were few—if any—more qualified to lead the Indigenous initiatives at the 2025 TELUS Cup than Hayden Guilderson.

The 28-year-old Chilliwack, B.C., product played minor hockey with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds as part of a hockey journey that includes stops in the Pacific Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and U SPORTS.

At Canada’s U18 Men’s National Club Championship, Guilderson—a councillor with the Ch’iyáqtel First Nation—ensured that as five teams from across the country joined the host Thunderbirds in his hometown, the local Indigenous community would be front and centre.

HockeyCanada.ca caught up with Guilderson to talk about his role, the initiatives he helped lead during the tournament and what the experience taught him.

HC: How did you get involved with the TELUS  Cup and specifically the Indigenous initiatives?

HG: I was invited to join the TELUS Cup steering committee by a Chilliwack city councillor who saw value in my background: a proud alumnus of the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and a serving councillor for a local First Nation. Growing up playing hockey in the Fraser Valley, I understood both the sport and its community impact. When given the opportunity, I felt a strong responsibility to ensure our Indigenous presence was not just visible, but impactful. This role allowed me to use my voice and experiences—on and off the ice—to help shape an authentic Indigenous activation that reflected our traditions and strengthened the fabric of the tournament.

HC: Can you tell us about some of the key Indigenous elements you helped bring to life?

HG: Several initiatives brought Indigenous pride to the forefront. Welcome gifts for the players featured commissioned artwork from local Indigenous artists—a symbolic gesture of cultural sharing and respect. Medal ceremony cedar plates, hand‑carved by our community artists, carried cultural meaning onto the podium. Most meaningful was the Dreams Come True program; we provided 15 local Indigenous youth with full Bauer hockey gear and led a special on‑ice skills session for them. That moment embodied why we do this work: to break barriers, create opportunities and inspire the next generation. The looks on their faces reminded me that representation goes beyond symbolism—it changes lives. Finally, I partnered with local Indigenous organizations to ensure community members had access to games and tournament events. Each of these elements was built to be authentic, intentional and inclusive—so everyone involved would feel our presence and pride.

HC: Why was it important for you to be a part of this event and make an impact?

HG: Being part of the TELUS Cup meant showcasing Chilliwack’s deep Indigenous roots on a national stage. With teams and visitors from across Canada in town, I wanted them to feel our city’s warmth and connection to land and culture. It was important that our traditions were woven respectfully into the tournament—whether through ceremony, artwork or community involvement. This wasn’t just about representation; it was about fostering understanding and leaving a legacy that reminds everyone of our enduring presence. I saw this as an opportunity to set a new standard in hockey—one where Indigenous voices are integral, celebrated and honoured.

HC: The hockey community is evolving to celebrate different cultures. What does that mean to you?

HG: Seeing hockey become more inclusive and culturally conscious is both heartwarming and overdue. Growing up, I faced racism and never saw Indigenous culture represented in the sport. The TELUS Cup’s Indigenous activations were part of a broader shift: hockey is beginning to heal, educate and embrace new voices. Whether in tournaments or everyday community rinks, culture is being woven into the fabric of the game. That shift validates the experiences of Indigenous players and fans—showing them they belong and that their heritage is valued. To me, it means hope, growth and transformation—not just for hockey, but for the communities it touches.

HC: What did you learn personally through this experience?

HG: This experience taught me the power of collaboration and intentional leadership. When Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders come together with mutual respect, results can be profound. I witnessed how voices rooted in culture strengthen community events and leave lasting impact. On a personal level, I was reminded of how much representation matters—especially to youth who often go unseen. It also reinforced the importance of patience, cultural diligence and ceremony when integrating traditions. This taught me that authenticity takes time but yields deeper, more meaningful outcomes.

HC: What advice would you give to ED&I leaders looking to be part of future Hockey Canada events?

HG: Show up, speak up and collaborate. Don’t be afraid to propose meaningful change—not token gestures. Bring your culture forward and demand that Indigenous voices be woven into the planning and execution. Build partnerships early, involve Elders and artists in decision-making and prioritize cultural protocols. Be patient; these changes take time, but each step shifts the culture of hockey. Your presence and voice matter—so use them to guide and inspire future change.

HC: If there’s one thing you hope people remember from your work at the TELUS Cup, what would it be?

HG: I hope people remember that Indigenous culture is not an add-on—it’s integral. From artwork and ceremony to youth programming, I wanted the TELUS Cup to be known as a tournament where Indigenous tradition and spirit were genuinely woven into the event’s heart. Above all, I wanted people to see Indigenous kids skating in full gear, proud and included. That image, to me, is powerful and hopeful, and the legacy worth carrying forward.

