Information to the 2025 World Junior Championship – The Hockey Writers – World Junior Hockey Championship

With December across the nook, it’s time to stay up for the subsequent large occasion on the hockey calendar, the 2025 World Junior Championship. Final yr, the US took dwelling their sixth title over the hometown Swedes in Gothenburg, with Czechia taking dwelling the bronze over Finland. Canada, often a medal contender, surprisingly fell 3-2 to the Czechs within the Quarterfinal, leaving them medal-less for the primary time in 4 years.

The match has turn out to be a vacation custom for a lot of hockey followers around the globe, starting on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) annually and ending throughout the first week of the brand new yr. The WJC has grown remarkably for the reason that inaugural (official) match was held in 1977 and has large worldwide assist.

This yr, the match returns to Ottawa, Canada, for the second time. From 2020-23, Canada hosted the match for 3 straight years, however after being hosted in Sweden, the rotation between European and North American markets has been reestablished. The one change from earlier than 2020 is that the relegation sequence has been shortened to a single-game knockout. Right here’s to hoping we get one other wildly thrilling match this yr!

NOTE: Remaining Roster and Gamers to Watch articles will likely be linked beneath as they’re printed

NHL Groups

Chicago Blackhawks

Colorado Avalanche

Detroit Pink Wings

New York Islanders

Philadelphia Flyers

Winnipeg Jets

2025 NHL Draft Rankings

Who Is Eligible to Play?

That is the U20 model of the match that means that gamers should be below the age of 20 to take part. If a participant’s 20^th birthday takes place within the yr the match ends (Jan. 1-Dec 31, 2025), then they’re eligible, even when they flip 20 whereas the match continues to be underway. If a participant’s 20^th birthday takes place within the yr the match begins (Jan.1-Dec 26, 2024), they aren’t eligible. Folks often speak concerning the higher restrict for the age eligibility however there’s additionally a decrease restrict, as gamers should flip 15 years outdated within the yr the match ends.

Ottawa, Canada to Play Host

The World Juniors returns to Canada’s capital metropolis for the second time within the match’s historical past. Town first hosted the match in 2009, which noticed the Canadians take dwelling their fifteenth gold medal, beating Sweden 5-1 with two targets from Cody Hodgson and one apiece from P.Okay. Subban, Angelo Esposito, and Jordan Eberle. Canada dominated the scoresheet, with Hodgson, John Tavares, and Eberle ending 1-2-3 in factors. Tavares took dwelling the match’s MVP award, was named the IIHF’s Finest Ahead, and was chosen to the All-Star group together with Subban and Hodgson.

The 2025 World Juniors will likely be cut up between the Canadian Tire Centre, dwelling to the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, and TD Place, which hosts each the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Ottawa Cost of the Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League (PWHL). The Canadian Tire Centre would be the most popular location for followers as it is going to host Group A, the semifinals, and each medal video games. Plus, with a capability of over 18,000, it is sensible to have the hometown Canadians enjoying in entrance of the most individuals attainable. TD Place holds a a lot smaller 5,500, but it surely’s hosted quite a few world-class occasions, together with determine skating, curling, wrestling, and extra. Nonetheless, final season, the sector added practically 3,000 seats to accommodate the record-setting debut of the PWHL. TD Place will host Group B and the relegation match.

Taking part Nations

As I discussed earlier, Group A consists of Canada, the US, Finland, Germany, and Latvia whereas Group B is made up of Sweden, Czechia, Switzerland, Slovakia, and Kazakhstan.

Canada will look to retake their crown as the highest World Junior nation on dwelling ice after failing to medal in 2024. It gained’t be a simple highway for them, however they not often take a again seat for greater than a yr; the final time they went medal-less was again in 2013 and 2014. With a powerful group of returnees, they’ll be in a significantly better spot than final yr. The 2025 match additionally will see the return of a Canada-USA New 12 months’s Eve sport. The 2 groups have confronted off eight occasions since 2000, however followers have been disadvantaged of the traditional rivalry for the previous seven years.

