World Juniors teams, rosters, format and more to know about 2023 IIHF World U20 Championship

Bryan Murphy

World Juniors teams, rosters, format and more to know about 2023 IIHF World U20 Championship image

The World Juniors return to their normal start time around the holidays, as the 2023 IIHF U20 World Championship gets underway on Dec. 26. 

The 10-team tournament has been a mainstay in international competition. The tournament has been played every year since 1977, even as the IIHF and the junior teams had to navigate through COVID-19. 

It's a chance for the best teenagers and young prospects in the world to showcase their skills on the international level, as well as have the opportunity to leave the tournament with a medal around their necks.

A good portion of the players that are in attendance for the games have already been drafted, however, there are others looking to drive up their draft stock as the 2023 NHL Draft looms ahead this upcoming summer. 

MORE: Every NHL draft pick at the 2023 World Juniors

Here's the rest of the information you need to know about the 2023 World Junior hockey tournament.

Which teams compete in the World Junior Championships?

Each year, 10 teams compete in the top World Juniors tournament. 

The current format has been in place since 1996, consisting of the top 10 teams in the world. Since the tournament got its official start in 1977, Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Finland and the United States have participated in every tournament. Slovakia has competed in every tournament since the 10-team format was introduced in 1996, following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

The tournament, which is considered to be the top pool, typically has one team that will be relegated to Division I, and the winner of Division I will be promoted to the top tournament for next year. 

Numerous other countries have participated in the top pool including Switzerland, Latvia, Germany, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Austria, Denmark, France, Poland, Japan, Norway and Ukraine.

What teams are competing at the 2022 World Juniors?

Group A Group B
Canada USA
Sweden Finland
Czechia Switzerland
Germany Slovakia
Austria Latvia

Russia is still serving its indefinite ban after the IIHF instituted a suspension on all Russian and Belarusian national teams from competing in IIHF play after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

MORE: Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli top 2023 draft prospects at World Juniors

Latvia replaced Russia in 2022 and is back again in 2023. The same 10 countries from August are competing again in December at the 2023 tournament, as the IIHF previously stated no teams would be relegated/promoted from the results of the 2022 event. 

What is the format of the 2023 World Juniors?

Teams will play four preliminary games in a round-robin format within their group, followed by a three-round playoff.

In the group stage, teams earn three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win, one point for an overtime loss and no points for a regulation loss.

The top four teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, where the matchups are determined by seeding. They will cross over between groups for these games: 1A vs. 4B, 1B vs. 4A, 2A vs. 3B and 2B vs. 3A. The teams that advance to the semifinals will be reseeded. 

The winners of the semifinals will face off in the gold medal game. The losers will play for bronze. 

Who has won the World Juniors in the past?

History of IIHF World Junior Championships
YEAR-LOCATION GOLD SILVER BRONZE
2022 - Edmonton, Canada Canada Finland Sweden
2021 - Edmonton, Canada United States Canada Finland
2020 - Ostrava & Trinec, Czech Republic Canada Russia Sweden
2019 - Vancouver & Victoria, Canada Finland United States Russia
2018 - Buffalo, N.Y. Canada Sweden United States
2017 - Montreal and Toronto, Canada United States Canada Russia
2016 - Helsinki, Finland Finland Russia United States
2015 - Montreal/Toronto, Canada Canada Russia Slovakia
2014 - Malmo, Sweden Finland Sweden Russia
2013 - Ufa, Russia United States Sweden Russia
2012 - Calgary/Edmonton, Canada Sweden Russia Canada
2011 - Buffalo/Niagara, N.Y. Russia   Canada   United States
2010  Regina/Saskatoon, Canada United States Canada   Sweden  
2009 - Ottawa, Canada Canada   Sweden   Russia  
2008 - Pardubice/Liberec, Czech Republic Canada   Sweden   Russia  
2007 - Leksand/Mora, Sweden Canada   Russia   United States
2006 - Kamloops/Kelowna/Vancouver, Canada Canada   Russia   Finland  
2005 - Grand Forks, N.D./Thief River Falls, Minn. Canada   Russia   Czech Republic  
2004 - Helsinki/Hameenlinna, Finland United States Canada   Finland  
2003 - Halifax/Sydney, Canada Russia   Canada   Finland  
2002 - Pardubice/Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic Russia   Canada   Finland  
2001 - Moscow/Podolsk, Russia Czech Republic   Finland   Canada  
2000 - Skelleftea/Umea, Sweden Czech Republic   Russia   Canada  
1999 - Winnipeg, Canada Russia   Canada   Slovakia  
1998 - Helsinki/Hameenlinna, Finland Finland   Russia   Switzerland  
1997 - Geneva/Morges, Switzerland Canada   United States Russia  
1996 - Boston, Mass. Canada   Sweden   Russia  
1995 - Red Deer, Canada Canada   Russia   Sweden  
1994 - Ostrava/Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic Canada   Sweden   Russia  
1993 - Gavle/Fulun, Sweden Canada   Sweden   Czechoslovakia  
1992-  Fussen/Kaufbeuren, Germany CIS   Sweden   United States
1991 - Saskatoon, Canada Canada   Soviet Union   Czechoslovakia  
1990 - Helsinki/Turku, Finland Canada   Soviet Union   Czechoslovakia  
1989 - Anchorage, Alaska, United States Soviet Union   Sweden   Czechoslovakia  
1988 - Moscow, Soviet Union Canada   Soviet Union   Finland  
1987 - Piestany, Czechoslovakia Finland   Czechoslovakia   Sweden  
1986 - Hamilton, Canada Soviet Union   Canada   United States
1985 - Helsinki/Turku, Finland Canada   Czechoslovakia   Soviet Union  
1984 - Nykoping, Sweden Soviet Union   Finland   Czechoslovakia  
1983 - Leningrad, Soviet Union Soviet Union   Czechoslovakia   Canada  
1982 - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. Canada   Czechoslovakia   Finland  
1981 - Fussen/Augsburg, Germany Sweden   Finland   Soviet Union  
1980 - Helsinki, Finland Soviet Union   Finland   Sweden  
1979 - Karlstad, Sweden Soviet Union   Czechoslovakia   Sweden  
1978 - Montreal, Canada Soviet Union   Sweden   Canada  
1977 - Bystrica-Zvolen, Czechoslovakia Soviet Union   Canada   Czechoslovakia  
1976* - Tampere, Finland Soviet Union   Canada   Czechoslovakia  
1975* - U.S./Canada Soviet Union   Canada   Sweden  
1974* - Leningrad, Soviet Union Soviet Union   Finland   Canada 

