Hockey Canada has announced that the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship as well as the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup would be heading to Alberta this summer.
Following their cancellation in December, the World Juniors will return to Rogers Place in Edmonton beginning August 9th and running through the 20th. Results from games previously played prior to the COVID induced shutdown will not carry over into the summer version of the event.
Additionally, players born in 2002 or later will remain eligible to represent their respective countries in the upcoming tournament.
“While we were disappointed to have not been able to complete the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship as intended in December, our focus quickly shifted to hosting the event again when it was safe to do so,” said Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer of Hockey Canada in a statement posted to the Hockey Canada website. “Now, fans will be able to cheer on Team Canada at the World Juniors in Edmonton and at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer.
“Under the most unique of circumstances, this summer will be unforgettable for Canadian hockey fans, and we cannot wait to drop the puck at both events.”
Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States will form Group A, with Canada, Czechia, Finland, Latvia and Slovakia competing in Group B. Latvia has replaced Russia in the summer edition of the tournament following sanctions from the IIHF following their invasion of Ukraine. The pools were then rejigged based on international rankings to balance out the round robin groups.
Because of the unique set up for the tournament, there will be no relegation round played at the 2022 event. Instead, the same 10 teams will also participate in the 2023 edition as well.
Next year’s event is currently scheduled to be hosted in Russia, however because of the current ban levied against the host nation, the setup and location for 2023 is still very much up in the air. At the moment several North American cities are jockeying for position to act as replacement venues for the event, including Ottawa, ON in a joint bid between the Senators and the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s.