What better way to close out 2023 than with one of the most electric hockey tournaments in the world?
The countdown to the 2024 World Juniors has begun, with less than a week remaining before the U20 IIHF competition begins from Sweden. The rosters have been set, as 10 teams have their eyes on a gold medal.
Canada enters this year's tournament as the two-time defending champion. The Canadians earned championship wins the last two tournaments thanks to overtime heroics in both gold medal games. In 2023, it was Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther who potted the golden goal for Canada in Halifax.
This year, there is no wunderkind headlining the tournament like Blackhawks star Connor Bedard did last year. However, there is a plethora of young talent that will be showcased at the World Juniors, including first-round NHL picks such as Canada's Matthew Savoie, Conor Geekie and Nate Danielson; USA's Cutter Gauthier, Will Smith and Jimmy Snuggerud; Sweden's Axel Sandin Pellikka and Jonathan Lekkerimaki; and Czechia's Jiri Kulich.
In addition, there are prospects set to play from the upcoming 2024 draft class, headlined by potential No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini of Canada. It's the biggest stage for these future NHL selections to showcase their talents before the summer's draft.
MORE: Watch the 2024 World Juniors with Fubo (free trial in U.S.)
Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 World Juniors:
When do the 2024 World Juniors start?
- Start date: December 26, 2023
- End date: January 5, 2024
The 2024 tournament kicks off the day after Christmas, Dec. 26.
The group stage 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 2024 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.): Fubo
TSN and the NHL Network will once again be home to all of the action for the 2024 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 Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Where is the 2024 World Juniors?
- Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
- Venue: Scandinavium/Frolundaborg
This year's World Juniors is being played outside North America for the first time since before COVID. Gothenburg, Sweden is the host site for the 2024 tournament.
The games in Gothenburg will be split between Scandinavium and Frolundaborg, two arenas in the city. Group A will play at Scandanavium, while Group B will be at Frolundaborg. The quarterfinals will be split between the two sites before Scandinavium hosts the semifinals and medal matches.
Gothenburg was supposed to host the 2022 World Juniors, however, the IIHF moved the site to Halifax, N.S. and Moncton, N.B. instead due to COVID. This is the first time Gothenburg will host the U20 competition, and seventh time the tournament is being held in Sweden.
2024 World Juniors groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| Canada | Czechia |
| Finland | USA |
| Sweden | Switzerland |
| Germany | Slovakia |
| Latvia | Norway |
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.
2024 World Juniors schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 26
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Slovakia vs. Czechia | 6 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Finland vs. Canada | 8:30 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| USA vs. Norway | 11 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Sweden vs. Latvia | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
Wednesday, Dec. 27
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Slovakia vs. Switzerland | 6 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Finland vs. Germany | 8:30 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Norway vs. Czechia | 11 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Latvia vs. Canada | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
Thursday, Dec. 28
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland vs. USA | 11 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Germany vs. Sweden | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
Friday, Dec. 29
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Norway vs. Slovakia | 6 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Latvia vs. Finland | 8:30 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Czechia vs. USA | 11 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Canada vs. Sweden | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
Saturday, Dec. 30
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland vs. Norway | 11 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Germany vs. Latvia | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
Sunday, Dec. 31
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| USA vs. Slovakia | 6 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Sweden vs. Finland | 8:30 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Czechia vs. Switzerland | 11 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Canada vs. Germany | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
Tuesday, Jan. 2
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | 6 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Quarterfinal | 8:30 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Quarterfinal | 11 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Quarterfinal | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
Thursday, Jan. 4
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Relegation Game | 5 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Semifinal | 9 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Semifinal | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
Friday, Jan. 5
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze Medal Game | 9 a.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
| Gold Medal Game | 1:30 p.m. | TSN/NHL Network |
