CALGARY, Alberta – Former Bemidji State University Men's Hockey standout defenseman Zach Whitecloud was named to Canada's National Men's Team for the 2026 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship May 15-31 in Zürich and Fribourg, Switzerland.
 
Whitecloud is one of 23 skaters and eight defensemen selected by the team's management group to represent Canada at the World Championship. Whitecloud, a native of Brandon, Manitoba, makes his second appearance at the IIHF World Championship after earning silver at the 2022 IIHF World Championship. Whitecloud is one of 12 skaters on the 2026 team with previous experience at the World Championship.
 
Whitecloud recently completed his seventh season in the NHL and was traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Calgary Flames earlier this season on January 18. He served as an alternate captain for the Flames in the remaining 31 games of the 2025-26 season. He has played in 399 career games in the NHL posting 88 points off 23 goals and 65 assists and is a +44-rating on the ice.
 
Canada will open Men's Worlds against Sweden on May 15 at 10:20 a.m. ET/7:20 a.m. PT. It will also take on Italy, Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Slovakia and Czechia before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 31. Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada's National Men's Team will practice at Accor Arena in Paris from May 8-11, and will take on France in pre-tournament action on May 10. It will also face off against Hungary on May 13 at the Patinoires du Littoral in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
 
TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada's official broadcast partners, will broadcast 64 and 22 games, respectively; please check local listings for details.
 
For the most up to date information on the Bemidji State men's hockey program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com or follow the Beavers on X, Instagram or like them on Facebook.
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
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