Every December, hockey fans look forward to the holiday tradition known as the World Junior Hockey Championships, and after the crazy year that we’ve all been through, especially so this time around.
SiriusXM NHL Network Radio Channel 91 grants you front row tickets to the action beginning on Christmas Day, as the best young players in the world gather in Edmonton, Alberta to decide Junior Hockey supremacy.
Yes, COVID-19 has had its unfortunate effects on this year’s festivities, as a number of players will not be able to make the journey from Europe due to strict quarantining regulations. Thankfully, the talent bucket is full across the hockey world, and the games promise to be as competitive and entertaining as we’ve come to expect.
Canada is not only the host country but also the defending champion, after edging Russia 4-3 in the Gold Medal game last January in the Czech Republic. On his way to being the first overall pick of the New York Rangers in the NHL Entry Draft, Canadian forward Alexis Lafreniere was named tournament MVP.
Both of those countries remain favourites in 2021 and add the Americans and the Swedes to that group. Sweden took home the bronze last year, and are looking to grab the gold after years of finishing undefeated in the round-robin portion of the tournament, only to fall short in the medal round. The last time the tournament was in Edmonton was in 2012, and Sweden finished on top.
Over the years, Canada leads the way with 18 gold medals. The Russians are next with 13, followed by 5 for Finland. Rounding out the Top 5 is the United States with 4 gold medals, followed by a tie between Sweden, and the Czech Republic, who have each won this tournament twice.
Keep in mind there hasn’t been a repeat champion since Canada reeled off five-in-a-row between 2005 and 2009.
Over the forty-four times the World Junior Championships have been held, some of the biggest names in hockey have represented their respective countries. The alumni list of current NHL’ers includes Carter Hart, Auston Matthews, Artemi Panarin, John Tavares, Shea Theodore, Roman Josi, Mitch Marner, Carey Price, Evgeni Malkin, Mark Stone, Jonathan Toews, John Gibson, Sidney Crosby, Henrik Lundqvist, Phil Kessel, and Connor McDavid.
These legendary hockey names also played in this tournament; Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Markus Naslund, Eric Lindros, Mike Modano, Peter Forsberg, Pavel Bure, Doug Weight, Theo Fleury, and Jeremy Roenick, just to name a few. Notable goaltenders who have strapped on the pads this time of year include Roberto Luongo, John Vanbiesbrouck, Mike Vernon, Sean Burke, Mike Richter, Jon Casey, Tomas Vokoun, Dominik Hasek, and Pelle Lindbergh.
Who will add their name to this impressive list? Which country takes home the coveted gold medal? The answers to those questions are contained in the games, and SiriusXM NHL Network Radio will be there, beginning December 25th.
All Canadian, and American, games can be heard on Channel 91, beginning with the December 21st exhibition match between Canada, and Sweden.
To set you up for the tournament, Shayne Malloy and Russ Cohen host the World Junior Preview Show at 6 pm Eastern on Tuesday, December 22nd.
5 pm ET
Canada vs. Sweden
5 pm ET
Canada vs. Russia
9:30 pm ET
USA vs. Russia
5 pm ET
Canada vs. Germany
9:30 pm ET
USA vs. Austria
5 pm ET
Canada vs. Slovakia
2 pm ET
USA vs. Czech Republic
5 pm ET
Canada vs. Switzerland
5 pm ET
Canada vs. Finland
9:30 pm ET
USA vs. Sweden
12 pm ET
Quarter-Final #1
3:30 pm ET
Quarter-Final #2
6 pm ET
Quarter-Final #3
10:30 pm ET
Quarter-Final #4
5 pm ET
Semi-Final #1
9 pm ET
Semi-Final #2
TBD
Bronze Medal Game
9:30 pm ET
Gold Medal Game
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