Treliving, Spezza to lead Canada's management team at hockey world championship

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving watches his players during the opening week of the team's NHL training camp in Toronto, on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

CALGARY — Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Jason Spezza will lead Canada’s management team at the 2026 world hockey championship, Hockey Canada announced Monday.

Penguins GM Kyle Dubas will join the management team in a support role while focusing on Pittsburgh’s opening-round NHL playoff series. Hockey Canada senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations Scott Salmond will also support the team.

Treliving will be in his first management role since being fired on March 30, near the end of his third season with the Maple Leafs. He previously spent nine seasons as the GM of the Calgary Flames.

He was co-GM of Canada’s gold-winning team at the 2016 world championship.

Spezza, in his third season as Pittsburgh’s assistant GM, is making his international management debut.

He played for Canada at four world championships, winning one gold (2015) and two silver (2008, 2009). He won one silver (2002) and two bronze (2000, 2001) representing Canada at the world junior championship.

“Brad brings invaluable experience from previous international events and the NHL, and Jason is a rising NHL executive (who) brings a wealth of experience as a player both professionally and internationally, and we are excited that these two will lead our team at the IIHF World Championship,” Salmond said in a statement.

Canada opens the tournament, hosted in the Swiss cities of Zurich and Fribourg, against Sweden on May 15.

Canada has won a tournament-best 23 gold and 53 overall medals at the world championship. Its last gold medal came in 2023 in Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia.

The Canadians finished fifth at last year’s tournament after a shock 2-1 defeat to co-host Denmark in the quarterfinals.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2026.