Misha Donskov has been appointed as the head coach for Canada’s upcoming men’s world championships and the 2027 world juniors, as revealed by Hockey Canada in Calgary on Thursday. The 49-year-old native of London, Ontario, will take on his first international head coaching role at this year’s world championship in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, kicking off on May 15.
Donskov previously served as an assistant coach for the Canadian teams that secured gold at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and silver at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Additionally, he was an associate coach for Canada’s bronze medal-winning team at the 2026 world junior championship. Before his current appointment, Donskov mainly worked as a video coach for various Canadian tournaments.
Having joined Hockey Canada as the vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national team coach on June 27, 2025, Donskov brings valuable experience from his time in the NHL. He spent over three years as an assistant coach and four years as the director of hockey operations with the Vegas Golden Knights, winning the Stanley Cup in 2023. Subsequently, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars before transitioning to a full-time role with Hockey Canada.
Hockey Canada is set to unveil the remainder of its coaching staff for the 2026 world championship in the upcoming days.
