GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. CZECHIA (DEC. 23)

With two pre-tournament wins under its belt, Canada’s National Junior Team faces Czechia on Monday night for one final tune-up at the Canadian Tire Centre ahead of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Last Game

A strong third period powered Canada to a 4-2 win over Sweden on Saturday night. Luca Pinelli opened the scoring for Canada to the delight of Ottawa 67s fans in attendance. Sweden responded to take a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, but Oliver Bonk, Calum Ritchie and Easton Cowan scored in the final 10:45 of the third period to erase the deficit and give Canada its second pre-tournament win. Canada racked up 40 shots on goal, while Jack Ivankovic and Carson Bjarnason combined for 22 saves.

Czechia was in action Friday night in Brockville, earning a 5-1 win over Latvia. Matej Mastalrisky got the Czechs on the board in the first, Petr Sikora scored twice and Adam Jecho added one of his own for a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes. Patrik Volas recorded the final goal in the third period and Jan Kavan made 21 saves for the Czechs.

Last Meeting

It was a quarterfinal heartbreaker last year in Gothenburg, with Canada falling 3-2 to the Czechs. After Czechia took a 2-0 lead after the first period, Matthew Wood and Jake Furlong got Canada even in the middle frame. With overtime looming, Jakub Stanci’s goal with 11 seconds remaining in regulation was the difference, with Czechia moving on to eventually claim the bronze medal.

What to Watch

Ritchie had a strong showing Saturday, with the Colorado Avalanche prospect recording a goal and two assists against the Swedes. The Oakville, Ontario, native began his season with the Avs, scoring a goal in seven games before rejoining the Oshawa Generals. Selected as an alternate captain for Canada at this tournament, Ritchie’s leadership and experience will have an impact on Canada—he won gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and led the tournament in scoring with four goals and six assists in five games.

Czechia has made it to the medal round of the World Juniors for the past three tournaments, and have eight returning players coming to Ottawa. The St. Louis Blues have four prospects on the Czechs’ pre-tournament roster: defenceman Adam Jiricek (16th overall in 2024) and forwards Adam Jecho (95th overall in 2024), Ondrej Kos (81st overall in 2024) and Jakub Stancl (106th overall in 2023). Jiricek has not played with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs since Nov. 6 due to injury and had another injury-shortened season last year with HC Plzen. Forward Miroslav Holinka made a splash at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ development camp this summer. The 19-year-old was drafted 151th overall in 2024 and has 10 goals and 21 points with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings this season.

A Look Back

Since the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Canada and Czechia (formerly the Czech Republic) have faced each other 24 times at the World Juniors, with the Canadians claiming victory in 21 of those meetings.

The two teams have frequently met in decisive games in recent years. In addition to last year’s quarterfinal, they also met in the 2023 gold medal game in Halifax (a 3-2 overtime win for Canada), the 2022 semifinals in Edmonton (a 5-2 Canada win) and quarterfinals of the 2021 World Juniors in the bubble in Edmonton (a 3-0 Canada win).

All-time record: Canada leads 21-3-2 (1-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 120
Czechia goals: 48

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWEDEN (DEC. 21)

After an opening-game win on its pre-tournament schedule, Canada’s National Junior Team has a Saturday showdown with Sweden at TD Place ahead of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Last Game

Canada started its pre-tournament preparations with a bang, earning a 7-1 win over Switzerland on Thursday night. The Canadians got off to a hot start in the first period as captain Brayden Yager opened the scoring before Andrew Gibson, Caden Price and Easton Cowan recorded goals in a span of 1:22. Cowan completed his hat trick with two goals in the third period, and Berkly Catton added a goal in the final frame. Canada racked up 40 shots on goal, while Carter George and Carson Bjarnason combined for 14 saves.

The Swedes’ last international contest was the finale of the 5 Nations Tournament in Finland in mid-November, a 2-0 win over the hosts. Both goals came in the final 12 minutes—from Noel Fransen and Otto Stenberg—while Melker Thelin posted a 21-save shutout for the Swedes, who finished the event with two regulation-time wins, an overtime victory and a shootout loss.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and the Swedes met during the preliminary round a year ago in Gothenburg, Sweden, with the Canadians dropping a 2-0 decision to the tournament hosts. Canada threw 21 shots towards Hugo Hävelid and Mathis Rousseau made 22 saves for the Canadians, but goals from Tom Willander and Noah Östlund were the difference.

What to Watch

How about Cowan? The first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2023 NHL Draft (28th overall) is one of four returning players from the 2024 World Juniors roster and he made his presence known against Switzerland. The 19-year-old has had an excellent season with the London Knights, registering 15 goals and 28 points in 20 games and carrying on a 56-game point streak in the Ontario Hockey League—unofficially tying the OHL record with the streak spanning over two seasons.

Sweden’s roster has plenty of international experience, with nine players back from 2024, 15 owning medals from the last three IIHF U18 World Championships and 18 who are NHL draft picks. Returnees Theo Lindstein and Otto Stenberg are players to watch for the Swedes; Lindstein recorded two goals and eight points from the blue-line and was a media all-star in 2024, while Stenberg posted five goals, nine points and a plus-seven a year ago. The Swedes finished with silver on home ice, ranking second on the power play (45.5%) and penalty kill (83.3%).

A Look Back

The history between Canada and Sweden stretches all the way back to the inaugural World Juniors in 1977. In 36 all-time meetings, Canada has won 25 times, including four for the gold medal—1996, 2008, 2009 and 2018.

The 2009 gold medal game was also in Ottawa—Canada won that game 5-1 thanks to goals from P.K. Subban, Angelo Esposito, Cody Hodgson and Jordan Eberle, claiming its record-tying fifth-consecutive gold medal.

All-time record: Canada leads 25-11-1 (2-1 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 160
Sweden goals: 114

OTTAWA, Ontario – Hockey Canada has announced that Brayden Yager (Saskatoon, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) will wear the ‘C’ for Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

Joining Yager on the leadership group are Tanner Molendyk (McBride, BC/Saskatoon, WHL) and Calum Ritchie (Oakville, ON/Oshawa, OHL), who will serve as alternate captains.

“I am honoured to be named captain of Team Canada for the World Juniors on a team with so many great leaders, and I am excited for our group to take the ice in Ottawa and continue working towards our goal of winning a gold medal on home ice,” Yager said. “Tanner and Calum are great players and teammates that are deserving of this honour, and I look forward to serving on the leadership group with them and wearing the Maple Leaf with pride in front of Canadian fans.”

The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day with four games, which includes Canada taking on Finland at the Canadian Tire Centre at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Canada’s National Junior Team will also face off against Switzerland on Dec. 19, Sweden on Dec. 21 and Czechia on Dec. 23 in pre-tournament action on the Road to the World Juniors.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will once again provide extensive coverage of the event, broadcasting all 29 tournament games and all three Team Canada pre-tournament games.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWITZERLAND (DEC. 19)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Canada’s National Junior Team takes to the ice for the first of its three pre-tournament games when it meets Switzerland on Thursday ahead of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Last Meeting

It’s been almost a year since Canada and Switzerland met in a pre-tournament tilt in Ängelholm, Sweden, ahead of the 2024 World Juniors, with the Canadians earning a 6-3 win. After a back-and-forth first period that ended 2-2, the Canadians exploded in the middle frame with four unanswered goals, including two by Owen Beck—one only 28 seconds into the period and a shorthanded effort to close out Canada’s scoring. Twelve Canadians recorded a point, Mathis Rousseau made 26 saves, and Canada racked up 39 shots.

What to Watch

New this year for IIHF events, the roster size has increased by three players to 25. Among the Canadians suiting up for the tournament are four returnees from the 2024 World Juniors in Sweden (Bonk, Cowan, Rehkopf, Yager), one player who was named to the 2024 roster but missed the tournament through injury (Molendyk) and seven who won gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship (Beaudoin, George, Ivankovic, Luchanko, Martone, McKenna, Schaefer). In addition, three players captured gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Ivankovic, McKenna, Schaefer), marking the first time since 1991—when it was Eric Lindros, Martin Lapointe and Scott Niedermayer—that Canada has had three 17-year-old players on its roster.

Switzerland named 28 players to its pre-tournament roster, including nine returning from last year’s tournament. Defenceman Leon Muggli is the team’s highest NHL draft pick after being selected 52nd overall by the Washington Capitals in 2024. The 18-year-old is playing this season with the Swiss National League’s EV Zug after signing his NHL entry-level contact in July and has a goal and four assists across 21 games so far this season. The Swiss have additional NHL draftees to watch at each position: goaltender Christian Kirsch (116th overall, San Jose, 2024), defender Basile Sansonnens (221st overall, Vancouver, 2024) and forward Rico Gredig (191st overall, New York Rangers, 2024).

A Look Back

Canada has dominated the head-to-head history since the first meeting in 1980, winning all 25 meetings – 24 of them in regulation time.

While they have been frequent foes in pre-tournament play in recent years, the last official tournament matchup came at the 2022 World Juniors in Edmonton; in that one, Canada used a four-goal first period and two goals and an assist from Logan Stankoven to a 6-3 quarterfinal victory en route to gold.

There’s also one semifinal showdown in the record book; in Saskatchewan in 2010, after Switzerland stunned Russia in overtime in the quarterfinals, Canada got two goals from Taylor Hall and a shorthanded game-winner from Marco Scandella in a 6-1 victory.

All-time record: Canada leads 25-0-0 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 160
Switzerland goals: 43

OTTAWA, Ontario – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 25 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Ottawa.

Three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards were selected by head scout Al Murray (Regina, SK) and the management group, which includes Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Brent Seabrook (Tsawwassen, BC), with support from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, and player development coach Scott Walker (Cambridge, ON/Guelph, OHL). Head coach Dave Cameron (Kinkora, PE/Ottawa, OHL) and assistant coaches Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL), Chris Lazary (Toronto, ON/Saginaw, OHL) and Sylvain Favreau (Orleans, ON/Drummondville, QMJHL), as well as goaltending consultant Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC/Kamloops, WHL), also provided input.

“We are excited to unveil the 25 players who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the World Juniors, as we believe we have assembled a competitive and talented roster that will give us the best opportunity to win a gold medal on home ice,” Anholt said. “While there were many difficult decisions to make at selection camp, we want to congratulate our players, and we look forward to them wearing the Maple Leaf with pride in Ottawa.”

Among the 25 players are five who were named to the roster for the 2024 World Juniors (Bonk, Cowan, Molendyk, Rehkopf, Yager), as well as seven who won gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship (Beaudoin, George, Ivankovic, Luchanko, Martone, McKenna, Schaefer) and three who captured a gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Ivankovic, McKenna, Schaefer).

“This group of 25 players is excited for the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf in front of Canadian fans in Ottawa, and to represent their country in our quest to win a gold medal,” Cameron said. “This is a great accomplishment for these players and their families, and we know they will enjoy the World Juniors experience while bringing the competitiveness needed for us to be successful and accomplish our goal.”

Canada’s National Junior Team will practice at the Silver Dart Arena in Petawawa, Ontario, Dec. 15-18, prior to the start of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. It will also face off against Switzerland on Dec. 19, Sweden on Dec. 21 and Czechia on Dec. 23 in pre-tournament action on the Road to the World Juniors.

The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day with four games, which includes Canada taking on Finland at the Canadian Tire Centre at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will once again provide extensive coverage of the event, broadcasting all 29 tournament games and all three Team Canada pre-tournament games.

