Canada has shockingly finished fifth in back-to-back tournaments, and this year's event is all about finding a route back to the podium. Canada hasn't gone three years without a medal since 1979-1981.

All eyes will be on McKenna come Boxing Day. The presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft faces huge expectations to help deliver gold for Canada after managing only one point in five games as a 17-year-old in last year's event.

Canada's title hopes got a huge boost when the San Jose Sharks released forward Michael Misa for the tournament. This year's No. 2 pick racked up a whopping 134 points in 65 junior games last season.

Zayne Parekh is another NHLer to keep an eye on. He's played 11 games with the Calgary Flames this season, and enters the world juniors with a chip on his shoulder after surprisingly being cut last year.

Goaltending is always under the microscope for Canada at the world juniors, and it looks to be George's net again this time around. He posted a .936 save percentage at the event last year, but his OHL numbers this season are underwhelming.

Many scouts believe that if any player can knock McKenna out of next summer's top draft spot, it's Verhoeff. The 6-foot-4, right-shot defender has a tremendous chance to boost his stock with a strong tournament.