The 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship returns to Canada, with Ottawa hosting the tournament. Canada, considered a co-favorite alongside the defending champions, the United States, aims to regain the title after an early exit in 2023.
Last year's world junior hockey championship had a tough act to follow. The previous one was among the best ever, with Canadian phenom Connor Bedard breaking records and scoring highlight-reel goals in front of raucous crowds in Halifax and the gold-medal game ending with a thrilling overtime victory for the home team. Predictably, the 2023-24 tournament couldn't keep up.
With Bedard up in the NHL and the games taking place in the less-festive town of Gothenburg, Sweden, Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Czech Republic before the U.S. beat the host country 6-2 in a forgettable gold-medal game. But now the world juniors return to their spiritual home country as Ottawa gets set to host starting on Boxing Day. The last time the tournament took place in the nation's capital, in 2009, Canada won its record-tying fifth consecutive gold, thanks to Jordan Eberle's Canada's current betting odds are 40 percent to win gold. Last year's early exit halted a run of two consecutive gold medals and four straight trips to the final for hockey's No. 1 country. But oddsmakers like the Canadians' chances of getting back on top: they're essentially co-favourites to win the tournament along with the defending-champion United States. The current betting odds imply Canada and the U.S. each have in the neighbourhood of a 40 percent chance to take gold. Sweden is next at around 15 percent, followed by Finland. Russia remains banned from this tournament (and all international hockey) due to the invasion of Ukraine.Last year, Celebrini stepped into Bedard's former role as Canada's 17-year-old top NHL draft prospect. While he didn't light up the world juniors to the degree Bedard did, Celebrini had four goals and four assists in five games before going first overall to San Jose, where he has 11 goals in his first 22 NHL game
HOCKEY WORLD JUNIORS CANADA OTTAWA CHAMPIONSHIP
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Canada opens world junior hockey selection camp vowing to be ‘more competitive’Scott Salmond says the message will be clear up and down the lineup.
Read more »
Hockey Canada names final World Junior rosterHockey Canada has named the final 25-player roster that will represent Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa from Dec. 26 - Jan. 5.
Read more »
Canada unveils roster for upcoming world junior hockey championshipCanada's team for the upcoming world junior hockey championship is set. The country unveiled its 25-player roster Friday following the conclusion of a selection camp in Ottawa.
Read more »
Brayden Yager Named Captain of Canada's World Junior Hockey TeamBrayden Yager has been chosen as captain of Canada's world junior hockey team for the upcoming tournament in Ottawa. Tanner Molendyk and Calum Ritchie will serve as alternate captains.
Read more »
Yager Named Captain of Canada's World Junior Hockey TeamBrayden Yager has been chosen as captain for Canada's national team at the upcoming 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship. Tanner Molendyk and Calum Ritchie will serve as alternate captains. The tournament begins on Boxing Day in Ottawa.
Read more »
Brayden Yager Named Captain of Canada's World Junior Hockey TeamBrayden Yager, a Winnipeg Jets prospect, has been chosen as the captain of Canada's team for the upcoming world junior hockey championship. Tanner Molendyk and Calum Ritchie will serve as alternate captains. The tournament begins on Boxing Day in Ottawa.
Read more »