BUFFALO, New York – Canada’s National Para Hockey Team has finished with the silver medal at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship after dropping a 6-1 decision to the United States in the gold medal game Saturday afternoon.

Liam Hickey (St. John’s, NL)scored the lone goal early in the first period for the Canadians, who trailed 3-1 after one period and 4-1 after two as the North American rivals met in the final for the eighth-consecutive time at Para Worlds.

“That is the best game I’ve seen the U.S. play in a long time, and it’s just unfortunate that it came today against us,” said head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON). “They didn’t give us any space or room to breathe. We were unable to impose our will at all tonight. I would say that is an American team that has been sitting on a sour feeling since last year’s final and they were waiting for their chance to get us back. We can take some solace in the fact it took that type of effort to beat us, but there is a lesson here too that now we need to have that same fire in our belly and take care of business [at the Paralympics] in Italy in March.”

Adam Kingsmill (Smithers, BC) made 18 saves as the United States outshot Canada 24-11.

Captain Tyler McGregor (Forest, ON) and Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, ON) earned assists on Hickey’s goal, while James Dunn (Wallacetown, ON) skated in his 100th game as a member of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team.

Cozzolino finished as Canada’s leading scorer with 15 points (7-8—15), two more than McGregor (6-7—13). They were third and fourth, respectively, in tournament scoring.

“Not the performance we wanted today,” said McGregor. “When you look at the bigger picture and look back at the full year and how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown as a group, there are lots of positives we can find. This one didn’t go our way, and all the credit to the U.S., they played a heck of a game. This one hurts for sure, but for our group we know what we have to do: move forward, use this as fuel, get better every day and prepare to leave Milano-Cortina with a gold medal.”

Following the game, McGregor was named Best Forward of the tournament.

Canada finished first in Group A with a perfect 3-0 record in the preliminary round with wins over Germany (11-0), Korea (12-0) and China (4-2). It booked its spot in the gold medal game with a 3-0 semifinal victory over Czechia.

With the win over Korea in the preliminary round, Canada officially clinched its place at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games , March 6-15 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

In 15 appearances at the World Para Hockey Championship, Canada has captured five gold medals (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2024), in addition to five silver (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025) and three bronze (1996, 2009, 2012).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.

Here we go again. Canada’s National Para Hockey Team faces its cross-border rivals from the United States on Saturday night with the gold medal on the line at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship.

Last Game

Canada punched its ticket to the gold medal game with a 3-0 semifinal win over Czechia on Friday. Liam Hickey and Adam Dixon scored 18 seconds apart midway through the first period to provide the Canadians all the offence they would need, Tyler McGregor added a power-play goal in the second period and Adam Kingsmill made eight saves for his second shutout in as many starts.

The Americans earned their place in the final with a 6-1 win over China in their semifinal. Declan Farmer had two goals and three assists to take sole possession of the tournament scoring lead, Jack Wallace also scored twice and the U.S. took charge with a four-goal second period.

Last Meeting

The rivals have met nine times this season, most recently in the finale of a three-game series in Thorold, Ontario in late March. Kingsmill starred in that game with a 16-save effort, Vincent Boily and Mathieu Lelièvre contributed a goal and an assist apiece and the Canadians earned a 2-1 victory.

The last meeting at Para Worlds was a thriller in last year’s gold medal game in Calgary. Kingsmill was again the story, making 24 saves, Dominic Cozzolino set the tone with a goal just 35 seconds in and Anton Jacobs-Webb netted the game-winner midway through the second period as Canada ended a seven-year gold medal drought with a 2-1 win.

What to Watch

We’ve mentioned him a couple of time already, but let’s do it once more – Kingsmill always seems to come up big in big games against the Americans. The 25-year-old was the unquestioned star of last year’s gold medal game, making a handful of point-blank saves to backstop Canada to a home-ice world title in Alberta. He’s also the only goaltender in Buffalo who has played more than one game and had yet to allow a goal, although he has had to make only 10 saves while blanking the Koreans and Czechs. Up front, James Dunn will reach at least one milestone; the forward will make his 100th appearance for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and needs just one point to record 100 for his international career.

