The NHL season may be on hold until mid-January due to the ongoing pandemic, but the World Junior Championship -- one of the most exciting annual events on the hockey calendar -- will be carrying on as scheduled. The event is set to begin on Dec. 25 in Edmonton and, as always, it promises to bring high-octane action even in the absence of fans.
The event is not only a highly competitive international tournament that offers medals and bragging rights to the top teams, it also acts as a major showcase for some of the game's top young prospects. Every game in the tournament will air on NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada.
Here's a primer for this year's event:
What is the World Junior Championship?
The WJC, or more simply the World Juniors, is an annual international ice hockey tournament that features some of the best under-20 players in the world. A large number of NHL prospects participate in the event every year, both in the form of players who have already been drafted and players who are expected to be drafted this summer. The main tournament features the top-ten ranked hockey nations in the world, but there are also several lower divisions that play separate WJC tournaments for the purpose of promotion/relegation.
How does the format work?
The event typically begins around Christmas and runs until early January, with a round-robin preliminary round preceding an elimination three-round playoff. The 10-team field is split evenly into two groups (Group A and Group B), with every team playing one prelim game against each of the four other teams in their group. The preliminary round uses a 3-2-1-0 point structure (3 points for a win, 2 points for an OT win, 1 point for an OT loss, 0 points for a regulation loss).
Which countries are competing this year?
Here's this year's group layout:
Group A
- Canada
- Finland
- Germany
- Slovakia
- Switzerland
Group B
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Russia
- Sweden
- USA
Who is the reigning champ?
Canada won last year's tournament, beating Russia in the gold medal game. The Canadians lost only once all tournament (a 6-0 loss to Russia in the preliminary round) and secured their 18th gold medal in tournament history -- the most of any country. (Russia has the second-most with 13.) The United States did not medal in 2020.
Table
Group A
|
Team |
GP |
W |
OTW |
OTL |
L |
P |
Goal Diff. |
|
Canada |
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|
Finland |
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|
Germany |
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|
Slovakia |
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|
Switzerland |
Group B
|
Team |
GP |
W |
OTW |
OTL |
L |
P |
Goal Diff. |
|
Austria |
|||||||
|
Czech Republic |
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|
Russia |
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|
Sweden |
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|
USA |
Schedule
Friday, December 25
Switzerland vs. Slovakia, 2 p.m.
Germany vs. Finland, 6 p.m.
Russia vs. USA, 9:30 p.m. | TV: NHL Network
Saturday, December 26
Sweden vs. Czech Republic, 2 p.m.
Germany vs. Canada, 6 p.m. | TV: NHL Network
USA vs. Austria, 9:30 p.m. | TV: NHL Network
Sunday, December 27
Finland vs. Switzerland, 2 p.m.
Slovakia vs. Canada, 6 p.m. | NHL Network
Czech Republic vs. Russia, 9:30 p.m.
Monday, December 28
Austria vs. Sweden, 6 p.m.
Slovakia vs. Germany, 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 29
USA vs. Czech Republic, 2 p.m. | TV: NHL Network
Canada vs. Switzerland, 6 p.m. | TV: NHL Network
Austria vs. Russia, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 30
Finland vs. Slovakia, 2 p.m.
Switzerland vs. Germany, 6 p.m.
Russia vs. Sweden, 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 31
Czech Republic vs. Austria, 2 p.m.
Canada vs. Finland, 6 p.m. | TV: NHL Network
Sweden vs. USA, 9:30 p.m. | TV: NHL Network
Saturday, January 2
Quarterfinals
Monday, January 4
Semifinals
Tuesday, January 5
Medal round
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