International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif told Russian outlet Championat on Wednesday that they’d like to reschedule the 2022 World Junior Championship, which was cancelled today due to a series of forfeited games at the tournament due to COVID cases among teams.
Tardif says that the summer of 2022 is the most likely outcome and that the tournament would likely stay in Canada. From a financial and television perspective, it would make sense to hold the tournament after the conclusion of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final in July.
Translated from Russian, Tardif had this to say on the tournament’s cancellation:
The integrity of the tournament was violated, for reasons of player safety, we decided it was necessary to hold the [WJC] for real… Hockey is excellent, but the [Omicron] situation is disappointing. We preferred to end the tournament now, we will develop a proposal for all federations with new dates.
One important note from the interview is that teams will be able to modify their rosters for the tournament, should it be rescheduled. It’s big news for players like Finland’s Aatu Raty, who weren’t taken to the tournament due to testing positive for COVID during the selection process.
Tardif says he doesn’t know if the tournament will be held in a bubble this time around. To be fair, it’s impossible to predict the nature of COVID six months from now, and it’s therefore impossible to make a call on that front.
Still, optimism remains for these junior players to get an honest crack at medalling at the World Juniors in 2022.
Some summer hockey would be cool.
I enjoyed the Flyers Isles covid-playoff series while on vacation. that was fun.
hot take – invalidate the forfeited games as well
Glad to hear there is Hope for completion of the Tournament
What of the players who turn 20 before the summer? Do they get a birthday exemption?
But for goodness sakes, move the tournament to a place with sane covid policies like they did with the U18 WJC this past year.
to a place? you know the forfeited games weren’t called by the Canadian Gov right?
You know the rules were what they were because of Canada, right? It’s the same reason the NHL policies are a joke compared to NFL and NBA. Because Canada.
sure.
Canada IS the place with the sane COVID policies. It’s the US where leaders care about people making a buck more than they care about people dying.
That would be true if the infection fatality rate of Omicron was anything like earlier versions of COVID. But it’s not even close. Restrictive protocols are now little more than pointless theater.
@Josiahdd, actually the Canadian gov’t had absolutely nothing to do with the world Jr’s. The rules were put in place by the Alberta gov’t. But you keep spreading your false narrative.
@Gbear, so the u18 tournament that had 0 fans in attendance, just scouts, was a better situation than allowing 50% capacity?
@wreckage – They also had no attendence at last years U20 WJC, so what’s your point?
Fact is, had this tournament been held in Dallas as well, it would still be going on.
@wreckage – The fact that a Canadian province set the rules doesn’t really help the argument against the tournament being held somewhere else.
No, Rueven, the U.S. (at least parts of it) care more about liberty than they do taking away liberties like you do in Canada. But enjoy your new curfews!