It's the most wonderful time of the year ... on the ice.
With Christmas in the rear view and New Year's Eve on the horizon, that can only mean one thing in the hockey world — the World Juniors.
The 2024 edition of the tournament is set to kick off on Boxing Day, as 10 teams from around the globe are meeting in Sweden this year for the annual competition. The event features the best U20 hockey players, giving them a chance to compete on arguably the biggest stage in their young careers.
Canada enters the competition as the defending, back-to-back gold medalist, looking to become the first team to three-peat since the Canadians won four in a row in the late 2000s.
Here's the rest of the information you need to know about the 2024 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 countries 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 tournament including Switzerland, Latvia, Germany, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Austria, Denmark, France, Poland, Japan, Norway and Ukraine.
What teams are competing at the 2024 World Juniors?
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Canada | Czechia |
| Finland | USA |
| Sweden | Switzerland |
| Germany | Slovakia |
| Latvia | Norway |
Russia is still serving its indefinite ban after the IIHF instituted a suspension on all Russian and Belarusian national teams from competing in international play after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Norway is making its first appearance at the top U20 tournament since 2014 after earning the promotion last year with its win at the Division I level. The country takes the spot of Austria, which was relegated after finishing 10th at the 2023 World Juniors.
2024 World Juniors odds
Heading into the tournament, it is a four-horse race between USA, Canada, Sweden and Finland for gold, according to the oddsmakers.
Here is a look at the odds to win the 2024 World Juniors before the beginning of the tournament courtesy of Sports Interaction:
| Team | Odds |
| USA | +225 |
| Canada | +250 |
| Sweden | +275 |
| Finland | +525 |
| Czechia | +1500 |
| Slovakia | +5000 |
| Switzerland | +6600 |
| Germany | +10000 |
| Latvia | +30000 |
| Norway | +50000 |
What is the format of the 2024 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 will be representing each team at the World Juniors?
In order to be able to participate in the World Juniors, a player must be under the age of 20 as of December 31st of the tournament year.
With these requirements in place, the field of players is mostly between the ages of 17 and 19 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.
What country has won the most World Juniors medals?
Canada enters the 2024 tournament with the most gold medals of all time. The 2023 win marked the 20th gold medal for the country.
But Russia, which is not participating in the 2024 World Juniors, owns the most total medals with 37. It has won the most silver and bronze medals out of any country, while owning the second-most golds.
The United States is tied for the third-most gold medals with Finland and has the sixth-most total medals.
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Canada | 20 | 10 | 5 | 35 |
| Russia* | 13 | 13 | 11 | 37 |
| Finland | 5 | 5 | 7 | 17 |
| United States | 5 | 2 | 7 | 14 |
| Sweden | 2 | 11 | 7 | 20 |
| Czechia+ | 2 | 6 | 7 | 15 |
| Slovakia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
* Includes medals won as the Soviet Union and CIS
+ Includes medals won as Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic
Who has won the World Juniors in the past?
| YEAR-LOCATION | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 - Halifax/Moncton, Canada | Canada | Czechia | USA |
| 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
