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Halifax, Moncton To Host 2023 World Juniors

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After the 2023 IIHF World Junior tournament was stripped from Russia last month, a new host nation and city needed to be found quickly. The destination has been decided, as Hockey Canada officially announced today that Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick will hold the event next winter.

The tournament, which opens on December 26 every year, is one of the premier events for junior-aged prospects and draft-eligible players to showcase their skills to the world, helping impress NHL front offices and gain hockey fans from various markets. It was last held in Halifax in 2003, and hasn’t been in Atlantic Canada since.

Scott Smith, president of Hockey Canada, released the following statement:

Hosting the World Juniors twice in less than six months is a unique opportunity for our organization and Canadian hockey fans, and with the IIHF’s need to find a host, we were in the position to entertain bids from passionate hockey communities across the country. We appreciate the hard work and efforts put forth by the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and we strongly believe in the plans they have in place to host a successful event in Halifax and Moncton. We know the work of the host committees and volunteers will leave a lasting impression on each community, the competing teams and the fans who will travel to experience this best-on-best competition.

The 2022 event will be held in Edmonton this summer after the previous tournament was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak. That event will still allow players born in 2002 to participate, even if they have already turned 20 in the months that have passed since the original tournament was set to take place.

Many fans will remember the last time the event was in Halifax, though many Canadians will grimace with the thought. The Canadian squad lost in the finals to an Alex Ovechkin-led Russia despite the best efforts of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who was named tournament MVP.

Twenty years later, the tournament returns to the east coast, and Canada is likely to be led by their own young goal-scoring phenom in Connor Bedard. The 16-year-old is already a lock to make the 2022 squad (again) and could very well be stitching a letter onto his sweater by the time the 2023 tournament rolls around.

PHF Announces Reagan Carey As Next Commissioner

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The PHF will have a new commissioner moving forward, as Reagan Carey has been introduced as the replacement for the outgoing Tyler Tumminia. Carey will take over the position full-time on May 10. Tobin Kelly, who chaired the search committee, released the following statement:

The search committee had the opportunity to speak with many exceptional candidates who were considered for the role of PHF Commissioner over the course of this process. What stands out about Reagan Carey is not only her incredible depth of experience in the world of women’s hockey but the collaborative approach she brings to the position. In all of our many conversations, Reagan’s commitment to communication and her values that advocate for what is right and put players first, make her the perfect leader for the next phase of growth in the PHF. We are all excited about welcoming Reagan as she takes the lead in moving the PHF forward.

Carey, 43, has a long career in professional and amateur sports, including nearly a decade with USA Hockey as the general manager of the women’s program. She won gold medals at the U18 World Juniors, World Championship, and the Olympics, and has already worked with many of the athletes, coaches and staff members around the league.

The PHF has already introduced a huge increase in salary cap and benefits for next season, which will essentially begin on May 1 when unrestricted free agency opens for 2022-23.

Scott Smith To Become Hockey Canada CEO

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Tom Renney has officially announced his upcoming retirement from Hockey Canada, stepping down from his position as CEO on July 1. Renney, who has been in the position for the past eight years, released a lengthy statement that read, in part:

This is a decision I have been preparing for over the past year and while it is never easy, I know the time is right and I am grateful for the past eight years. I am appreciative of the opportunity that was afforded to me by past board chair, Jim Hornell, to lead this organization as its president and CEO. To our Hockey Canada directors past and present, chair Michael Brind’Amour, the volunteers and our incredible staff, I thank you for your dedication, commitment and support of our great game. I thank the people I have met through this game who have all made a positive and lasting impact in my life.

Renney, 67, will be replaced by Scott Smith, who had already taken over as president of the organization in 2017 when Renney stepped down from that role. Though he had been CEO for eight years, it was much longer than that as part of Hockey Canada for Renney, who was the head coach of the 1994 Olympic team which won a silver medal. Head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers for various periods, he also helped lead Canada to multiple World Championship, World Junior, and Spengler Cup medals.

Smith, meanwhile, will add CEO to his title of president and become the leader of the entire organization. He has been with Hockey Canada since 1995 and was named COO in 2007. Michael Brind’Amour, chair of the board of directors, released the following statement:

There is no question Scott is ready to embrace this change, with his expertise and experience working alongside Tom ensuring a smooth transition into his role as CEO. For the past two decades, his understanding of the game and its importance will be invaluable as we work to best to serve our Members from the grassroots to the national level.

Hockey Canada recently announced the dates and venues for two international tournaments. The 2022 World Juniors will be held in Edmonton, while the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky will be held in Red Deer.