For more information on the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit the official tournament website at IIHF.com.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – With less than one month until the puck drops on the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada has announced the 32 players who have earned an invitation to Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp, set for Dec. 10-13 at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario.

Four goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 18 forwards were selected by U20 head scout Al Murray (Regina, SK) and the management group, which includes Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Brent Seabrook (Tsawwassen, BC), with support from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, and player development coach Scott Walker (Cambridge, ON/Guelph, OHL). Head coach Dave Cameron (Kinkora, PE/Ottawa, OHL), U17 head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and goaltending consultant Dan De Palma (Kamloops, BC/Kamloops, WHL), as well as coaches and general managers from across the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), also provided input.

“We are excited to announce the 32 players who have earned invitations to selection camp in Ottawa, and begin the road to our ultimate goal of winning a World Junior Championship gold medal on home ice,” Murray said. “This is a talented group of young players that is determined to represent Canada with pride over the holidays, and we expect a highly competitive camp with several difficult decisions when determining our final roster.”

Among the 32 players competing for a chance to represent Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa are seven players who were named to the roster for the 2024 World Juniors (Bonk, Cowan, Molendyk, Ratzlaff, Rehkopf, Wood, Yager), as well as eight who won gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship (Beaudoin, Brunicke, George, Ivankovic, Luchanko, Martone, McKenna, Schaefer) and three who captured a gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Ivankovic, McKenna, Schaefer).

Selection camp will include a pair of games against a team of U SPORTS all-stars, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. ET and Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. ET. Fans looking to secure their seat for the selection camp games can purchase tickets at HockeyCanada.ca/WorldJuniors, with two-game packages starting at $52 and individual-game tickets starting as low as $35. Both games will also be livestreamed at HNLive.ca.

Following selection camp, Canada’s National Junior Team will travel to Petawawa, Ontario, for a four-day training camp at the Silver Dart Arena, Dec. 15-18, in preparation for the 2025 World Juniors. Team Canada will also take on Switzerland, Sweden and Czechia in pre-tournament action on the Road to the World Juniors.

“We are thrilled for the 32 players who have earned the opportunity to compete for a spot on Canada’s National Junior Team at the World Juniors, and we look forward to a starting the final piece of our evaluation process at selection camp,” Anholt said. “We are also excited to bring our team to Ottawa and Petawawa, and to give fans an opportunity to see the best under-20 Canadian players take on a U SPORTS all-star team before the start of the tournament.”

The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day with four games, which includes Canada taking on Finland at the Canadian Tire Centre at 7:30 p.m. ET. TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will once again provide extensive coverage of the event, broadcasting all 29 tournament games and all three Team Canada pre-tournament games.

Hockey Canada has also announced the return of Canada’s Ultimate 50/50, presented by Tim Hortons, which is bigger than ever for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. For the very first time, fans in 11 Provinces and Territories can participate in the World Juniors and support grassroots hockey initiatives in their community by purchasing 50/50 tickets for three main draws (Dec. 4-26, Dec. 26-31, Dec. 31-Jan. 5). Net proceeds will support the growth and retention of hockey, women’s and girls’ hockey and initiatives that make the game safer. For more information, please visit HockeyCanada5050.ca.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – The pre-tournament schedule for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship has been announced, with seven communities slated to host games from Dec.19-23. In total, 11 games will be played throughout Eastern Ontario on the Road to the World Juniors.

The road begins and ends in Ottawa, with three games scheduled for the nation’s capital, as well as Arnprior, Belleville, Brockville, Cornwall, Hawkesbury and Kingston. Over the course of five days, all 10 competing teams will be on the ice.

