London Knights' owner named Team Canada's head coach at 2026 World Juniors championship
The long-time owner of the London Knights has been named head coach of Canada's national junior hockey team for an international championship next year, Hockey Canada announced on Thursday.
Dale Hunter will lead the Canadian team to the 2026 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, and his brother Mark Hunter will serve as a member of the team's management group, when it's held in Switzerland in May 2026
Advertisement
"Dale's resume speaks for itself: three Memorial Cups, three OHL Coach of the Year awards and two international gold medals," Alan Millar, general manager of the team's program of excellence, said in a news release.
"His passion for this program runs deep, and we feel he is the best candidate to lead us to a gold medal in Minnesota."
This is the second time the London Knights' bench boss has been roped as the national team's head coach. He previously served in the role for the 2020 world junior hockey championship in the Czech Republic, where the team won a gold medal.
Hunter has won multiple national and provincial coaching honours, and most recently, led the London Knights to their third Memorial Cup victory last month, after beating the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1.
Advertisement
Hunter has coached the Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for 24 straight seasons since 2001 and has served in various roles for the franchise.
Dale Hunter will be head coach of Team Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championships, this is his second time serving in this role after leading the national team to a gold medal win in 2020. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)
In his role on the management group, Mark will assist the team's executives with all hockey operations-related matters, including supporting player evaluations and the selection process.
"Mark led Canada to a World Juniors gold medal in 2020 and has built one of the premier franchises in the Canadian Hockey League, with unparalleled on-ice success and player advancement," said Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.
Advertisement
"Alan and Mark provide a stable backbone for our National Junior Team and I'm confident they will build a staff and roster that Canadians can be proud of come December."
Team Canada's juniors will start preparing for the 2026 championship at the World Junior summer showcase in Minnesota from July 27 to Aug. 2. They will join Finland, Sweden and the United States.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Summer McIntosh goes for her second gold on Day 2 at the swimming world championships
SINGAPORE (AP) — It's Day 2 at the swimming world championships in Singapore. That means it's a chance for Summer McIntosh to add her second gold medal after winning the 400 freestyle on the opening day. The 18-year-old Canadian is trying for five individual golds across the eight-day event in Singapore. On Monday she's a strong favorite to get her second gold, this time in the 200-meter individual medley. She set the world record of 2 minutes, 05.70 seconds at the Canadian trials a few months ago. McIntosh is expected to be challenged by American Alex Walsh. Also in the field is 12-year-old Chinese Yu Zidi, whose age and astounding times are the talk of global swimming. The women's 100 butterfly is another eye-catching race. American Gretchen Walsh — Alex's older sister — is the favorite and set the world record of 54.60 earlier this year. Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium and Australia's Alexandria Perkins will push Walsh. Two more finals are set. Qin Haiyang of China and Nicolo Marinenghi of Italy are the favorites in the 100 breaststroke. The Italian is the Olympian champion from Paris, and Qin won this event two years ago at the worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. The 50 fly final is wide open, but the quickest qualifiers were Maxime Grousset of France and Noe Ponti of Switzerland. There are also three semifinals Monday — the men's 100 backstroke, the men's 200 free, and the women's 100 backstroke. ___
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Summer McIntosh goes for her second gold on Day 2 at the swimming world championships
Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — It's Day 2 at the swimming world championships in Singapore. That means it's a chance for Summer McIntosh to add her second gold medal after winning the 400 freestyle on the opening day. The 18-year-old Canadian is trying for five individual golds across the eight-day event in Singapore. On Monday she's a strong favorite to get her second gold, this time in the 200-meter individual medley. She set the world record of 2 minutes, 05.70 seconds at the Canadian trials a few months ago. McIntosh is expected to be challenged by American Alex Walsh. Also in the field is 12-year-old Chinese Yu Zidi, whose age and astounding times are the talk of global swimming. The women's 100 butterfly is another eye-catching race. American Gretchen Walsh — Alex's older sister — is the favorite and set the world record of 54.60 earlier this year. Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium and Australia's Alexandria Perkins will push Walsh. Two more finals are set. Qin Haiyang of China and Nicolo Marinenghi of Italy are the favorites in the 100 breaststroke. The Italian is the Olympian champion from Paris, and Qin won this event two years ago at the worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. The 50 fly final is wide open, but the quickest qualifiers were Maxime Grousset of France and Noe Ponti of Switzerland. There are also three semifinals Monday — the men's 100 backstroke, the men's 200 free, and the women's 100 backstroke. ___ AP sports: in this topic
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Summer McIntosh goes for her second gold on Day 2 at the swimming world championships
SINGAPORE (AP) — It's Day 2 at the swimming world championships in Singapore. That means it's a chance for Summer McIntosh to add her second gold medal after winning the 400 freestyle on the opening day. The 18-year-old Canadian is trying for five individual golds across the eight-day event in Singapore. On Monday she's a strong favorite to get her second gold, this time in the 200-meter individual medley. She set the world record of 2 minutes, 05.70 seconds at the Canadian trials a few months ago. McIntosh is expected to be challenged by American Alex Walsh. Also in the field is 12-year-old Chinese Yu Zidi , whose age and astounding times are the talk of global swimming. The women's 100 butterfly is another eye-catching race. American Gretchen Walsh — Alex's older sister — is the favorite and set the world record of 54.60 earlier this year. Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium and Australia's Alexandria Perkins will push Walsh. Two more finals are set. Qin Haiyang of China and Nicolo Marinenghi of Italy are the favorites in the 100 breaststroke. The Italian is the Olympian champion from Paris, and Qin won this event two years ago at the worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. The 50 fly final is wide open, but the quickest qualifiers were Maxime Grousset of France and Noe Ponti of Switzerland. There are also three semifinals Monday — the men's 100 backstroke, the men's 200 free, and the women's 100 backstroke. ___ AP sports:
