2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

Background and Original Cancellation

The 2022 World Junior Championship was originally scheduled for its traditional late-December slot, from December 26, 2021, to January 5, 2022. The event was to be co-hosted by Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, as compensation after the 2021 tournament was held in an Edmonton bubble without fans. This arrangement was announced by the IIHF on September 17, 2020, after the 2022 hosting rights were moved from Gothenburg, Sweden, which was reassigned the 2024 tournament instead. Preparations proceeded with the provincial Restrictions Exemption Program allowing Rogers Place to operate at full capacity, requiring proof of vaccination. However, the emergence of the Omicron variant led to new public health orders on December 21, 2021, restricting venue capacity to 50 percent and prohibiting food and drink consumption during games.

During the preliminary round in late December 2021, multiple teams reported COVID-19 outbreaks. Tournament rules required a full team quarantine for any positive test, leading to three games being forfeited by December 29. Citing compromised competitive integrity and participant safety, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced the cancellation of the remainder of the tournament on that same day. IIHF president Luc Tardif stated a committee would explore the feasibility of resuming the tournament at a later date, hoping to "come with a good surprise." All results and statistics from the December games were annulled, and the tournament was declared null and void.

Rescheduling and Political Context

On February 17, 2022, the IIHF announced the tournament would be replayed from scratch in mid-August 2022, following the U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The event was scheduled for August 9 to 20 and would be hosted exclusively by Edmonton, marking the second consecutive year the city hosted the tournament and the 17th time overall Canada had hosted. Rosters from the December attempt were grandfathered for the summer replay, meaning players who were eligible in December remained eligible for August. Ticket holders for the cancelled 2022 event and the 2021 bubble tournament were given priority access to new tickets, and with Edmonton focusing on the rescheduled tournament, the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup was hosted exclusively by Red Deer.

A significant geopolitical change occurred before the summer tournament. In condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IIHF suspended Russia from all international ice hockey. Latvia, which had finished second in the Division I-A tournament in December 2021 and earned promotion to the top division for 2023, was invited to replace Russia. Belarus, which won that Division I-A tournament, was also banned from international play for its support of the invasion.

Sponsorship Crisis and Low Attendance

The rescheduled tournament occurred amid a major crisis for Hockey Canada. In June 2022, the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal emerged, leading several major sponsors to suspend their support. Companies including BDO, Canadian Tire, Imperial Oil, Recipe Unlimited, Scotiabank, Telus, and Tim Hortons withdrew their sponsorships. The city of Edmonton also withdrew its marketing support for the event. Sportsnet writer Paul D. Grant suggested sponsors may have been given refund options for their December 2021 sponsorship purchases after that tournament was cancelled. As a result, arena boards at Rogers Place during the tournament featured only the tournament emblem, ads for the IIHF's official app, and a placement for global IIHF sponsor Tissot, with no other commercial advertising present.

Attendance was exceptionally low throughout the event, a stark contrast to typical Canadian-hosted World Juniors. On the eve of the tournament, it was reported that "thousands" of tickets remained unsold, even for games involving Canada. On the first day, announced attendance for the first three games was 430, 376, and 829 respectively, with actual in-person spectators believed to be even fewer as numbers were based on tickets sold. Canada's preliminary games drew between 2,779 for its opener and 5,204 for its final preliminary game, a small fraction of Rogers Place's 18,500-seat hockey capacity. Factors cited for the poor turnout included the unusual summer scheduling, high ticket prices, the Hockey Canada scandal, and the absence of the Russian team. The gold medal game had an official attendance of 13,327, the highest of the tournament but still well below capacity.

Tournament Format and Preliminary Round

The tournament featured ten teams divided into two groups of five for the preliminary round. Group A consisted of Canada, Finland, Czechia, Latvia, and Slovakia. Group B included Sweden, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The top four teams from each group advanced to the knockout playoff round, with seeding for the semifinals determined by group position, points, goal difference, goals scored, and the team's seeding coming into the tournament. Canada dominated Group A, winning all four of its games and outscoring opponents 27-7, while Finland finished second in the group with three wins, its only loss coming to Canada.

In Group B, Sweden topped the standings with a perfect 4-0 record, demonstrating strong defensive and offensive play throughout the preliminary stage. The United States finished second with three wins, securing their place in the quarterfinals alongside the other top teams. The results set the stage for the quarterfinals, where the first-place team from each group would face the fourth-place team from the opposite group, and the second-place team would face the third-place team from the other group. This format ensured competitive matchups as the tournament moved into its single-elimination phase.

Playoff Round and Medal Games

The quarterfinal matchups saw Canada defeat Switzerland 6-3, Finland beat Germany 5-2, Sweden triumph over Latvia 2-1, and the United States edge Czechia 4-2. In the semifinals, Canada faced Sweden in a tightly contested game. Canada emerged victorious with a 5-2 win, powered by two goals from captain Mason McTavish. The other semifinal was a rematch of the 2021 gold medal game, with Finland defeating the United States 1-0 in a defensive battle to advance to the final for the second consecutive year. The bronze medal game pitted Sweden against the United States in a remarkably high-scoring contest.

Sweden secured the bronze medal with a 8-7 victory over the United States, in a game that featured fifteen total goals and back-and-forth action. The gold medal game between Canada and Finland was an instant classic, with the teams tied 2-2 at the end of regulation time, forcing overtime. Canadian forward Mason McTavish made a critical defensive play to break up a Finnish scoring chance early in the extra period. Just over a minute later, Kent Johnson scored the game-winning goal to give Canada a 3-2 victory and its 19th World Junior championship title, in a game that would later be cited as a classic when Edmonton's future hosting was announced.

