CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the coaching and support staffs that will represent Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, this December.
Head Coach Dale Hunter (Petrolia, ON/London, OHL) will be joined by associate coach Misha Donskov (London, ON), assistant coaches Brad Lauer (Humboldt, SK/Spokane, WHL) and Gardiner MacDougall (Bedeque, PE/Moncton, QMJHL), goaltending coach Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC/Kamloops, WHL) and video coach Ethan O’Rourke (Bowmanville, ON/Kingston, OHL), with additional support from James Emery (Calgary, AB), Hockey Canada’s director of performance analysis.
MacDougall spent three seasons (1996-99) behind the Blizzard bench as Head Coach in the MJHL where he guided the team to a Turnbull Cup championship during the 1998-99 season, and was twice named MJHL Coach of the Year (1996-1997 & 1998-1999).
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Misha, Brad, Gardiner, Dan and Ethan to the coaching staff for the World Juniors,” said Millar. “Each coach brings a winning pedigree at the National Hockey League, Canadian Hockey League and IIHF levels. We believe this is an exceptionally well-rounded staff that will provide our players with an opportunity to be successful in Minnesota.”
MacDougall recently completed his first season as head coach of the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), leading the team to a 53-win season and the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as QMJHL champions. Previously, he led the University of New Brunswick men’s hockey team to a perfect 43-0 season in 2023-24 as the Reds defended their University Cup title. The perfect season included win No. 600 for MacDougall, who was also named U SPORTS coach of the year for the third time (2009-10, 2014-15, 2023-24). He spent 24 seasons behind the Reds’ bench, leading the team to nine national championships (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024). Under his leadership, the Reds won 11 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) titles and made 16 national championship appearances. Internationally, he led Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team to a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship. In 2023, he was named head coach for the FISU University Games, leading Team Canada to a gold medal, one season after briefly taking the reins as head coach of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs and leading the host team to a Memorial Cup championship.
With files from HockeyCanada.ca
