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hosting duties unconfirmed

World Juniors returning to Alberta this August

Feb 17, 2022 | 1:24 PM

The 2022 IIHF World Junior Championships will be played — hopefully in their entirety — this summer in Alberta.

International Ice Hockey Federation President, Luc Tardif, confirmed the news in a press conference Thursday morning in Beijing, where the Olympics are being held.

The tournament had begun in December in Red Deer and Edmonton, but was cancelled before the medal round due to COVID infections spreading amongst the teams.

“It will be in the middle of August in Alberta. It will be a new competition, which means we forget the results (in December),” Tardif said.

He also noted it will be for the same age category, meaning players born in 2002 or younger.

One thing not clear is which Alberta communities will get to host, with Tardif only saying that it will be held “in Alberta.”

“We are talking with all participants and are negotiating on details. It will be after the Hlinka Gretzky Cup,” he said. “It will be a hockey festival and the teams are excited to do it.”

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is also to be hosted by Edmonton and Red Deer.

As opposed to the format from December, the August re-do may involve relegation for the last place team. That team would potentially be replaced by Belarus for the 2023 World Juniors being held in Russia.

Tardif noted more details are to come soon, with a potential announcement on March 15.

rdnewsNOW has reached out to both the IIHF and Hockey Canada for clarification on host duties for the 2022 World Juniors.

Meantime, Tardif also shared that the 2022 U18 Women’s World Championship, which was to be played in January in Linkoping and Mjolby, Sweden, but was also cancelled before it ever began, will be played this June “in the north of the USA.” Host cities have not yet been selected.

Tardif’s comments can be heard below, starting at the 36:35 mark: