Hockey Canada Names Treliving, Spezza to Lead 2026 Worlds

Hockey Canada has named former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza to lead the management team for the 2026 IIHF World Hockey Championship, the organization announced on April 13.

The tournament is set for May 15 to 31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, with Canada opening against Sweden on May 15. Treliving and Spezza will oversee roster selection and operations, supported by Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas in a limited role as he prioritizes Pittsburgh's NHL playoff commitments, and Hockey Canada senior vice president of high performance and hockey operations Scott Salmond.

Treliving, fired by the Maple Leafs on March 30 after his third season, steps into his first management position since leaving the club. He previously served nine seasons as general manager of the Calgary Flames and has international experience, including as co-general manager for Canada's gold-medal winning team at the 2016 world championship and assistant general manager for a fifth-place finish in 2014. This marks his third involvement with Canada's world championship staff.

Spezza, in his third season as Pittsburgh's...