Boxing Day is just one week away, which means we are just days away from the 2023 World Juniors.
The annual IIHF tournament is set to begin the day after Christmas, with 10 teams battling it out in the Maritimes to be crowned world champion. The teams have been mostly finalized for all of the countries as they gear up for the competition.
While the official games do not start until Dec. 26, there are exhibition games that will be held ahead of the tournament. Six different locations throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will host a total of 11 pre-tournament contests.
MORE: Watch the 2023 World Juniors live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
The Sporting News has you covered on the World Juniors pre-tournament schedule and how to watch select exhibition games.
2023 World Juniors pre-tournament schedule
There will be pre-tournament exhibition games played ahead of the official start of the World Juniors.
In total, 11 games will be played in either New Brunswick or Nova Scotia between Dec. 19 and Dec. 23.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Result | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, Dec. 18 | FINAL | Germany 5, Slovakia 0 | Truro, N.S. |
| Monday, Dec. 19 | FINAL | Canada 6, Switzerland 0 | Moncton, N.B. |
| Monday, Dec. 19 | FINAL | USA 5, Finland 2 | Quispamsis, N.B. |
| Tuesday, Dec. 20 | FINAL | Austria 4, Germany 3 | Antigonish, N.S. |
| Tuesday, Dec. 20 | FINAL | Czechia 6, Latvia 3 | Halifax, N.S. |
| Wednesday, Dec. 21 | FINAL | USA 5, Sweden 1 | Moncton, N.B. |
| Wednesday, Dec. 21 | FINAL | Canada 6, Slovakia 1 | Moncton, N.B. |
| Thursday, Dec. 22 | FINAL | Germany 6, Latvia 3 | Bouctouche, N.B. |
| Thursday, Dec. 22 | FINAL | Switzerland 4, Czechia 2 | Halifax, N.S. |
| Friday, Dec. 23 | FINAL (OT) | Switzerland 4, Sweden 3 | Halifax, N.S. |
| Friday, Dec. 23 | FINAL | Slovakia 5, Austria 1 | Truro, N.S. |
| Friday, Dec. 23 | FINAL | Canada 5, Finland 3 | Halifax, N.S. |
How to watch 2023 World Juniors pre-tournament games on TV, live stream
- TV channel (Canada): TSN
- Live stream (Canada): TSN.ca, TSN app
- TV channel (U.S.): NHL Network
- Live stream (U.S.): fuboTV
TSN and/or the NHL Network will have five pre-tournament games available to watch before the action starts on Boxing Day, with three of those contests involving Canada and one featuring the USA.
Canadian viewers can watch the exhibition competition on TSN or can stream the games through TSN.ca or on the TSN app. The American audience can view one of the USA matches live on TV on the NHL Network, or can stream them through fuboTV.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | TV Channel | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, Dec. 19 | 6 p.m. | Canada vs. Switzerland | TSN 4/5 | TSN.ca, TSN app |
| Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Sweden vs. USA | TSN 3/5, NHL Network | TSN.ca, TSN app, fuboTV |
| Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 6:30 p.m. | Canada vs. Slovakia | TSN 3/5 | TSN.ca, TSN app |
| Friday, Dec. 23 | 2:30 p.m. | Sweden vs. Switzerland | TSN 1 | TSN.ca, TSN app |
| Friday, Dec. 23 | 6:30 p.m. | Finland vs. Canada | TSN 1 | TSN.ca, TSN app |
When do the 2023 World Juniors start?
- Start date: December 26, 2022
- End date: January 5, 2023
With the 2023 tournament starting at the normal time of the year, that means the competition kicks off the day after Christmas, December 26.
The group stage starts will take place over the first six days. The quarterfinals will be played on Jan. 2, the semifinals on Jan. 4 and the tournament will conclude with the bronze and gold medal games on Jan. 5.
How to watch 2023 World Juniors games on TV, live stream
- TV channel (Canada): TSN
- Live stream (Canada): TSN.ca, TSN app
- TV channel (U.S.): NHL Network
- Live stream (U.S.): fuboTV
TSN and the NHL Network will once again be home to all of the action for the 2023 World Juniors.
Canadian viewers can watch the competition on TSN or can stream the games through TSN.ca or on the TSN app.
The American audience can view the games live on TV on the NHL Network, or can stream them through fuboTV.
MORE: Watch the 2023 World Juniors live with fuboTV (free trial, U.S. only)
Where is the 2023 World Juniors?
- Location: Halifax N.S./Moncton, N.B.
- Venue: Scotiabank Centre/Avenir Centre
The World Juniors will once again be split between two host cities, as the tournament will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick.
The games in Halifax will be played at the Scotiabank Centre, the home of the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads. Any of the contests in Moncton will be played at the Avenir Centre, where the QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats call home.
This will be the second time Halifax is a host city for the World Juniors. Previously, the 2003 World Juniors were split between Halifax and Sydney, N.S. Moncton has never hosted the World Juniors before.
The 2023 tournament was originally planned to be held in Russia, with Novosibirsk and Omsk as the two host cities. However, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, their rights were pulled by the IIHF.
2023 World Juniors odds
According to Sports Interaction, the 2023 tournament is a four-horse race.
Canada, Finland, the United States and Sweden are the clear frontrunners to win this year's tournament, with the Canadians holding the best odds at -119.
Here are the odds entering the 2023 tournament.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Canada | -119 |
| USA | +345 |
| Finland | +354 |
| Sweden | +529 |
| Czechia | +1458 |
| Slovakia | +3323 |
| Switzerland | +6820 |
| Germany | +9560 |
| Latvia | +49200 |
| Austria | +50000 |
