Misa ready for big role with Canada at World Juniors after prior snub

MINNEAPOLIS -- Michael Misa is ready for more this season.

How "more" gets defined, however, remains to be seen.

Misa, selected by the San Jose Sharks with the No. 2 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft, is aiming for an NHL spot this season.

But the forward is also focused on where his skates are, and this week that's the World Junior Summer Showcase. He's taking part in practices and games with Canada against Finland, Sweden and the United States in the first step toward earning a roster spot for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

And not just any spot. He's looking for more responsibility and more ice time.

"I think in these types of tournaments, wherever you do play, you've got to accept [your role] and try and help your team win," he said. "But I think I'm ready for one of those big roles and I'm going to run with it."

It's a run he wasn't able to go on last year. Misa was not among the players taking part in the summer showcase, and when invitations went out for Canada's final evaluation camp for the 2025 WJC, he never received one.

"I think he definitely deserved to be on the team," said Kristian Epperson, a linemate last season with Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League who is playing for the U.S. at the WJSS.

Epperson wasn't alone in that opinion. But Misa understood that since it wasn't something he could control, he just needed to move forward.

"For me, it was just continue to focus on my season instead of the outside noise," he said. "We had a pretty good season there in Saginaw. I ultimately just turned my focus back to the season and tried to help my team win games over there."

Using the WJC snub as extra motivation, Misa had 85 points (37 goals, 48 assists) in his final 40 games en route to leading all Canadian Hockey League players with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games.

It was the most points by an OHL player since 2006-07 (Patrick Kane, 145 points; John Tavares, 134 points), and it was the most goals by an under-18 player in the league (Misa turned 18 on Feb. 16) since Tavares scored 72 in 2006-07.

He helped Saginaw finish with the fourth-best record in the OHL Western Conference.

"I think the sky’s the limit for him," Epperson said. "I don't want to set expectations for him, but he’s a great person and a hockey guy."

At the 2025 WJC, Canada lost in the quarterfinals for the second straight tournament, scoring 13 goals in five games, sixth among the 10 teams.

"I think it just drove me for the last half of the season to keep going," he said. "And realize that I was still able to help Saginaw, which was great for me and helped my case."

Canada wasn't leaving Misa off their summer showcase invite list this year. And if he's available, he'll surely have a spot on the team Canada brings back to Minnesota for the WJC, which will be held Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 2026.

"He's a great player," Canada coach Dale Hunter said. "He's a great kid. He wants to play both ends of the ice, and with his speed and his skill, he's going to be a threat every time he's on."

However, there's a chance Misa could be denied another chance to run at the World Juniors. But this year it would be for a far better reason -- he's contributing to the Sharks.

"My goal is to make the NHL and play for San Jose," he said. "That's where my head's at."

He got an early start toward that goal after the draft when he attended Sharks development camp.

"It was a great experience," Misa said. "San Jose is a great organization. They've got a lot of pretty cool staff members there, great [general manager] in Mike Grier. He had some good feedback for me, stuff to do throughout the summer. I'm thrilled to be there."

After his time out west, he returned to the Toronto area to continue his offseason training. He's been skating with a group that includes Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, Chicago Blackhawks forward prospect Nick Lardis and his older brother, Calgary Flames forward prospect Luke Misa. He's also working with well-known skating coach Barbara Underhill and skills coach Randi Milani.

Misa will return to that routine after the WJSS ends Saturday.

"Just working on my endurance and conditioning," he said. "I think it's going to be big just to get that next level and continue to get faster, stronger."

Continuing to get ready for more this season, whether that includes the NHL, the World Juniors, or possibly both.

"Ultimately, wherever I do end up at the time, I'm going to be happy," Misa said. "Just continue to work hard wherever I do end up."

NHL.com independent correspondent Jessi Pierce contributed to this report