Alberta To Host World Juniors, Hlinka-Gretzky

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The 2022 IIHF World Junior tournament was postponed after just a few games because of a COVID-19 outbreak, but that doesn’t mean it was canceled altogether. The event will happen this summer, and Hockey Canada today announced that it will officially be held in Edmonton, Alberta from August 9-20. It won’t be the only hockey tournament in the province though, as the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup will take place in Red Deer between July 31-August 6.

Scott Smith, president of Hockey Canada, released the following statement:

While we were disappointed to have not been able to complete the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship as intended in December, our focus quickly shifted to hosting the event again when it was safe to do so. Now, fans will be able to cheer on Team Canada at the World Juniors in Edmonton and at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer.

The World Juniors will have an interesting twist this summer. Players born in 2002 that were originally eligible for the tournament in December will still be able to participate, even if they have aged out in the months since. That means a player like Cole Perfetti, born on January 1, 2002, would still actually be able to take part if he and the Winnipeg Jets decide to do so. Perfetti of course is dealing with an upper-body injury and is by no means a sure thing for the tournament, but his eligibility could mean the event has an incredibly deep and talented pool of players to select from.

It also could swing the other way though, with many younger players having more prominent roles. Given its placement in August, names like Owen Power or Matty Beniers may decide not to attend, instead focusing on their upcoming rookie seasons in the NHL. Both players were set to log huge minutes at the event in December, but after making their NHL debuts and even suiting up at the Olympics, it does seem a bit of a risk to go back to compete at a junior tournament so close to training camp.

The Hlinka-Gretzky, meanwhile, will return as a premier U18 scouting event that could have plenty of talent as well. Both Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli were among the players named to Canada’s U18 World Championship team and could be headed for the Red Deer tournament as well later this summer, after Hockey Canada decided not to attend in 2021. Matvei Michkov, who led the Russian team to gold at last year’s event with 13 points in eight games, could also return, given he won’t turn 18 until December 2022.

Latest On 2023 World Junior Championships

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Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reported tonight that Canada had agreed to host the 2023 World Junior Championship, with five potential bids for hosting in consideration. Marek lists pairings of Saskatoon and Regina, London and Kitchener, Ottawa (split between the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s and the NHL’s Ottawa Senators), Quebec City and Trois Rivieres, and Halifax and Moncton.

Marek adds that while there are several competitive bids for the rights to host, he says that Canada is not necessarily concerned with the top bid financially, but is more interested in a “full fan experience” after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted this year’s tournament. He adds that packed arenas and an ability to cultivate good television would be among the list of priorities.

The leading candidate, Marek mentions, would be Halifax and Moncton. Though Canada has hosted the tournament numerous times in recent history, it has not been held this far east since Halifax and Sydney hosted in 2003. As mentioned, with the COVID-19 pandemic taking away some of the experience that the World Juniors brings both to those attending in person and watching at home, seeing Canada prioritize the overall experience for all is surely exciting for fans, especially considering the 2022 tournament is to be held in Edmonton an Red Deer, just four months ahead of the 2023 tournament.

Canada Notes: World Juniors, Coronato, Knies, Senators

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After the 2022 Men’s U20 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship (WJC) was cancelled amid an outbreak of COVID-19 in late December, the IIHF announced that it would hold the tournament in August, 2022 in Alberta, Canada. While this was certainly great news for Hockey Canada and the country itself, Hockey Canada may stay busy. In the wake of the IIHF pulling the 2023 WJC out of Russia, the organization has asked Hockey Canada if it would be able to host the 2023 tournament, reports Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek on Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada.

Currently, the IIHF is awaiting a response from Hockey Canada, but Marek adds that the belief is the tournament could be hosted in Ontario or to the east, perhaps somewhere in the Maritimes. Ontario has seen a World Juniors as recently as 2017, when the tournament was split between Toronto and Montreal (and consequently, Ontario and Quebec), but the tournament has not been held to the east since 2003, when it was held in Nova Scotia, split between Halifax and Sydney.

