The schedule for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship has been released, with all teams playing in a quarantined bubble without spectators in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with the tournament set to begin on Christmas Day, while host nation and defending champions Canada opening on the more traditional Boxing Day.

The tournament will feature three daily games instead of the usual four, with each group alternating between one and two games per day in Edmonton. Switzerland will kick off the tournament against Slovakia on Christmas Day, the first time the tournament will begin on 25 December since 2005, with Germany vs. Finland and Russia vs. Team USA to round out the day. Canada’s title defence will begin on the more traditional Boxing Day on 26 December, opening their tournament against Germany.

The last two champions, Canada and Finland, will likely finish 1-2 in Group A, while Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia will look to play spoilers, given that no teams will be relegated this year. Group B will feature perennial favourite Sweden, who has not lost a preliminary game at the World Juniors since 2008, along with powerhouses from Russia, Czechia and the United States. Rounding out Group B will be newly-promoted Austria will have the chance to make an impact given they will return when the tournament is hosted in both Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta for the 2022 World Juniors, the intended hosts in 2021 before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The tournament schedule is as follows:

The IHLC will be brought to Edmonton by the defending IHLC and World Champions Canada, who will face Sweden and Russia in tune-up games before opening their tournament hosting Germany on Boxing Day. This will determine whether the title enters through Group A or B, but the IHLC this year will be guaranteed to remain in Edmonton, and has no chance of being relegated to Division IA this year.

Photo Credit: HOK – IIHF – HHOF – IOC