16 nations are participating in the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships, which take place this year in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. Unfortunately, though, it seems that very few Devils will be representing their countries on the international stage this offseason. With tournament play set to begin on Friday, May 15, only five Devils have been announced as being selected for World Championships rosters. Read on for a short preview on who’s joining who in advance of the team-wide previews
that will come late in the coming week.
Switzerland: Nico Hischier and Timo Meier
With Switzerland hosting the World Championships this year, it was widely assumed that the Devils would have good representation among the host nation. It was no surprise that Nico Hischier and Timo Meier joined their national team for the year, but they will not be joined on the ice by Jonas Siegenthaler. Apparently, Siegenthaler finished the season with an injury and decided it was best to rest for the 2026-27 season. Siegenthaler will still be around the team, as he is at home in Zurich. For Hischier and Meier, we are looking forward to seeing if they connect for some goals, especially if Meier rides shotgun on Hischier’s right.
Canada: Connor Brown
Joining an assortment of NHLers who largely did not play for Team Canada in the Olympics, Connor Brown is going to Worlds for the second time in his career. When he first participated in 2021, when he was a Senator, Brown had 16 points in 10 games. It would sure be nice to see him replicate that kind of performance! Hopefully Brown is lined up with a center he can have some chemistry with, as he thrived with the high-speed styles of Jack Hughes down the stretch this year. Per the Team Canada release, they are taking several centers, including Mat Barzal, Macklin Celebrini, John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Robert Thomas, and Mark Scheifele, and I would be pretty interested to see him on a line with someone like Barzal, Celebrini, or Thomas.
USA: Paul Cotter
I was somewhat surprised to see that Paul Cotter was joining Team USA for Worlds this season, but there were plenty of spots to be taken with a lack of established NHL forwards on the team. In the team’s exhibition, Cotter played third-line center with Alex Steeves and Mathieu Olivier on his wings against Team Germany, earning two assists in a 5-2 win. I will be interested to see how Cotter fares against other NHLers when Team USA faces better squads like Canada, Sweden, or Finland, but that was a nice start for him.
Finland: Lenni Hameenaho
The New Jersey Devils nearly had two representatives for Team Finland, but only came away with one in Lenni Hameenaho, who joins former Devil Janne Kuokkanen among Finland’s 14 rostered forwards. Unfortunately, Topias Vilen did not carve out a spot among the squad’s eight defenders, with three European league defenders in Mikko Lehtonen, Vili Saarijarvi, and Mikael Seppala beating him out in the preliminary roster for tournament play. With seven European leaguers among the forwards, I would hope that Hameenaho get some decent ice time, but I am a little disappointed that Vilen didn’t get a spot with him. Team Finland will also be carrying both Anton Lundell and Aleksander Barkov, marking the long-awaited return of the star center to competitive hockey.
Other Notable Non-Participants
With only four nations represented among Devils in the 2026 Worlds, there are a couple players that have not been mentioned yet.
Simon Nemec, Slovakia: As one of the top players on Team Slovakia with Juraj Slafkovsky and Dalibor Dvorsky, it was a little surprising to see Simon Nemec told reporters that he would be skipping Worlds this season. However, given the fact that he is a restricted free agent this offseason and may be seeking a heftier contract than a short-term bridge (though it remains to be seen whether he can actually command one), any injury to Nemec be potentially disastrous for him financially. Nemec was injured in the 2024 World Championships, sustaining a shoulder injury that seemed to derail his development for an entire season. He made the smart choice here.
Jesper Bratt, Sweden: While Jesper Bratt told Amanda Stein during exit interviews that he was undecided on whether he would attend Worlds, it now looks like that ship has sailed and he has focused on his offseason. Team Sweden is still coached by Sam Halam, who famously refused to give Bratt serious ice time during the Olympics. It may be that Bratt has had enough of playing under Halam, but it is also possible that he is not feeling his best. After undergoing shoulder surgery in the 2025 offseason, Bratt had a more difficult 2025-26 season, where he did not quite reach the scoring heights he showed himself capable of the prior two years.
Final Words and Your Thoughts
With rosters shifting over these last couple days, this may not be the final list of participants, but it is likely to be so. That said, I will be watching to see if someone from the Devils is added to a roster, after which I would add them to this article. With play beginning on Friday, you can expect a 16-team preview then.
But what do you think of the Devils representation on these rosters? Do you think more guys should have tried to keep playing before the offseason fully kicks in? Or are you glad guys are taking time to rest? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