* - IIHF began officially sponsoring World Junior Championship in 1977

Who will be representing each team at the World Juniors?

In order to be able to participate in the World Juniors, a player's 20th birthday must take place by the end of the tournament's year. With these requirements in place, the field of players is mostly between the ages of 17 and 20 years old.

In total, each country's roster is made up of 25 players. Most will have 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders. They can dress 23 players per game, meaning there will be two healthy scratches for each team in every contest. 

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 -125. 

MORE: Who will win the 2023 World Juniors?

Here are the odds entering the 2023 tournament.

Team Odds
Canada -125
USA +338
Finland +419
Sweden +625
Czechia +1641
Slovakia +4676
Switzerland +6430
Germany +11600
Latvia +50000
Austria +50000

What country has won the most medals?

Canada enters the 2023 tournament with the most gold medals of all time. The 2022 win marked the 19th gold medal for the country. 

But Russia, which is not participating in the 2023 World Juniors, owns the most total medals with 37. It has won the most silver and bronze medals out of any country. 

The United States is tied for the third-most gold medals with Finland and owns the sixth-most total medals. 

Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Russia* 13 13 11 37
Canada 19 10 5 34
Sweden 2 11 7 20
Finland 5 5 7 17
Czech Republic+ 2 5 7 14
United States 5 2 6 13
Slovakia 0 0 2 2
Switzerland 0 0 1 1

* Includes medals won as the Soviet Union and CIS
+ Includes medals won as Czechoslovakia

2023 World Juniors schedule

Monday, Dec. 26

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Finland vs. Switzerland 11 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Sweden vs. Austria 1:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Latvia vs. USA 4 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Czechia vs. Canada 6:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Tuesday, Dec. 27

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Finland vs. Slovakia 11 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Germany vs. Sweden 1:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Switzerland vs. Latvia 4 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Austria vs. Czechia 6:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Wednesday, Dec. 28

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Slovakia vs. USA 4 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Canada vs. Germany 6:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Thursday, Dec. 29

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Latvia vs. Finland 11 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Sweden vs. Czechia 1:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
USA vs. Switzerland 4 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Austria vs. Canada 6:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Friday, Dec. 30

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Slovakia vs. Latvia 11 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Germany vs. Austria 4:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Saturday, Dec. 31

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Switzerland vs. Slovakia 11 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Czechia vs. Germany 1:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
USA vs. Finland 4 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Canada vs. Sweden 6:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Monday, Jan. 2

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Placement Game 9:30 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Quarterfinal 11 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Quarterfinal 1:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Quarterfinal 4 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Quarterfinal 6:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Wednesday, Jan. 4

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Placement Game 11 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Semifinal 2:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Semifinal 6:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Thursday, Jan. 5

Matchup Time (ET) TV
Placement Game 11 a.m. TSN/NHL Network
Bronze Medal Game 2:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network
Gold Medal Game 6:30 p.m. TSN/NHL Network

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.