Four Brantford Bulldogs chase rare World Juniors milestone with Team Canada

The Brantford Bulldogs are in rare company as four of their players look to earn spots on Canada’s National Junior Team ahead of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota.

Jake O’Brien, Jett Luchanko, Ben Danford, and Marek Vanacker are all in attendance at Team Canada’s training camp in Niagara Falls, giving Brantford a chance to become just the third Ontario Hockey League club to have four teammates represent Canada at the World Juniors in the same year.

Only two OHL teams have previously reached the milestone. The Windsor Spitfires accomplished the feat in 2010, winning silver with Ryan Ellis, Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, and Greg Nemisz, followed by the Niagara IceDogs in 2012, who won a Bronze Medal with Dougie Hamilton, Freddie Hamilton, Ryan Strome, and Mark Visentin.

Across the Canadian Hockey League, only six teams have ever had four players represent Canada at the World Juniors:

Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), 1988
Rob DiMaio, Trevor Linden, Scott McCrady, Mark Pederson

Kamloops Blazers (WHL), 1996
Nolan Baumgartner, Hnat Domenichelli, Jason Holland, Jarome Iginla

Windsor Spitfires (OHL), 2010
Ryan Ellis, Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, Greg Nemisz

Niagara IceDogs (OHL), 2012
Dougie Hamilton, Freddie Hamilton, Ryan Strome, Mark Visentin

Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), 2022
Sebastian Cossa, Dylan Guenther, Kaiden Guhle, Jake Neighbours

Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), 2023
Nolan Allan, Kevin Korchinski, Thomas Milic, Reid Schaefer

Brantford now has an opportunity to join that list, with all four Bulldogs remaining in the selection process.

“It’s pretty cool coming in here together,” said Danford at the Gale Centre on Sunday to the assembled media. “It’s really special. I think it’s pretty rare that four guys from the same club are coming to a camp like this. That shows how strong the Brantford team is this year.”

Danford and Luchanko were both acquired by the Bulldogs in major in-season trades, adding experience and leadership to the roster. Vanacker was a late addition to camp after leading all CHL skaters in goals this season, while O’Brien has continued to build his case as one of the league’s most dependable forwards.

“It’s always great to wear the leaf,” said Luchanko. “It’s really cool to have four of us here, and it shows how good an organization Brantford has.”

Canada’s National Junior Team will train from December 12 to 22 in Niagara Falls, with pre-tournament games against Sweden in Kitchener and London, followed by a final exhibition against Denmark in Minnesota.

The World Junior Championship opens on December 26 in Minneapolis, with Canada set to face Czechia, Latvia, Denmark, and Finland in Group B.

Whether all four Bulldogs make the final roster remains to be determined, but their presence at camp has already placed Brantford alongside some of the most notable teams in CHL history.

For full coverage of the Bulldogs and Team Canada’s World Junior preparations, visit hockeycanada.ca.