As he is at every major international event, Farmer is the straw that stirs the drink for the Americans. The Florida native is up to 18 points (10-8—18) after his five-point effort in the semifinals, good for a three-point cushion over Wallace and four over Cozzolino. A four-time world champion, Farmer is no stranger to the top of the scoring chart; he was first a year ago in Calgary (11-9—20 in five games), second in 2023 in Moose Jaw (9-3—12 in five games) and first at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing (7-11—18 in four games). He has also been pretty darn good against the Canadians this season, recording 20 points (13-7—20) in nine games.

A Look Back

This is the 138th edition of the North American rivalry, with the Americans holding a slight edge.

Prior to last spring, the most recent Canadian win with a major title on the line came at the 2017 Para Worlds in Gangneung, South Korea. McGregor scored a pair of goals, Brad Bowden added a goal and two assists and Canada earned a 4-1 victory to lay claim to the world championship.

All-time record: United States leads 75-61-1 (15-7 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 261
United States goals: 321

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is into the playoff round at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, facing off against Czechia in the first semifinal Friday at the LECOM Harborcenter.

Last Game

The Canadians closed out the preliminary round Tuesday with a 4-2 win over China, completing a perfect prelims and clinching top spot in Group A. Dominic Cozzolino potted a pair of goals, including the game-winner 3:47 into the third period to break open a tie game. Adam Dixon and Mathieu Lelièvre also found the back of the net for Canada, which pulled away with three goals in 3:38 early in the final frame.

Czechia put a scare into the United States in its prelim finale on Tuesday, getting within a goal in the third period before dropping a 4-3 decision. Michal Geier scored twice and Martin Zizlavsky was in on all three Czech goals, earning a trio of assists. Patrik Sedlacek was terrific in goal, making 25 saves.

Last Meeting

The semifinals of the 2024 Para Cup in Charlottetown, P.E.I., was the last time the Canadians and Czechs faced off. In that one, Tyler McGregor and Liam Hickey finished with a goal and an assist each, Cozzolino chipped in with two helpers and Canada edged Czechia 3-1 to move into the gold medal game.

What to Watch

Cozzolino has picked up right where he left off a year ago at Para Worlds. Last spring in Calgary, the Mississauga native earned Top Forward honours after finishing third in tournament scoring (7-10—17) and helping Canada end its long gold medal drought with a tone-setting goal just 35 seconds into the final against the rival Americans. In Buffalo, Cozzolino sits tied for the scoring lead with U.S. point-producer Declan Farmer with 13 points (7-6—13) in three games. He has also (for the moment) jumped past his linemate, Hickey, for sixth in all-time Team Canada scoring with 172 points (62-110—172) in 126 international games.

Filip Vesely has already surpassed his offensive output from a year ago in Calgary, posting seven points – all of them assists – in three prelim games to sit second in helpers, just one behind U.S. defenceman Jack Wallace. He led the Czechs with six points (4-2—6) in five games in Alberta. Vesely has a little more help this time around; Zizlavsky also sits at seven points (2-5—7), while Geier contibuted six goals in the round robin, tied for third behind Farmer (eight) and Cozzolino (seven). The Czechs were the only team in the tournament not to allow a power-play goal in the prelims, killing off all five man-advantages they faced.

A Look Back

Canada has an unblemished all-time record against the Czechs, winning all 21 meetings dating back to 2009.

These teams have met twice before in the semifinals at Para Worlds, both of them shutout wins for Canada; in 2013, Greg Westlake scored twice in a 6-0 victory, and in 2023, Cozzolino and James Dunn had two goals apiece in a 5-0 triumph.

All-time record: Canada leads 21-0
Canada goals: 84
Czechia goals: 10

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team closes out the preliminary round Tuesday morning at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, facing off against China with first place in Group A on the line.

Last Game

Canada made it back-to-back shutout wins with a 12-0 blanking of Korea on Sunday. Dominic Cozzolino led the way with a hat trick and three assists, James Dunn had a hat trick and Tyler McGregor added two goals and three helpers. The Canadians took charge early, going ahead 5-0 before the five-minute mark of the first period and scoring eight goals on 16 shots in the opening frame. The win assured Canada of a place in the semifinals, and clinched a berth at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

China improved to 2-0 with an 8-0 win over Germany on Sunday night. Tian Jin Tao scored a hat trick in the second period and Shen Yi Feng added two goals and three assists as the Chinese outshot the Germans 35-4.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Chinese most recently clashed at the 2024 Para Cup in Charlottetown, P.E.I. McGregor netted a hat trick, Vincent Boily scored twice and Canada earned a 7-1 victory. The win was a true team effort; 13 of the 15 Canadian skaters recorded at least a point, and Corbin Watson turned aside eight of nine shots to record the victory.