Canada will open its exhibition schedule with a pair of games at TD Place in Ottawa, taking on Switzerland on Dec. 19 and Sweden on Dec. 21 before facing Czechia at the Canadian Tire Centre on Dec. 23. All three games begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

In addition to the games, seven Ontario communities will host competing teams from around the world for pre-tournament camps ahead of the holiday hockey tradition – Arnprior (Latvia), Belleville (Czechia and Sweden), Brockville (Switzerland), Carleton Place (Kazakhstan), Cornwall (Finland and Slovakia), Kingston (United States) and Ottawa (Canada and Germany).

“This year’s World Juniors will celebrate hockey in Eastern Ontario, and we are thrilled to have these communities play host to practices and games leading up to Boxing Day,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact for Hockey Canada. “We know fans and volunteers in each community take immense pride in welcoming the world, and we look forward to seeing the excitement build as the 10 teams prepare to compete for a gold medal in our nation’s capital.”

Tickets for pre-tournament games are on sale now, including limited seats at TD Place for Canada’s first two matchups. CLICK HERE for more information.

Limited individual game tickets remain available for 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa. Fans can secure their seat by visiting Hockeycanada.ca/WorldJuniors.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will air all three of Canada’s pre-tournament games and all 29 tournament games, beginning with Sweden and Slovakia on Dec. 26 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. Check your local listings for more details.

For more information on Hockey Canada, the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) general managers that will make up the Program of Excellence management group for the 2024-25 season.

Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL) will make his debut as a member of the POE management group, guiding the under-17 program through the 2024 U17 World Challenge in Sarnia, Ontario, while Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL) returned to the POE for the second year in a row, serving as under-18 lead by helping Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team win its third-straight gold medal at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton in August. Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) is part of the management group for the fourth-consecutive season and leading the under-20 program for the second time in as many years, advising Canada’s National Junior Team through the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

In addition, Team Canada alumni Kyle Turris (New Westminster, BC) and Brent Seabrook (Tsawwassen, BC) have joined the management group of the under-17 and under-20 programs, respectively. Turris will work alongside Lemay, making his management debut, while Seabrook returns to the under-20 program for the second-straight year to work alongside Anholt. 

“We are grateful for Yanick, Dave, Peter, Kyle and Brent’s commitment and dedication to the Program of Excellence, as these three general managers and two recognized alumni bring a wealth of experience and leadership to Hockey Canada’s under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations. “The POE has been successful to start the new season, with Dave helping our under-18 program capture gold on home ice, and we know Yanick, Kyle, Peter and Brent are excited to continue to contribute to Canada’s success on the international stage in the coming months.”

Lemay is currently in his second season as general manager of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Last season, he helped lead the Voltigeurs to a 102-point season, winning the Trophée Gilles-Courteau as QMJHL champions and earning a spot in the Memorial Cup. Prior to joining Drummondville, he served as an amateur scout with the Winnipeg Jets for 12 seasons (2011-23), was the head scout of the QMJHL’s Montréal Junior for three seasons (2008-11), and spent 10 seasons with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles as a scout (1998-2002) and head scout (2002-08).

Brown guided the under-17 program in 2023-24, helping Canada White to a gold medal at the 2023 U17 World Challenge. He is currently in his 10th season (2015-24) as general manager of the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after serving four seasons as director (2014-15) and assistant director (2011-14) of hockey operations with the team. Brown led Erie to an OHL championship in 2017, and contributed to a CHL record of four-consecutive 50-win seasons (2011-15). Prior to joining the Otters, he spent seven seasons with the Mississauga/Niagara IceDogs, serving as assistant general manager (2003-05) and general manager (2005-10).

Anholt led the under-20 program last season, as well as the under-18 program for two seasons (2021-23), helping Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team win a gold medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He is currently in his ninth full season (2015-24) as general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) after being promoted from assistant general manager in 2014. Anholt also spent time as head coach of the Hurricanes for part of the 2014-15 season, and has won the WHL Executive of the Year award twice (2015-16, 2019-20). He brings a wealth of WHL experience as a head coach, assistant coach and scout, including stints with the Prince Albert Raiders (1986-89, 2002-07), Seattle Thunderbirds (1989-92, 2012-14), Red Deer Rebels (1992-95, 1998-2000, 2007-08, 2011-12) and Kelowna Rockets (1996-98).