Statistics and Awards

Canadian captain Mason McTavish was the tournament's dominant player, leading all scorers with 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) in 7 games. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player and received the Directorate Award for Best Forward. Finnish defenceman Kasper Puutio received the award for Best Defenceman for his all-around play throughout the tournament. The Media All-Star Team reflected the top performers as selected by the media. It featured Jesper Wallstedt in goal, defencemen Olen Zellweger of Canada and Emil Andrae of Sweden, and forwards Mason McTavish (Canada), Joakim Kemell (Finland), and Jan Myšák (Czechia). The final tournament standings were Canada (gold), Finland (silver), Sweden (bronze), United States (4th), Czechia (5th), Germany (6th), Switzerland (7th), Latvia (8th), Slovakia (9th), and Austria (10th). Latvia's eighth-place finish allowed them to remain in the top division for the 2023 tournament, validating their promotion after replacing Russia.

Lower Division Tournaments and Cancellations

The Division I Group A tournament was played in Hørsholm, Denmark, from December 12 to 18, 2021. The Division I Group B tournament was played in Tallinn, Estonia, from December 12 to 18, 2021. The Division II Group B tournament was originally scheduled for January 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Division III tournament was originally scheduled for January 2022 in Querétaro, Mexico, but it was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the Division II Group B and Division III tournaments were rescheduled for later dates in 2022.

The Division II Group A event was held as scheduled in Brașov, Romania, from December 13 to 19, 2021. The Division II Group B tournament, originally scheduled for Belgrade, Serbia, from January 10 to 16, 2022, was cancelled due to the pandemic. It was successfully rescheduled and took place later from September 12 to 17, 2022. Similarly, the Division III tournament, planned for Querétaro, Mexico, from January 6 to 16, 2022, was also cancelled due to COVID-19. It was rescheduled and held from July 22 to 30, 2022, with Bulgaria withdrawing from the July event and being replaced by Australia, which had originally opted out of the January tournament.

Edmonton's Future Hosting Role and Legacy

Despite the challenges of the 2022 event, Edmonton and the region have remained a focal point for international junior hockey. In February 2024, Hockey Canada announced that Edmonton and Red Deer would co-host the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship. The Province of Alberta committed $11 million to support the event, which was part of a broader commitment to host events in communities throughout the province. The tournament is scheduled for its traditional dates, from December 26, 2026, to January 5, 2027, and all games will be broadcast on national television. The successful bid represents a partnership between OEG Sports & Entertainment, the Red Deer Rebels, Hockey Alberta, the Cities of Edmonton and Red Deer, and the Province of Alberta.

Rogers Place will again serve as the primary venue, hosting 17 games including the semifinals and medal games. The Peavey Mart Centrium (formerly the Marchant Crane Centrium) in Red Deer, home of the WHL's Red Deer Rebels, will host the additional 14 games. This will mark the fourth time Edmonton has hosted the tournament, following 2012 (with Calgary), 2021 (bubble), and the 2022 summer edition, and the second time for Red Deer, which was a co-host for the cancelled 2022 event and first hosted in 1995. The 2022 tournament, while unique and troubled, secured its place in history for Canada's dramatic overtime gold and for the extraordinary circumstances of its staging, demonstrating the logistical challenges of hosting major events during a pandemic and amid institutional scandal.

Questions about 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

Why was the 2022 World Juniors held in August?

The tournament was originally scheduled for December 2021 but was cancelled on December 29, 2021, due to COVID-19 outbreaks among teams and resulting forfeits. The IIHF decided to replay the tournament from scratch at a later date. It was rescheduled for August 9 to 20, 2022, in Edmonton. Rosters from the first playing of the tournament were grandfathered for the August replay.

Why was Russia not in the 2022 World Juniors?

Russia was suspended from all IIHF competitions, including the World Juniors, due to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The IIHF took this action in condemnation of the war. Latvia, which had finished second in the Division I-A tournament in December 2021 and earned promotion to the top division for 2023, was invited to replace Russia in the rescheduled August tournament. Belarus was also banned for supporting the invasion.

Who won the gold medal at the 2022 World Juniors?

Canada won the gold medal at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Canada beat Finland 3-2 in overtime in the gold medal game. This victory gave Canada its 19th tournament title. The gold medal game was played at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Why was attendance so low at the 2022 tournament in Edmonton?

Attendance was remarkably low due to several converging factors. The tournament was held in August instead of the traditional holiday period, ticket prices were high, and the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal that emerged in June 2022 led to a withdrawal of marketing, sponsor support, and fan goodwill. The absence of the Russian team also removed a traditional draw. The first games had announced attendances in the hundreds, and even Canada's games drew only a fraction of the arena's 18,500-seat capacity, with the gold medal game reaching 13,327.

Who was the MVP of the 2022 World Juniors?

Canadian captain Mason McTavish was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. He also led the tournament in scoring with 17 points (8 goals and 9 assists) in 7 games and received the IIHF Directorate Award for Best Forward. McTavish was instrumental in Canada's gold medal win, including a game-saving defensive play in overtime of the final. He was also named to the Media All-Star Team alongside fellow forwards Joakim Kemell of Finland and Jan Myšák of Czechia.

When will Edmonton host the World Juniors again?

Edmonton, in partnership with Red Deer, Alberta, will host the IIHF World Junior Championship again in 2027. The tournament is scheduled for its traditional dates from December 26, 2026, to January 5, 2027, as announced in February 2024. Rogers Place in Edmonton will host 17 games, including the semifinals and medal games, while the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer will host 14 games. This follows a provincial commitment of $11 million to support the event.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.