When it comes to international play, the workhorse from Whitehorse has more than earned his nickname.
There’s just something about international hockey that seems to bring out the best in Dylan Cozens.
Whether it’s the World Juniors, the World Championship, or international tournaments at the under-18 level, the Senators centre has built a reputation for elevating his game whenever he fires on a Team Canada jersey.
And at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland, he’s up to his old tricks.
Cozens has three points in Canada’s first four games, including a shorthanded goal on Thursday in a 6-5 overtime win over Norway. The goal snapped a 3-3 deadlock early in the third period.
Canada remains at the top of their group standings with 11 of a possible 12 points, though they would have liked to have fully taken care of business against such a heavy underdog.
Regardless, Cozens continues to look right at home on the international stage.
Long before he became an NHL regular, Cozens was already making a name for himself in Canadian colours. Back in 2017, he helped Canada Red win silver at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, finishing tied for the team lead in scoring with seven points.
A year later came one of the more memorable moments of his junior career.
At the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Cozens scored the controversial tying goal against the United States just after the clock hit zero in the semifinal. With no video replay available, the goal stood; Canada won in overtime, and Cozens helped Canada go on to win gold. He finished the tournament with four goals and nine points.
The Cozens offence continued at the U18s in 2019, when Cozens produced four goals and nine points in seven games.
Then came the World Juniors.
In 2020, Cozens became the first Yukon-born player to represent Canada at the tournament and put up 9 points in 7 games, helping us win gold over Russia. A year later, at the same event, he really went off with 16 points, helping Canada capture silver.
Even at the senior level, the pattern has continued.
At the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Finland, Cozens had seven goals and 13 points as Canada claimed silver. Not knowing they’d be NHL teammates in Ottawa someday, Drake Batherson finished second in the tournament in scoring with 14 points and Cozens was third.
Cozens accepted another invitation to represent Canada at the 2024 Worlds. Despite Canada finishing fourth, he was once again among the tournament’s elite performers, putting up 11 points in 10 games while earning a spot on the tournament all-star team.
Now he’s doing it again in Switzerland.
With players like Macklin Celebrini and Sidney Crosby there may be more naturally gifted offensive players on Team Canada’s roster, but at this stage, it wouldn't shock anyone if Cozens ended up near the top of scoring ranks yet again.
Cozens is coming off the second-best NHL season of his career with 28 goals and 59 points. The only season in which he’s produced more points was three years ago in Buffalo, when he reached 68. The Senators are hoping that every extra game he plays for Canada this spring helps to build more confidence.
Cozens and Canada return to action on Friday morning against Slovenia.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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