Hockey Canada named Alan Millar the first full-time general manager for its Program of Excellence, the organization announced Tuesday.
Millar will serve as Canada's GM for the World Junior Championship as well as the Under-18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and World Championship.
Hockey Canada previously named GMs for the U18 and world junior levels on a year-by-year basis. Lethbridge Hurricanes GM Peter Anholt picked Canada's world junior roster for the past two tournaments, and Guelph Storm president of hockey operations Scott Walker chose Canada's gold medal-winning U18 team this spring.
Canada was shockingly upset by Latvia on home ice in Ottawa at the world juniors this year and got eliminated by Czechia for the second straight tournament in the quarterfinal. It marked the first time Canada failed to reach the semifinals in consecutive years since the tournament changed to a playoff format in 1996.
Millar was the director of player personnel with the Program of Excellence from 2021-24. Canada won back-to-back gold medals at the world juniors in 2022 and 2023 while he was in the role, as well as three titles at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (2021-24) and a gold medal at the Under-18s in 2021, where he also served as the team's GM.
The 58-year-old spent the past two seasons as GM and vice president of hockey operations with the WHL's Regina Pats. Before joining the Pats, Millar was GM of the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL from 2012-21 and the OHL's Sarnia Sting from 2004-09.
The evaluation process for Canada's 2026 world junior team begins in late July at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Minnesota.