The World Juniors that everyone is familiar with consists of the 10 best U20 teams in the world, meeting around the holidays for the right to be crowned World Juniors champion.
However, that’s not the only World Junior Championship that occurs through the IIHF. There are Division I A and B and Division II A and B tournaments that also occur, with some of the smaller countries sending teams in the hopes of advancing year after year.
It’s not the same 10 teams year after year that compete at the top tournament of the World Juniors. While an exception was made between the 2022 and 2023 games, typically one team is relegated down a level and one is promoted to the top competition. This rewards those teams who have succeeded at the Division I A tournament and gives incentives for teams at the top level to not finish last.
The Division I A tournament concluded on Dec. 17, meaning that we already know one team that we will see at the 2024 World Juniors.
Who will be promoted to the 2024 World Juniors?
Every year, the IIHF has one country promoted to the World Juniors tournament and one country is relegated to Division I A, the second tier of the IIHF U20 championships. From 2022 to 2023, an exception was made considering the unique timing of the 2022 event, so there were no relegations/promotions for the 2023 games.
Norway finished as the top team at the World Juniors Division I A tournament, meaning they will be promoted to the top competition for 2024. The team won all five of their games at the Division I A tournament and will be one of the 10 teams at the 2023 competition.
Whoever finishes 10th at the 2023 World Juniors will be relegated to the Division I A tournament.
Where are the 2024 World Juniors?
Gothenburg, Sweden will be the next site for the World Juniors. It is the first time since 2014 that Sweden will host the tournament and the first time Gothenburg will act as a host city.
The country was initially scheduled to have the 2022 tournament, but due to COVID restrictions, they swapped spots with Canada, taking their place as the hosts for 2024.
What cities are hosting the World Juniors in the future?
The IIHF previously announced the host countries all the way until the 2032 tournament, however, the host cities are only known for the next two tournaments.
YEAR
CITY
COUNTRY
2024
Gothenburg
Sweden
2025
TBD
United States
2026
TBD
Canada
2027
TBD
Finland
2028
TBD
Czech Republic
2029
TBD
Canada
2030
TBD
United States
2031
TBD
Russia
2032
TBD
Canada
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
List of all the World Juniors winners
The last winner to be crowned the World Juniors champion was Canada, which took down Finland in overtime of the gold-medal game.
Mason McTavish swiped away a puck on the goal line early in overtime to prevent Finland from claiming the 2022 World Juniors. A minute later, Kent Johnson buried the game-winning goal.
Here is a list of every medalist for each year of the tournament.
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., United States
Canada
Sweden
United States
2017
Montreal/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., United States
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., United States
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., United States
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., United States
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