Turris played in 776 NHL games over 14 seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes (2008-11), Ottawa Senators (2011-17), Nashville Predators (2017-20) and Edmonton Oilers (2020-22), amassing 424 points (168 goals, 256 assists). He suited up for Canada at all levels of the POE, winning gold medals at the 2006 U18 Junior World Cup and 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, and won gold with Canada West at the inaugural World Junior A Challenge in 2006, where he led the tournament in scoring and was named Most Valuable Player. Turris also played at three IIHF World Championships (2014, 2018, 2019), serving as captain and winning a silver medal in 2019.

Seabrook played in 1,114 NHL games over 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks (2005-20), recording 464 career points (103 goals, 361 assists), serving as an alternate captain for 11 seasons and winning the Stanley Cup three times (2010, 2013, 2015). He won a silver medal at the 2002 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, gold medals at the 2002 Eight Nations Cup and 2003 IIHF World U18 Championship, and gold (2005) and silver (2004) at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Seabrook also suited up for Canada at the 2006 IIHF World Championship and won gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Prior to his professional career, he played four WHL seasons (2001-05) for Lethbridge, serving as Hurricanes captain for two seasons (2003-05).

The management group will work alongside Salmond, Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, U20 head scout Al Murray (Regina, SK), U17 head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and Scott Walker (Cambridge, ON), player development coach, as well as the organization’s hockey operations staff. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in coach and player selections, supporting the coaching staffs and providing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

The Program of Excellence is overseen by Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer; Pat McLaughlin (Saint John, NB), Hockey Canada’s chief operating officer and executive vice-president, strategy; Salmond; Roy; Dan MacKenzie (Guelph, ON), CHL president; Bryan Crawford (Hamilton, ON), OHL commissioner; Mario Cecchini (Saint-Lambert, QC), QMJHL commissioner; and Dan Near (Markham, ON), WHL commissioner.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

OTTAWA, Ontario – Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have released the schedule for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, which is set to take place Dec. 26, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025, in Ottawa.

“In partnership with the IIHF and our incredible tournament partners, we are so excited to announce the schedule for the upcoming World Juniors in Ottawa,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “It is hard to believe that puck drop is only 100 days away, and we cannot wait to see both venues packed with fans cheering on the best junior hockey players in the world this holiday season.”

In the preliminary round, Canada, the United States, Finland, Latvia and Germany will compete in Group A at the Canadian Tire Centre. Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Kazakhstan will form Group B and play at TD Place.

The opening day of the tournament will feature Sweden playing Slovakia at 12 p.m. ET, the United States facing Germany at 2:30 p.m. ET, Czechia battling Switzerland at 5 p.m. ET and Canada taking on Finland at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Following games against Latvia on Dec. 27 and Germany on Dec. 29, Canada will play the United States on Dec. 31, marking the first time that the two teams have faced each other on New Year’s Eve since the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The relegation game and quarterfinals will take place on Jan. 2, before the tournament shifts exclusively to the Canadian Tire Centre for the semifinals on Jan. 4 and medal games on Jan. 5.

All 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship games will be broadcast on TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada.

“As a partner with Hockey Canada for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, we are thrilled to provide our members with the opportunity to participate in the World Juniors,” said Debbie Rambeau, executive director of Hockey Eastern Ontario. “The announcement of the tournament schedule is an exciting time and we look forward to announcing more community, player, coach and official activities in the coming months.”

More than 155,000 fans signed up for the 2025 World Juniors Priority Draw for a chance to purchase tournament ticket packages and access a pre-sale for single-game tickets that begins on Sept. 18.

Limited single-game ticket inventory will go on sale to the public on HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets at 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 20.

