2025 World Juniors to take place in Ottawa
Published
The IIHF World Junior Championship is coming to the nation's capital in 2025, Hockey Canada announced on Thursday.
Next year's annual tournament will take place in Ottawa for the first time since 2009 when Canada captured their fifth straight gold-medal with a win over Sweden in the final. It marked the first and only time the World Juniors was held in Ottawa.
It will run from Dec. 26, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025 at the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the NHL's Ottawa Senators.
“We are thrilled that the IIHF World Junior Championship will return to Canada and our nation’s capital in 2025,” said Pat McLaughlin, chief operating officer of Hockey Canada. “The bid that was submitted to host the World Juniors in Ottawa was exceptional, and we cannot wait for fans throughout Canada and the world to experience the celebration of hockey for themselves.
“Hosting the World Juniors is a privilege, and we are grateful to the IIHF for its trust in allowing us to deliver the event on its behalf for the 19th time in Canada, and to the CHL for its continued support of the tournament each year.”
Canada won their 20th gold-medal last winter when the event was held in Halifax and Moncton.
“The IIHF is thrilled to return to Canada for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. “Ottawa is undoubtedly a city that rallies behind hockey, as we can remember from the exceptional atmosphere during the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship. The World Juniors has a unique place in the calendar as it takes place during the holiday season and is an eagerly awaited event.
“We look forward to seeing fans from the four corners of Canada and all around the world in Ottawa in December 2024.”
The 2024 World Juniors takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden, the first time the event has been held outside of Canada since 2020 in Czech Republic.