What to Watch

James Dunn has his sights set on a pair of milestones in Buffalo. Barring injury, the Wallacetown, Ontario, product will become the 16th player to reach 100 international games when the tournament concludes next Saturday. But his hot start to the prelims has him within reach of another mark – in addition to his hat trick against the Koreans, Dunn had a goal and four assists in the tournament-opening win over Germany, leaving him just two points away from 100 for his Team Canada career. He would be only the ninth player to reach the century mark. While we’re talking numbers… McGregor has nine points in two games (including his 150th career goal), putting him within 19 points of 300 for his career.

China is led by the three-headed monster of Shen, Tian and Wang Zhi Dong; the trio have combined for 21 points in two games and have scored 12 of the 14 goals for the Chinese – six for Tian and three each for Shen and Wang. Shen is up to his old tricks at Para Worlds; two years ago in Moose Jaw he led the tournament in scoring with 13 goals (including five in a win over Italy) and four assists, and he posted three goals and four helpers last spring in Calgary. He also starred on home ice at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing, finishing second in scoring with 14 points (8-6—14) in six games and leading the host country to a bronze medal.

A Look Back

Canada and China have met only five times, all of which have come in the last 18 months. The Canadians have yet to lose, allowing just three goals in their five wins.

Their only previous Para Worlds meeting was a nailbiter in the semifinals a year ago in Calgary; the Canadians trailed 1-0 entering the third period before Micah Kovacevich and Cozzolino scored 24 seconds apart early in the third period, sending Canada to play for gold with a 2-1 win.

All-time record: Canada leads 5-0
Canada goals: 26
China goals: 3

Fresh off a tournament-opening win, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is right back in action Sunday at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, taking on Korea as preliminary-round play continues.

Last Game

Canada opened its prelim schedule with an 11-0 win over Germany on Saturday. Tyler McGregor led the charge with four goals, Dominic Cozzolino had two goals and three assists and James Dunn chipped in with a goal and four helpers. The Canadians got better as the game went along; they led 1-0 after one period and 5-0 after two before pouring in six goals in the final 15 minutes.

The Koreans dropped a back-and-forth opener to China on Saturday night, erasing an early 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead into the third period, only to allow four unanswered goals in a 6-3 loss. Kim Young Sung led the offence with two goals, while Lee Jae Woong was solid between the pipes in a 24-save effort as the Korea was outshot 30-7.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Koreans last met in the tournament opener at the 2023 Para Worlds in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Canada flexed its offensive muscle in that one, scoring seven times in the first period en route to a 15-1 victory. Dominic Cozzolino led the charge with eight points – four goals and four assists – while Dunn (3-2—5), Adam Dixon (2-3—5) and McGregor (2-3—5) contributed five points apiece. In all, 11 of the 13 Canadian skaters recorded at least a point, and eight had multi-point efforts.

What to Watch

The odds are pretty good this won’t be the last time we see his name in this space, but let’s talk about McGregor. The Canadian captain continues to lead by example, potting four goals in the win over the Germans. The Forest, Ontario, native now has 153 goals in his international career, making him just the third player in Team Canada history to reach the 150 mark – Billy Bridges leads with 199, and Greg Westlake (now an assistant coach with the team) scored 175 in his decorated career. With the four goals, McGregor is up to 28 points (18-10—28) in 17 games this season; he has recorded at least one point in 11 of his last 12 games, and 14 of the 17 this season.

In his 11th Para Worlds, Jung Seung Hwan remains the offensive catalyst for the Koreans. A year ago, he posted eight points (4-4—8) at the world championship in Calgary, the highest scorer not to play for the powerhouse Canadians or Americans, and he put his name on the scoresheet again in the loss to China. The 39-year-old also led the Koreans in scoring at the 2023 Para Worlds in Moose Jaw, albeit with only three points (2-1—3) in five games. Jung is a para sport legend in Korea; he was the flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony of the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, scoring six goals to lead the host nation to a bronze medal.

A Look Back

The head-to-head history has been decidedly one-sided, with the Canadians winning all 39 meetings and outscoring the Koreans 260-16.

Canada and Korea have met in the semifinals at the last two editions of the Paralympic Winter Games, and both have been shutout victories for the Canadians; McGregor had two goals and two assists in a 7-0 win in 2018, and he recorded four goals and two helpers in an 11-0 win in 2022.

All-time record: Canada leads 39-0
Canada goals: 260
Korea goals: 16

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team opens defence of its gold medal Saturday at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, beginning preliminary-round play against Germany.