Workforce USA returns as a prime challenger for the gold because of a number of key gamers from its 2024 championship-winning roster anticipated to return, together with Minnesota Wild prospect Zeev Buium and the way forward for the Montreal Canadiens in web, Jacob Fowler. Nonetheless, regardless of the power of their program in recent times, the Individuals have by no means gained back-to-back gold medals. The most effective they’ve achieved is following up a gold with a bronze medal, which they did in 2011 and 2018. The San Jose Sharks may change that in the event that they launch rookie Will Smith. However they’ll additionally must determine what to do with Canadian Macklin Celebrini, who has outperformed his American teammate within the NHL and would give the Canadians a large enhance on the World Juniors.

The Swedes and Czechs may have some important roster turnover from final yr, which can make repeating as medalists more difficult, however they nonetheless have some top-end expertise that gained’t go down and not using a battle. Tom Willander, Axel Sandin Pellikka, and Theo Lindstien will return to manage Sweden’s blue line, whereas 6-foot-6 goalie Michael Hrabel may have an opportunity to retake the beginning job for Czechia. Finland can’t be counted out, although, with Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Konsta Helenius anticipated to take a a lot greater function in 2025.

Award Winners From the 2024 WJC

Vancouver Canucks’ prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki was named the Most Useful Participant on the 2024 match after main Sweden with six targets and 10 factors. He was instrumental in serving to the Swedes get to the Remaining, beating Switzerland and Czechia en path to claiming their first medal – a silver – since 2008.

Faculty star and Anaheim Geese’ prospect Cutter Gauthier was named the match’s finest ahead. He led the match with 12 factors and was virtually unstoppable every time he obtained the puck. His potential to manage the tempo of the sport with dimension and ability made the Individuals an almost inconceivable group to deal with, serving to them take dwelling a gold medal.

Axel Sandin Pellikka was named the perfect defenceman of the match, and though he didn’t lead Sweden’s blue line in factors, he was arguably one of the vital essential defenders on the group, shutting down opposing gamers with velocity and strong defensive play. The Detroit Pink Wings prospect scored a vital additional time purpose over Switzerland within the quarterfinals to propel the Swedes into the semifinal.

Hugo Havelid was named the perfect goalie and the third Swede to take dwelling a match award. His .917 save proportion was third-highest on the match, however he stood tall towards the Canadians, turning away all 21 photographs for a 2-0 victory over the gold-medal favorite. It was the second shutout for Havelid in two video games, and he didn’t permit a purpose till the second interval of the subsequent sport towards the Swiss, giving him a shutout streak of 157:26.

The Media All-Star group voted on on the match noticed Cutter Gauther, Jiri Kulich, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki chosen as the highest forwards, Lane Hutson and Theo Lindstein as the highest defencemen, and Hugo Havelid as the highest goalie on the 2024 World Junior Championship.

2025 WJC Schedule

If you wish to observe a particular group or sport, here’s a full schedule of the video games within the match, together with all medal-round video games

Dec. 26

Slovakia vs Sweden
USA vs Germany
Czechia vs Switzerland
Finland vs Canada

Dec. 27

Switzerland vs Slovakia
Germany vs Finland
Sweden vs Kazakhstan
Latvia vs Canada

Dec. 28

Latvia vs USA
Kazakstan vs Czechia

Dec. 29

Switzerland vs Sweden
USA vs Finland
Czechia vs Slovakia
Canada vs Germany

Dec. 30

Slovakia vs Kazakhstan
Germany vs Latvia

Dec. 31

Kazakhstan vs Switzerland
Finland vs Latvia
Sweden vs Czechia
Canada vs USA

Jan. 2 – Quarterfinals

1A vs 4B
2B vs 3A
1B vs 4A
2A vs 3B
A5 vs B5 (Relegation)

Jan. 4 – Semifinals

1A/4B vs 2B/3A
1B/4A vs 2A/3B

Jan. 5
Bronze Medal Recreation
Gold Medal Recreation

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