SAN JOSE – Sharks rookie center Michael Misa continues to rehab from a lower-body injury. Still, it remains unclear whether the 18-year-old will be available to play in the IIHF World Junior Championship, which begins next month in Minnesota.
Misa sustained the injury on Nov. 5 during the Sharks’ morning skate in Seattle, hours before their game against the Kraken, and was considered week-to-week at that point. Misa was at SAP Center a couple of days later, wearing a walking boot on his right foot.
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Tuesday that the Sharks are “a few more days away from looking to see (if we can) get him on the ice.” Warsofsky said Monday that Misa is farther from a return than Jeff Skinner, who could begin skating again in approximately two weeks.
Until Misa begins to skate again, the Sharks will not know whether he’ll be healthy enough to play in the World Juniors, which begin Dec. 26. The Sharks would have to make Misa available to play in the event.
Hockey Canada is planning to hold a training camp, not a selection camp, for prospective players in Niagara Falls, Ontario, from Dec. 12-22. While the organization invited 32 players – but not Misa — to a four-day selection camp last year, a smaller group will attend this year, as Canada prioritizes preparation over evaluation. Counties may take up to 25 players.
A healthy Misa would be an asset to a Canadian team looking to win World Junior gold for the first time since 2023. Coming off a season in which he finished with a Canadian Hockey League-leading 134 points in 65 regular-season games, Misa, a native of Oakville, Ontario, had three points in seven games with the Sharks before his injury.
About a month after the Sharks took him with the second overall pick at the NHL Draft in Los Angeles, Misa played for one of the three Canadian teams that took part in the World Junior Summer Showcase in Minnesota in late July. He had two goals and two assists in five games and played on the same team as Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson, who had three goals in three games.
Dickinson, 19, could also be released to play in the World Junior event for a second straight year. Going into Tuesday’s game against the Utah Mammoth, Dickinson had two points in 14 games and was averaging 14:18 in ice time.
For now, Warsofsky said Misa is continuing to rehab at Sharks Ice and attending team meetings.
“There are still ways we can continue to develop him,” said Warsofsky, adding that Misa is in a good place mentally.
“This won’t be his last injury that he misses a little bit of time with. You could look at it as a negative, but it’s also a way (for him to learn) in different ways. So, he’s been really good. Morale is good.”