The Men’s National Team has been in Santiago for over a week preparing for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. This tournament is happening simultaneously to another qualifier in Ismalia, Egypt. These two events are the last-chance qualifiers for the 2026 FIH World Cup. Canada’s qualifying tournament takes place March 1-8 in Santiago, Chile. A three-game pool play is followed by semifinals and consolation play. The implications are also straightforward: finish on the podium and a berth to the World Cup is yours. The top fourth-place finisher from the two WCQ tournaments will also get to punch their ticket to the showcase event for Field Hockey. Canada last qualified for the FIH World Cup in 2018.
Team Canada is currently ranked 19 in the world and opens the tournament against Ireland (11) on Sunday March 1. The last time Canada and Ireland faced off, it was the incredible home-Olympic qualifying series at Rutledge Field in West Vancouver, when Canada punched their ticket to the Tokyo Games. Canada will look to relive some of that magic this week in Santiago. The MNT quest to qualify continues against Poland (24) on March 3. These two teams have only met twice in the last 12 years, with Canada having the edge in recent head-to-head to matches. The Red Caribou close out pool play with a tilt against the 16-ranked Korea. A familiar foe, Canada has played Korea six times since 2022, and the teams have split those head to heads 3-3, with Canada winning the last three matchups.
Watch Team Canada
All matches will be streamed live via FIH Watch Hockey. Both Canada’s Men’s National Team and Women’s National Team matches will be streamed live. You can subscribe by an event-to-event basis or get a yearly subscription to FIH Watch Hockey. All games and highlights will be streamed on this platform in Canada.
Team Canada performs at the 2025 Pan American Cup in Uruguay. Photos/WorldSportPics (FIH)
The men’s roster blends some crucial returning experience in Matt Sarmento, Devohn Noronha Teixeira and Balraj Panesar. They are complemented by a large core class of four-six year veterans of the program including Harbir Sidhu, Brendan Guraliuk, Thomson Harris, Manveer Jhamat, Sam Cabral, Sean Davis, Roop Dhillon as well as both goalkeepers, Ethan McTavish and Zachary Coombs.
The remainder of the team reflects an exciting youth movement over the past few years and includes Junior World Cup and Junior Pan Am graduates such as Rowan Childs, Avjot Buttar, Hudson Loh, Jude Nicholson, Kirin Robinson and Robin Thind.
Loh, Nicholson and Thind all add a goal-scoring threat to join attackers like Sarmento and Davis. The defense is shored up with Cabral, Dhillon, Harris and Jhamat. McTavish and Coombs have been sharing the net over the past few tournaments, both getting the opportunity to play high-leverage minutes to prepare them for do-or-die moments like the FIH World Cup Qualifiers.
Following roster selection and in lead-up to the tournament, head coach Patrick Tshutshani said he knows the team is ready for the competition and looks forward to them delivering their top-product on the field in Santiago.
“Heading into Santiago, the expectation is a composed, disciplined, and connected team. A team that competes with confidence and intent in every match. Our focus will be on execution and decision-making in key moments. We want to combine discipline with bravery: patient without the ball, courageous with it, and fully committed to a collective effort,” Tshutshani said. “We are realistic in knowing that every team travelling to Chile is fighting for a World Cup spot. “When we play with composure, trust, and clarity in our principles, we become a difficult opponent. The objective is not simply to stay competitive, but to apply pressure, remain connected through adversity, and take control of moments that define matches. That cohesion has been forged through time, challenge, and a shared ambition to progress on the international stage.”
TEAM CANADA ROSTER
| NO. | PLAYER NAME | POSITION | HOMETOWN | CLUB | CAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Avjot Buttar | MID | Richmond, BC | United Brothers | 16 |
| 26 | Sam Cabral | DEF | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 37 |
| 18 | Rowan Childs | MID | Tsawwassen, BC | Delta Falcons | 16 |
| 32 | Zachary Coombs | GK | Chelsea, QC | UBC Thunderbirds | 28 |
| 15 | Sean Davis | FWD | Marondera, Zim | Southgate | 31 |
| 4 | Roopkanwar Dhillon | DEF | Surrey, BC | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 31 |
| 13 | Brendan Guraliuk | MID | Tsawwassen, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 56 |
| 33 | Thomson Harris | DEF | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 36 |
| 14 | Manveer Jhamat | DEF | Abbotsford, BC | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 36 |
| 16 | Hudson Loh | FWD | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 10 |
| 30 | Ethan McTavish | GK | North Vancouver, BC | West Vancouver | 28 |
| 10 | Jude Nicholson | FWD | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 15 |
| 5 | Devohn Noronha Teixeira | FWD | Mississauga, ON | Toronto Lions FHC | 139 |
| 11 | Balraj Panesar | DEF | Surrey, BC | UBR | 109 |
| 21 | Kirin Robinson | FWD | Vancouver, BC | UBC Thunderbirds | 0 |
| 7 | Matthew Sarmento | FWD | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Hawks | 175 |
| 25 | Harbir Sidhu | MID | Victoria, BC | Victoria Tigers/ India Club | 43 |
| 9 | Robin Thind | FWD | Surrey, BC | Surrinder Lions | 4 |
| RESERVES | |||||
| 17 | Aaron Foong | DEF | Vancouver, BC | UBC Thunderbirds | 6 |
| 22 | Jyoth Sidhu | MID | Abbotsford, BC | Gobind Sarvar/Burnaby Lake | 16 |
| STAFF NAME | ROLE | ||||
| Patrick Tshutshani | Head Coach | ||||
| Geoff Matthews | Ass. Coach / Manager | ||||
| Solomon Casoojee | Assistant Coach | ||||
| Jonty Thomas | Video Analyst | ||||
| Elizabeth Mawdsley | AT | ||||
Donate to the National Teams now and double your dollars
Field Hockey Canada is proud to announce the launch of our Double Your Dollars Matching Campaign, a national fundraising initiative supporting our Senior and Junior National Teams as they prepare for another busy season of major international competitions. Thanks to generous donor support, all eligible donations made during the designated campaign window will be matched dollar-for-dollar, allowing supporters across the country to double their impact and support the athletes representing Canada on the world stage.
Field Hockey Canada is committed to elevating Canada’s Senior Women’s and Men’s National Teams in this World Cup year. As the Wolf Pack and Red Caribou head to Chile for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, what better time to wrap your support around them.
For the next four weeks, all donations made through the Back the Pack (WNT) and Back the Bou (MNT) online hubs will be matched.
Every dollar donated to either team will be matched up to $10,000 per team. All fundraising will be securely tracked through Field Hockey Canada’s trusted donation partner, Canada Helps.
