Canada tabs Dale Hunter as WJHC head coach
Dale Hunter will coach Team Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada announced Thursday.
Additionally, his brother, Mark Hunter, will be part of the management group.
Dale Hunter has been the president and head coach of the OHL's London Knights since 2001, except for the 2011-12 season when he coached the Washington Capitals for 60 games as a midseason replacement for Bruce Boudreau.
The 64-year-old has helped transform the Knights into one of the most successful franchises in junior hockey, guiding the club to five OHL championships and three Memorial Cup titles. He's been named the OHL's coach of the year on three occasions.
Hunter has coached Canada at the world juniors once before, winning a gold medal in 2020 with a squad led by Barrett Hayton and Alexis Lafreniere.
He also enjoyed a stellar NHL playing career, racking up 1,020 points and 3,565 penalty minutes across 19 seasons with the Capitals and Quebec Nordiques.
Mark Hunter was the general manager of the 2020 Canadian world junior team. He's been the GM of the Knights since 2000, with a break from 2014-18 when he worked in the Toronto Maple Leafs' front office.
The Hunter brothers have also owned the Knights since 2000.
Hockey Canada hired Alan Miller to be its first full-time WJHC GM back in June.
Canada reached new lows at the 2025 world juniors, losing to Latvia in the round robin on home ice before being bounced in the quarterfinals by Czechia for the second straight year. It's the first time Canada failed to reach the semis in consecutive years since the tournament changed to a playoff format in 1996. Alan Letang coached Canada in 2024, while Dave Cameron was behind the bench in 2025.
The 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship will take place in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The Americans are two-time defending champions.