Canada Registers Sam Dickinson, Jack Ivankovic At World Championship
Team Canada will finish off the World Championship with the help of two top prospects. San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson and Nashville Predators goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic have been registered for the remainder of the tournament per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. Neither player is expected to suit up for Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against Team USA, which could be Canada’s last of the tournament.
Both Dickinson and Ivankovic have been with the Canadian side through the extent of the World Championships – but are only now lineup-eligible, after being registered. Circumstance may keep the duo from debuting with Canada’s men’s team but the chance to spend time with NHL greats like Sidney Crosby, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan O’Reilly will nonetheless be invaluable.
Dickinson wrapped up his rookie season in the NHL with quiet totals. After notching historic scoring during his three-year career in the OHL, the puck-moving defender only scored one goal and 14 points in the first 72 NHL games of his career. He struggled to bring his dominant offense to the pro flight – but still showed flashes of the heads-up playmaking that earned him 91 points in 55 OHL games just last season. Dickinson will be leaned on as a core, offensive-defenseman behind San Jose’s young forwards for years to come. The chance to join his future-captain, Macklin Celebrini, at the 2026 World Championships will be another chance to find his comfort at the top level.
Ivankovic played through his freshman season at the University of Michigan after being drafted in the 2025 second round. He was called upon right away by the Wolverines and quickly stood out as one of the team’s biggest difference-makers. Ivankovic stuck around a .920 save percentage for much of the year, until his season was derailed by a scary-looking, lower-body injury sustained in a January matchup against rival Notre Dame. The injury was believed to be long-term – but Ivankovic was only out of the lineup for one month before returning to full-time, starting duties. He finished the year with a .921 save percentage and 25-8-1 record while backstopping the school that spent much of the year ranked #1. He also followed an NHL teammate – O’Reilly – to this tournament but lost his chances to start thanks to Jet Greaves‘ .926 save percentage through five wins.
While both prospects may continue to watch the tournament from the press box, their addition to the roster will stand as a bode of confidence from Hockey Canada. Both players will almost certainly be major parts of Canada’s World Championship, and other international, rosters in the years to come.
Prospect Notes: Hallander, Fiddler, Ivankovic
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Filip Hallander has returned to his home country of Sweden for training after recovering from a blood clot per Seth Rorabaugh of Trib Live. Hallander only played in 16 games this season – 13 in the NHL and three in the AHL – due to the blood clot.
Bad health kept Hallander from playing through his NHL rookie season – his next step after posting 89 points in 102 games through two seasons in Sweden’s SHL. Hallander found his confidence in Sweden and looked to return a much more capable play-driver, after getting his first taste of the AHL between 2021 and 2023.
Hallander began the season with Pittsburgh and scored four points, before a three-game scoring lull earned him a bump to the minors. He added one more point with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before being removed from the lineup.
Hallander is a confident puck-mover who uses his skill to beat defenders and rack up points. He has yet to prove that talent at the top flight, though he does have 62 points in 107 career AHL games. He will be evaluated by the Penguins for availability at 2026-27 training camp upon returning from Sweden. If he is cleared by doctors, next season could be Hallander’s first chance to dig his feet into an NHL role.
Other notes out of the prospect world:
- Seattle Kraken prospect Blake Fiddler has announced his commitment to the University of Denver. He will join a strong cohort of young defensemen headed to the National Championship winners, alongside top 2026 draft prospect Ben MacBeath and Ryan Lin. Fiddler offers a confident bit of puck-movement and physicality, blending well with Lin’s dynamo offense and MacBeath’s strong defensive presence. Their additions will give Denver more than enough to make up for the loss of Hobey Baker Award finalist and San Jose Sharks prospect Eric Pohlkamp. Fiddler, a Texas native, racked up 11 goals and 36 points in 63 games with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings this season. He carved out a second-pair role and posted a career-high plus-23.
- Sticking with college hockey, Nashville Predators prospect and University of Michigan starter Jack Ivankovic will join Team Canada at the World Championship per Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek. This will be a golden chance for Ivankovic to prove his iron man abilities after missing a chunk of the season due to a lower-body injury. Ivankovic returned well ahead of schedule from that injury and led Michigan to a Frozen Four semi-final loss against the eventual championship-winning Denver Pioneers. The second-round draft pick set 25 wins and a .921 save percentage in 35 games with Michigan this season. His performance marked the most wins from a goaltender under the age of 19 since Tyler Wall posted 26 wins with UMass-Lowell in 2017 and Billy Sauer posted 25 wins with Michigan in 2007.
Predators’ Jack Ivankovic Commits To University Of Michigan
5:00 p.m.: According to an announcement from the program, Ivankovic has officially committed to the University of Michigan. The expectation is that he’ll join the team as a true freshman for the 2025-26 campaign.
1:01 p.m.: The fifth-highest netminder drafted in the 2025 NHL Draft is expected to bring his talents to the Big Ten Conference for the 2025-26 season. According to Jeff Marek of the Daily Faceoff, goaltender Jack Ivankovic is expected to commit to the University of Michigan.
Ivankovic will join the Wolverines’ roster after a few successful years with the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads. In two years with the team, Ivankovic managed a 39-17-9 record in 68 games with a .907 SV% and 2.93 GAA. Despite a strong performance in the OHL, Ivankovic’s draft stock declined slightly due to concerns about his size. He was selected by the Nashville Predators with the 58th overall pick.
The Mississauga, Ontario native has additionally had a brief international career with Team Canada. Last season, largely playing for Team Canada’s U18 team for the U18 IIHF World Junior Championships, collecting a 6-0-0 record in six games with an impressive .961 SV% and 1.05 GAA. In one tournament contest with the U20 team, Ivankovic suffered an overtime loss to Team Latvia.
It’ll be an entirely new goaltending tandem for the Wolverines during the 2025-26 campaign. The team’s starting netminder from last season, Logan Stein, has graduated, while the team’s backup, Cameron Korpi, has transferred to Union College for the 2025-26 season.
Interestingly enough, the only other netminder on Michigan’s roster is Julian Molinaro, also a Mississauga native, and a recent transfer from Northern Michigan University. There’s an expectation that Ivankovic’s commitment is for the 2026-27 season. Still, head coach Brandon Naurato may already be in contact with the Predators’ front office about Ivankovic beginning his college career sooner rather than later.