Team Canada reveals head coach for men's worlds

Team Canada reveals head coach for men's worlds originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Misha Donskov will serve as the head coach for Canada's National Men's Team and Canada's National Junior Team, which includes his international head coaching debut at the 2026 Men’s World Hockey Championship.

Per a release from Hockey Canada, Donskov will now expand his role in this position while reporting to senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations — Scott Salmond. The 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship is currently slated to take place in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland from May 15-31. Canada is hunting its first gold medal at the event since 2023.

Salmond said Hockey Canada is proud to name Donskov as head coach.

“Misha is an integral member of our hockey operations staff, and his contributions to successful teams at Hockey Canada over the years, as well as his NHL and OHL coaching and front office experience make him the perfect fit to lead our National Men’s Team and National Junior Team as head coach starting next month,” Salmond said in the Hockey Canada 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.”

Misha Donskov named Men's Worlds HC for Hockey Canada

Donskov is to also lead the team at the 2027 edition of the event in Düsseldorf and Mannheim, Germany, and will similarly take the reins as head coach at the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship.