The imminent commencement of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship is eagerly anticipated, scheduled to unfold from December 26, 2023, to January 5, 2024. Gothenburg, Sweden, is set to be the exclusive host for all tournament matches.
After a nine-year hiatus, the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship returns to the Czech Republic, gracing Prague and Ostrava from May 10 to May 26, 2024. The fervor of the championship will resonate in the arenas of these two cities, with the Prague Arena setting the stage for the home team's spirited performances in front of their passionate fans.
● Dates: Dec. 26-Jan. 5
● Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
● Time: Varies
● TV: NHL Network/TSN
● Stream: Click here to watch anywhere
The 2024 World Juniors Championship is set to take place from Tuesday, December 26, to Friday, January 5, at Gothenburg, Sweden.
Here’s who is playing at the World Juniors:
● Canada
● Sweden
● Finland
● Germany
● Latvia
● Czechia
● United States
● Slovakia
● Switzerland
● Norway
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*all times are Eastern
Dec. 26
● Slovakia vs. Czechia, 6 a.m.
● Finland vs. Canada, 8:30 a.m.
● United States vs. Norway, 11 a.m.
● Sweden vs. Latvia, 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 27
● Slovakia vs. Switzerland live at 6 a..m.
● Finland vs. Germany live at 8:30 a.m.
● Norway vs. Czechia live at 11 a.m.
● Latvia vs. Canada live at 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 28
● Switzerland vs. United States live at 11 a.m.
● Germany vs. Sweden live at 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 29
● Norway vs. Slovakia live at 6 a.m.
● Latvia vs. Finland live at 8:30 a.m.
● Czechia vs. United States live at 11 a.m.
● Canada vs. Sweden live at 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 30
● Switzerland vs. Norway live at 11 a.m.
● Germany vs. Latvia live at 1:30 pm.
Dec. 31
● United States vs. Slovakia live at 6 a.m.
● Sweden vs. Finland live at 8:30 a.m.
● Czechia vs. Switzerland, 11 a.m.
● Canada vs. Germany live at 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 2
● Quarterfinal #1, 6 a.m.
● Quarterfinal #2, 8:30 a.m.
● Quarterfinal #3, 11 a.m.
● Quarterfinal #4, 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 4
● Relegation game, 5 a.m.
● Semifinal #1, 9 a.m.
● Semifinal #2, 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 5
● Third-place game, 9 a.m.
● Championship game, 1:30 p.m.
2023 finish: Gold
3 players to watch: Macklin Celebrini (F), Denton Mateychuk (D), Matthew Savoie (F)
How do you bet against the two-time defending champs? It’ll be exciting to see how Celebrini responds to the spotlight as the projected #1 overall NHL draft pick in 2024. Granted, this squad isn’t quite as flashy as previous editions headlined by MVPs like Connor Bedard and Mason McTavish. And goaltending, as usual, remains a question mark heading in. Forward Owen Beck is the lone returnee.
2023 finish: Bronze
3 players to watch: Cutter Gauthier (F), Lane Hutson (D), Will Smith (F)
On paper, the U.S. forwards – including a smorgasbord of NHL first-round picks – look poised to shred opposition goalies. To illustrate, in 2023, Gauthier potted seven goals at the men’s IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Smith led the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship with 20 points, just one point shy of Nikita Kucherov’s single-tournament record.
2023 finish: Fourth place
3 players to watch: Filip Bystedt (F), Jonathan Lekkerimaki (F), Axel Sandin-Pelikka (D)
Stunningly, the Juniorkronorna have only won the World Juniors twice (1981, 2012). Even without a blue-chip centre like Leo Carlsson, coach Magnus Havelid’s Swedes should vie to end their current drought on home ice.
2023 finish: Fifth place
3 players to watch: Kasper Halttunen (F), Konsta Helenius (F), Emil Hemming (F)
Especially with top blueliner Aron Kiviharju sidelined due to surgery, the 2024 Finnish lineup exudes “workmanlike” more than “wow factor.” The forwards will need to check tenaciously and help out a pedestrian defence. Karpat’s Niklas Kokko, 19, may carry the load in net after not playing last year.
2023 finish: Silver
3 players to watch: Adam Jiricek (D), Jiri Kulich (F), Matyas Sapovaliv (F)
Last year’s success offered a massive confidence boost for this Central European nation, whose previous medal was 2005’s bronze. The Czechs’ offensive flair was unmistakable as they scored 37 goals, their highest single-tournament total since 1995 (43).
2023 finish: Sixth place
3 players to watch: Dalibor Dvorsky (F), Adam Gajan (GK), Filip Mesar (F)
The gutsy Slovaks arguably deserved a better fate last year. Not only did they shock the U.S. 6-3 in the preliminary round, but they also gave Canada a real scare in a 4-3 quarter-final loss in overtime, thanks to Gajan’s magnificent 53-save outing.
2023 finish: Seventh place
3 players to watch: Rodwin Dionicio (D), Ewan Huet (GK), Daniil Ustinkov (D)
Strong defence is vital for Switzerland, which struggles to score at the World Juniors. In fact, the Swiss haven’t beaten any nation by more than one goal since a 5-2 upset of Finland on 31 December, 2019. There’s no sniper like Nico Hischier or Kevin Fiala to ignite the offence this year, and blueliner Lian Bichsel’s absence is a setback.
2023 finish: Eighth place
3 players to watch: Kevin Bicker (F), Julian Lutz (F), Norwin Panocha (D)
Tobias Abstreiter has served as Germany’s World Junior coach since 2020, including back-to-back sixth-place finishes (2021, 2022). Those marked Germany’s best results since the Berlin Wall fell.
2023 finish: Ninth place
3 players to watch: Dans Locmelis (F), Eriks Mateiko (F), Sandis Vilmanis (F)
At the 2022 World Juniors in Edmonton, Latvia’s 5-2 win over Czechia was the biggest preliminary-round upset. It paved the way for an all-time best seventh-place finish. Those were good times.
2023 finish: Promoted from Division IA
3 players to watch: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (F), Stian Solberg (D), Petter Vesterheim (F)
No NHL club has drafted a Norwegian since the Arizona Coyotes took D-man Emil Martinsen Lilleberg in the fourth round in 2021. That’s just one worrisome indicator for Norway, which last competed in the top division in 2014.
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