IIHF confirms 2027 World Junior Championship schedule for Edmonton and Red Deer

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced the schedule for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship, to be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, with games taking place at Rogers Place and Marchant Crane Centrium. The tournament will run from Dec. 26, 2026 through Jan. 5, 2027. The first day will include Canada vs. Switzerland at Rogers Place and the United States vs. Germany at Marchant Crane Centrium, along with Sweden vs. Finland and Czechia vs. Norway.

Preliminary-round matchups are split into two groups. Group A consists of Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States, with those games staged at Marchant Crane Centrium. Group B includes Canada, Czechia, Latvia, Norway and Switzerland, with those preliminary-round games held at Rogers Place. The top four teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, which are scheduled for Jan. 2, 2027.

The knockout schedule will continue with semifinals on Jan. 4 at Rogers Place, followed by the third-place game and championship game on Jan. 5, also at Rogers Place. The IIHF schedule also includes a relegation game on Jan. 2, with locations set at Rogers Place.

The IIHF previously confirmed that Russia remains banned from international play due to its invasion of Ukraine. Among the teams named as likely contenders, the United States is expected to feature Wyatt Cullen and Chase Reid, while Canada’s roster could include players such as Gavin McKenna, as well as defenseman Landon DuPont, depending on eligibility and circumstances. The full game-by-game schedule spans Dec. 26 to Dec. 31, followed by Jan. 2 quarterfinals and Jan. 4-5 medal-round games.

Written by Vancouver Television Sports Desk