  • With Harvard University’s season coming to an end after a 4-3 loss to Minnesota State on Thursday, attention turned to Harvard forward and Calgary Flames prospect Matthew Coronato, to see if he may turn professional and sign with Calgary. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Flames are going to talk to the forward, but the belief is that he will ultimately return to Harvard for another season. Friedman mentions the concern Flames fans may have with talented Harvard prospects after their experience with Adam Fox, but cautions that Coronato shouldn’t be an issue for Calgary. Coronato, the 13th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, had 18 goals and 18 assists in 34 games this season for Harvard.
  • Friedman also touched on another big-time NCAA prospect while speaking on Hockey Night in Canada: Matthew Knies. Knies has been the focus of recent discussion after being named in alleged trade discussions between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks. When asked about Knies, Friedman made it abundantly clear that there was an important distinction in these discussions, which is that Toronto was not shopping Knies, but instead that he was simply a demand of the Blackhawks in those discussions. After the discussions involving Knies and then-Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury were made public, attention was brought on the top prospect, drawing the ire of Toronto GM Kyle Dubas.
  • The Ottawa Senators will not face any subsequent fines or discipline for any role they may have played with the issues surrounding Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade clause, reports Friedman, appearing to finally close the book on the non-trade. There had been speculation that the Ottawa Senators could be fined for the role they played in the matter, dating back to their trade of Dadonov to Vegas this offseason.

2022 World Junior Championship Canceled

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Dec 30: Following the cancelation, the IIHF has announced that additional cases were confirmed in players across five teams–Canada, Russia, Germany, Sweden, and Slovakia–along with another on-ice official. The federation has also announced that all team members and officials that tested positive will remain in a mandatory minimum ten-day quarantine before returning to their respective countries and club teams.

Dec 29: After three teams were forced to forfeit matches this week following positive COVID-19 cases, the IIHF has canceled the remainder of the World Junior Championship, according to several reports including Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff, Bob McKenzie of TSN, and Emily Kaplan of ESPN. The U.S., Russia, and Czechia all forfeited matches, and before the tournament even began, Finland, Austria, and Switzerland also experienced positive test results.

The IIHF has confirmed the cancelation now, noting that the “sportive integrity of the event” was compromised after three forfeits. They also released this statement from IIHF president Luc Tardif:

Together with the teams, we came into this event with full confidence in the COVID-19 protocols put in place by the IIHF, the LOC, Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The ongoing spread of COVID-19 and the Omicron variant forced us to readjust our protocols almost immediately upon arrival to attempt to stay ahead of any potential spread. This included daily testing and the team quarantine requirement when positive cases were confirmed.”

We owed it to the participating teams to do our best to create the conditions necessary for this event to work. Unfortunately, this was not enough. We now have to take some time and focus on getting all players and team staff back home safely.

This cancelation follows the decision to cancel the six other international tournaments in January, but go ahead with the World Juniors as planned. The event was not in a tight bubble like last year, with reports surfacing today that players and staff had even interacted with wedding attendees in the hotel they were staying at.

It is not yet clear when players will depart for their respective clubs, or who exactly tested positive for each country. The official statements from the IIHF have not yet been released.

It’s hard to fathom how exactly the tournament was expected to be played at all if a few positive cases derailed it so quickly, but with the WJC being such a significant financial event for the IIHF, it’s easy to see why they would try. The 2023 event is currently scheduled to be held in Novosibirsk, Russia.

For a player like Owen Power of Canada, this was his one shot at playing in the tournament given he will turn 20 before next year’s event begins. Power was not allowed to leave Michigan for last year’s event because of the uncertain role he would play, and also missed out on the NCAA tournament when his program ended up pulling out because of COVID precautions. It’s been a disappointing stretch for the Buffalo Sabres prospect and other top players of his age group, but he’ll now return to Michigan along with players like Kent Johnson, Matty Beniers, Brendan Brisson, and Luke Hughes with the NHL just over the next ridge.

Others, like Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov, still have time to participate in future World Juniors but are missing a chance to put up special, record-breaking numbers at their young age. The top picks for 2023 were already impressing fans across the world with their skills and will now return to their club teams to wait for the next international stage. In Bedard’s last game–and the last one that will be played at the 2022 tournament–he scored four goals, becoming the first 16-year-old Canadian to record a hat trick at the tournament since Wayne Gretzky.

IIHF Will Attempt To Reschedule 2022 World Junior Championship

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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.

Team USA Forfeits World Junior Game; Enters Quarantine

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Dec 29: Another game has been forfeited, this time by Czechia. Finland will receive a 1-0 victory after a Czech player tested positive last night. The team will enter a quarantine like the U.S. and its status for tomorrow’s game against Austria is still to be determined.

For Team USA there might be some good news, as Bob McKenzie of TSN suggests that though the two players who tested positive have had that confirmed, the rest of the team is waiting for results this afternoon that could make them eligible to play against Sweden.

A few hours later, McKenzie reports that Russia has also forfeited a game due to a positive test. Slovakia will get the 1-0 win, and Russia’s upcoming games are now in question.