Last Game

Canada last saw the ice in game action on March 29 in Thorold, Ontario, closing out its three-game series against the United States with a 2-1 win. Mathieu Lelièvre scored midway through the second period and Vincent Boily netted the winner early in the third as the all-Quebec trio of Lelièvre (1-1—2), Boily (1-1—2) and Anton Jacobs-Webb (0-2—2) provided all the offence. Adam Kingsmill was terrific in goal, making 16 saves.

The Germans most recently swept a three-game series with Norway in mid-January, gaining a measure of revenge for their loss to the Norwegians in the B-Pool World Championship last spring.

Last Meeting

You have to go all the way back to the preliminary round at the 2017 Para Worlds in South Korea for the last meeting between the Canadians and Germans. Canada dominated the prelim finale, getting a natural hat trick from Tyler McGregor and two goals apiece from Dominic Cozzolino and Corbyn Smith in a 9-0 victory. Dominic Larocque needed to make just two saves for the shutout as the Canadians held a wide 45-2 advantage in shots on goal.

What to Watch

All eyes are on Adam Dixon as he makes Team Canada history on Saturday. Dixon is set to pass Billy Bridges as the all-time games played leader for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, skating in his 252nd international contest. Save for a three-year hiatus following the 2018 Paralympics, the Midland, Ontario, native has been a fixture in the Team Canada lineup for almost two decades, first as one of the best defencemen in the para game and more recently as a dependable second-line centre. Dixon joined elite company during the Reeve Hockey Classic in February, recording his 100th career goal and becoming just the fifth Canadian to reach that mark. He is No. 5 in all-time Team Canada scoring, with 266 points (100-166—266) in 251 career games.

Felix Schraeder’s numbers at the B-Pool Worlds look like something out of a video game. Schraeder finished as the scoring leader with a ridiculous 31 points (19-12—31) in five games to help Germany to a silver medal. His tournament included eight goals and four assists against Great Britain, three goals and three assists against Kazakhstan, and six goals and three assists against France. Schraeder will be looking to repeat that performance in the A-Pool and avoid a repeat of 2023; he had just a goal and an assist in four games in Moose Jaw as the Germans were relegated.

A Look Back

The Canadians and Germans have met 14 times since para hockey joined the Hockey Canada family in 2004, although 13 of those came prior to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics.

The teams met twice in British Columbia as part of the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup, a test event for the Paralympics; Brad Bowden had two goals and four assists in a 12-1 win for Canada in the tournament opener, and Bridges netted a hat trick and added three helpers in a 9-0 semifinal victory.

All-time record: Canada leads 13-0-1
Canada goals: 98
Germany goals: 10

CALGARY, Alberta – With less than a month until the puck drops, Hockey Canada has announced the 17 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and compete for a gold medal at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, May 24-31 at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York.

The roster – two goaltenders, six defencemen and nine forwards - was selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON), assistant coaches Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB), Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Liam Heelis (Georgetown, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON). Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, and Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON) , manager of hockey operations, also provided input.

“Entering the World Championship as the defending champions is not something we take lightly,” said Herrington. “We know that every country will bring their best against us. As a group we have continued to grow and develop over the last year, from the Para Cup to the USA series. This roster has a ton of experience on the big stage, and we are excited to get going.”

The roster includes 16 players who helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in Calgary (Armstrong, Boily, Burnett, Cozzolino, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Hickey, Jacobs-Webb, Kingsmill, Kovacevich, Lavin, Lelièvre, McGregor, Watson) .

Canada will be joined by China, Germany and Korea in Group A, while Group B features Czechia, Norway, Slovakia and the United States.

Canada opens its preliminary-round schedule on May 24 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT against Germany and will face Korea on May 25 and China on May 27. The quarterfinals are set for May 28, followed by the semifinals on May 30 and the medal games on May 31.

All 20 tournament games will be available for free via livestream at USAHockeyTV.com .

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will travel to Buffalo:

• Equipment manager AJ Murley (St. John’s, NL)
• Athletic therapist Tracy Meloche (Essex, ON)
• Physiotherapist Michael Lenart (Keswick, ON)
• Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (Guelph, ON)
• Senior coordinator, operations Reid Folk (Stoughton, SK)
• Hockey operations coordinator Jake Grison (Lion’s Head, ON)
• Communications coordinator Branden Crowe (Virden, MB)

Canada has captured five gold medals at Para Worlds (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2024), in addition to four silver (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) and three bronze (1996, 2009, 2012).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.