World Juniors Directorate Awards: List of all past winners of Best Forward, Defenseman and Goalie

Bryan Murphy

World Juniors Directorate Awards: List of all past winners of Best Forward, Defenseman and Goalie image

Each year at the World Juniors, 10 teams are battling it out in the hopes of heading home with a medal around their necks. For some players, that's not all they get to take home. 

The Directorate of the IIHF hands out three awards at the conclusion of every tournament — Best Forward, Best Defenseman and Best Goalie. These go to the players deemed to have performed the best at their position out of everyone at the tournament. 

While there is the MVP of the tournament that also gets handed out, these honors have been around since the official beginnings of the IIHF event, and are up for grabs for any player participating at the games. 

Here is a look at all the past winners of the awards. 

What are the IIHF World Junior Championship Directorate awards?

At the conclusion of each tournament, the IIHF hands out three awards — Best Forward, Best Defenseman and Best Goalie. 

The Directorate of the IIHF selects the winners of the three honors. They have been handed out every year since the IIHF took over the tournament in 1977. 

Any player from any team is up for the award, no matter where the country finishes in the tournament. 

Who has won Best Forward, Best Defenseman and Best Goalie at the World Juniors?

The honors have been handed out every year since 1977, but there are only two players ever to win honors multiple times. 

Viacheslav Fetisov earned the award for Best Defenseman in both 1977 and 1978 playing for the Soviet Union. Vladimir Krutov followed that by earning the award for Best Forward in 1979 and 1980, also playing for the Soviet Union. 

Here is the list of every winner of all three honors. 

Year Best Forward Best Defenseman Best Goalie
2021 Tim Stutzle (Germany) Topi Niemala (Finland) Devon Levi (Canada)
2020 Alexis Lafreniere (Canada) Rasmus Sandin (Sweden) Joel Hofer (Canada)
2019 Ryan Poehling (USA) Alexander Romanov (Russia) Pyotr Kochetkov (Russia)
2018 Casey Mittelstadt (USA) Rasmus Dahlin (Sweden) Filip Gustavsson (Sweden)
2017 Kirill Kaprizov (Russia) Thomas Chabot (Canada) Felix Sandstrom (Sweden)
2016 Jesse Puljujarvi (Finland) Zach Werenski (USA) Linus Soderstrom (Sweden)
2015 Max Domi (Canada) Vladislav Gavrikov (Russia) Denis Godla (Slovakia)
2014 Filip Forsberg (Sweden) Rasmus Ristolainen (Finland) Oscar Dansk (Sweden)
2013 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Canada) Jacob Trouba (USA) John Gibson (USA)
2012 Evgeni Kuznetsov (Russia) Brandon Gormley (Canada) Petr Mrazek (Czech Republic)
2011 Brayden Schenn (Canada) Ryan Ellis (Canada) Jack Campbell (USA)
2010 Jordan Eberle (Canada) Alex Pietrangelo (Canada) Benjamin Conz (Switzerland)
2009 John Tavares (Canada) Erik Karlsson (Sweden) Jacob Markstrom (Sweden)
2008 Viktor Tikhonov (Russia) Drew Doughty (Canada) Steve Mason (Canada)
2007 Alexei Cherepanov (Russia) Erik Johnson (USA) Carey Price (Canada)
2006 Evgeni Malkin (Russia) Marc Staal (Canada) Tuukka Rask (Finland)
2005 Alex Ovechkin (Russia) Dion Phaneuf (Canada) Marek Schwarz (Czech Republic)
2004 Zach Parise (USA) Sami Lepisto (Finland) Al Montoya (USA)
2003 Igor Grigorenko (Russia) Joni Pitkanen (Finland) Marc-Andre Fleury (Canada)
2002 Mike Cammalleri (Canada) Igor Knyazev (Russia) Kari Lehtonen (Finland)
2001 Pavel Brendl (Czech Republic) Rostislav Klesla (Czech Republic) Tomas Duba (Czech Republic)
2000 Milan Kraft (Czech Republic) Alex Riazantsev (Russia) Rick DiPietro (USA)
1999 Maxim Afinogenov (Russia) Vitali Vishnevskiy (Russia) Roberto Luongo (Canada)
1998 Olli Jokinen (Finland) Pavel Skrbek (Czech Republic) David Aebischer (Switzerland)
1997 Alexei Morozov (Russia) Joe Corvo (USA) Marc Denis (Canada)
1996 Jarome Iginla (Canada) Mattias Ohlund (Sweden) Jose Theodore (Canada)
1995 Marty Murray (Canada) Bryan McCabe (Canada) Yevgeni Tarasov (Russia)
1994 Niklas Sundstrom (Sweden) Kenny Jonsson (Sweden) Jamie Storr (Canada)
1993 Peter Forsberg (Sweden) Janne Gronvall (Finland) Manny Legace (Canada)
1992 Michael Nylander (Sweden) Darius Kasparaitis (CIS) Mike Dunham (USA)
1991 Eric Lindros (Canada) Jiri Slegr (Czechoslovakia) Pauli Jaks (Switzerland)
1990 Robert Reichel (Czechoslovakia) Alexander Godynyuk (Soviet Union) Stephane Fiset (Canada)
1989 Pavel Bure (Soviet Union) Ricard Persson (Sweden) Alexei Ivashkin (Soviet Union)
1988 Alexander Mogilny (Soviet Union) Teppo Numminen (Finland) Jimmy Waite (Canada)
1987 Robert Kron (Czechoslovakia) Calle Johansson (Sweden) Markus Ketterer (Finland)
1986 Jim Sandlak (Canada) Mikhail Tatarinov (Soviet Union) Evgeny Belosheikin (Soviet Union)
1985 Michal Pivonka (Czechoslovakia) Vesa Salo (Finland) Craig Binnington (Canada)
1984 Raimo Helminen (Finland) Alexei Gusarov (Soviet Union) Alan Perry (USA)
1983 Tomas Sandstrom (Sweden) Ilya Byakin (Soviet Union) Dominik Hasek (Czechoslovakia)
1982 Petri Skriko (Finland) Gord Kluzak (Canada) Mike Moffat (Canada)
1981 Patrik Sundstrom (Sweden) Miloslav Horava (Czechoslovakia) Lars Eriksson (Sweden)
1980 Vladimir Krutov (Soviet Union) Reijo Ruotsalainen (Finland) Jari Paavola (Finland)
1979 Vladimir Krutov (Soviet Union) Alexei Kasatonov (Soviet Union) Pelle Lindbergh (Sweden)
1978 Wayne Gretzky (Canada) Viacheslav Fetisov (Soviet Union) Alexander Tyznych (Soviet Union)
1977 Dale McCourt (Canada) Viacheslav Fetisov (Soviet Union) Jan Hrabak (Czechoslovakia)

When do the 2022 World Juniors start?

  • Start date: Tuesday, Aug. 9
  • End date: Saturday, Aug. 20

After the tournament was canceled in December 2021, the IIHF is trying again for the 2022 edition in August. It will start on Aug. 9 and run for 12 days until Aug. 20. 

The group stage starts on Aug. 9 and will take place over the first seven days of the competition. The quarterfinals will all be on Aug. 17, the semifinals on Aug. 19 and the tournament will conclude with the bronze and gold medal games on Aug. 20. 

How to watch World Juniors hockey 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 the action for the 2022 World Juniors.

The American audience can view the games live on TV on the NHL Network, or can stream it though fuboTV. 

Canadian viewers can watch the competition on TSN, or can stream the games through TSN.ca or in the TSN app. 

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.