Dec 28: The IIHF has announced that Team USA has been forced into a mandatory quarantine period at the World Juniors after two players tested positive for COVID-19. Because they are unable to participate in the scheduled game against Switzerland today, the U.S. has forfeited the match. It will be recorded as a 1-0 Swiss victory. The team’s quarantine status will be evaluated later on to determine if they will be able to participate in the next preliminary round game, scheduled for tomorrow against Sweden. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that the positive test results could involve the team’s goaltending, though official word on player status has not been released.

Of note in a case like this, the IIHF decided not to include relegation for this year’s tournament because of the possibility of a series of forfeits, should a team experience a COVID outbreak. The U.S. is not in danger of falling out of the top division, though this obviously puts their chances at a medal in jeopardy. Switzerland and Russia will now be tied with Team USA in the Group B standings with one win and one loss. Should they also be forced to forfeit tomorrow’s game against the Swedes, it would be a difficult path to the quarter-finals.

The U.S. played Slovakia on December 26, who then played Sweden last night. Because of the condensed timeline of the event, it’s easy to see how an early outbreak could run rampant and end up putting the entire tournament in jeopardy.

John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the U.S. squad, released a statement:

We’re extremely disappointed, especially for our players. We’re operating in an ever-changing landscape and that’s very challenging. We’ve followed the tournament protocol from the outset and will continue to do everything we can to ensure our players have the opportunity to compete at the World Junior Championship. 

Poll: Who Will Win The 2022 World Junior Championship?

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In three days, the best junior-aged hockey players in the world will kick off one of the most exciting international tournaments around. Teams from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, and Switzerland will do battle at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Red Deer and Edmonton, Alberta.

Today all ten teams were supposed to play their lone pre-tournament tune-up games, but the match between Czechia and Switzerland was canceled due to COVID protocols. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that one player from that game (it is unclear from which team) has tested positive for coronavirus and will be immediately isolated. The other games are still scheduled to proceed.

The U.S. lost their pre-tournament match against Finland today after Red Savage was given a five-minute major and match penalty in the third period. Savage will likely have to serve a suspension when the tournament begins, though that has not yet been determined. They also lost Ty Smilanic to injury, as Corey Pronman of The Athletic relays he will likely to miss some games.

Both those teams would be considered contenders for the gold, as they’re littered with NHL prospects at every position.

For the Americans, it’s Jake Sanderson and Matty Beniers’ team. The former was the fifth-overall pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2020 and will log huge minutes in all situations for Team USA. Sanderson was named captain this week and has the skating ability to dominate a tournament like this. Beniers meanwhile was the second-overall pick in 2021 by the Seattle Kraken and is the kind of lynchpin center that you can build an entire forward group around. Both were part of the team that won gold at last year’s tournament.

The Finns meanwhile took home the bronze in last year’s event and several of those names are back for revenge. Topi Niemela, a Toronto Maple Leafs third-round pick was named the tournament’s best defenseman in 2021 and is back for more. Another Maple Leafs pick is captaining the group; Roni Hirvonen showed exactly why he’s the leader as he ended today’s match in overtime with a blistering wrist shot. But don’t forget about draft-eligible Brad Lambert, who could go as high as second overall in 2022 if he has a strong stretch run.

As always, Canada is a medal favorite once again after winning silver a year ago. The Canadians are so loaded this time around that Owen Power, the first-overall pick in 2021, isn’t even one of the captains. The “C” will be on Kaiden Guhle’s chest instead, as he returns to lead this group after last year’s defeat. With Power, this group could have three first-overall picks as Shane Wright (projected first for 2022) and Connor Bedard (2023) are both on the team.

Bedard isn’t the only contender for that spot though, and Russia also heads to Red Deer with their 2023-eligible superstar. Matvei Michkov has been breaking junior records set by Alex Ovechkin and Nikita Kucherov as he prepares for his spotlight moment in Alberta. The MVP at the U18 tournament last year, Michkov put up 12 goals and 16 points in just seven games. Russia has had trouble on defense internationally for the past few years, but New Jersey Devils prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin will try to change that. He’s already in his third year as a regular in the KHL, so taking advantage of some players his own age shouldn’t be an issue.

And then there’s Sweden, who have two forwards on the roster who played in the NHL this season (Canada has three). William Eklund and Alexander Holtz are both still looking for their first NHL goals, but they won’t have to wait long to score in this tournament considering their history. Holtz has already played in this event twice before but he’s looking for his first gold.

So which team will actually take home the top prize? The two groups can be found here. Things kick off on December 26 when Finland takes on Germany.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

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