In December 2023, the Province of Ontario announced a $4 million investment for the 2025 World Juniors to benefit the planning and delivery of the event.

“Our government is proud to support the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, and we look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to the Ottawa area for this major international event,” said Neil Lumsden, Ontario’s minister of sport. “Fans of all ages will get the chance to watch the hockey stars of tomorrow in action, right here in Ontario – reinforcing our province’s status as a premier sport hosting destination.”

The list of communities that will host pre-tournament games, along with the pre-tournament schedule, will be announced in October.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has invited 163 players to participate in its Program of Excellence summer camps – Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Showcase, Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp and Canada’s national under-17 development camp.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to host summer camps across our Program of Excellence this year and gain valuable insights into the development of our up-and-coming athletes,” said senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations Scott Salmond (Creston, BC). “The athletes will gain experience in the operations of our program ahead of the 2024 U17 World Challenge, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the highly anticipated 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.”

Forty-two players - four goaltenders, 13 defencemen and 25 forwards – have been invited to Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Showcase, July 28 to Aug. 3 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario, and south of the border in Plymouth, Michigan.

The camp roster features 38 players who have been selected in the NHL Draft, including 17 first-round picks: Colby Barlow (WPG), Cole Beaudoin (UHC), Oliver Bonk (PHI), Berkly Catton (SEA), Easton Cowan (TOR), Sam Dickinson (SJS), Tij Iginla (UHC), Cayden Lindstrom (CBJ), Jett Luchanko (PHI), Tanner Molendyk (NSH), Bradly Nadeau (CAR), Zayne Parekh (CGY), Calum Ritchie (COL), Beckett Sennecke (ANA), Matthew Wood (NSH), Brayden Yager (PIT) and Carter Yakemchuk (OTT).

The player selection process was led by Salmond and the management group, which includes Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) and Brent Seabrook (Tsawwassen, BC) with assistance from senior manager of hockey operations Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON). Head coach Dave Cameron (Kinkora, PE/Ottawa, OHL) and assistant coaches Sylvain Favreau (Orleans, ON/Drummondville, QMJHL), Mike Johnston (Dartmouth, NS/Portland, WHL) and Chris Lazary (Toronto, ON/Saginaw, OHL) were also involved in the process.

As part of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, 41 players – four goaltenders, 12 defencemen and 25 forwards – have been invited to compete to represent Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scheduled for Aug. 5-10 in Edmonton, Alberta. The selection camp, set for July 27-30 at the WinSport Event Centre in Calgary, will include a pair of Red-Black games on July 29-30. The roster includes five players who won gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship (Desnoyers, Hamilton, Ivankovic, McKenna, Schaefer).

Head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) led the player selection process with assistance from Salmond. U18 Program of Excellence management group lead Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL), head coach Kris Mallette (Kelowna, BC/Kelowna, WHL) and assistant coaches Gordie Dwyer (Dalhousie, NB/Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL) and Ryan Oulahen (Newmarket, ON/North Bay, OHL) also provided input.

Eighty players – eight goaltenders, 24 defencemen and 48 forwards – will take the ice at Joshua’s Creek Arenas in Oakville, Ontario as part of Canada’s national under-17 development camp, set to take place July 18-24. All 80 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League teams (39 from the OHL, 23 from the WHL and 18 from the QMJHL), while 17 represented Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (Beites, Chartrand, Croskery, Di Iorio, Edwards, Ellsworth, Esler, Lawrence, Lin, O’Donnell, Preston, Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck, Rudolph, Valentini, Verhoeff, Wassilyn).

The player selection process was led by Bonora, with assistance from regional scouts Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Rob Simpson (Ontario), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario), as well as Member representatives. Players will continue to be evaluated through the beginning of the 2024-25 season in preparation for the 2024 U17 World Challenge, scheduled for Nov. 1-9 in Sarnia, Ontario.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.