Canada opens junior hockey world championships against Czechs in Halifax
The Canadian junior men’s hockey team will face the Czech Republic to open the defense of the world championship gold medal on Boxing Day in Halifax.
Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation released the schedule for the tournament on Tuesday, December 26 through January 5 in Moncton and Halifax.
Canada is in Group A in Halifax with Sweden, the Czech Republic, who defeated the Canadians in the 2022 semifinals, Germany and Austria.
Finland, the defending silver medalists, opens the tournament against Switzerland on Boxing Day. The Finns are in Group B in Moncton with the United States, Switzerland, Slovakia and Latvia.
The 20 matches in the preliminary round will be divided between the two host cities.
Canada won gold in Edmonton last month after the tournament was postponed last winter due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the event.
Canada and Sweden will face each other on New Year’s Eve for the first time since the 2016 tournament.
Canada will host its selection camp in Moncton in mid-December.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 6, 2022.
