2022 World Junior Championship, Hlinka Gretzky Cup return this summer in Alberta

It’s back. The 2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship will officially be held from Aug. 9-20 in Edmonton, Alberta according to Hockey Canada.

After abruptly ending the tournament back in December due to a COVID-19 outbreak, the IIHF was eager to get the event back on track. IIHF President Luc Tardif said in a statement at the Beijing Olympics that the tournament would resume this summer, though he had not outlined a location or date – but now we know, and hockey fans can begin to get excited.

In the refreshed tournament, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and USA will compete in Group A, while Canada, Czechia, Finland, Latvia and Slovakia form Group B.

This will be a unique look for the WJC. Playing it in the middle of summer after the NHL draft will surely be a different feeling for many of the players who were looking to use the tournament as a way to boost their draft stocks. Another thing to consider: the WJC will be held weeks before NHL training camps are set to open.

All results and statistics from the cancelled tournament back in December will not be carried over. This will give teams a fresh slate to restart the tournament, and they have the option to go back to the drawing board to pick new players.

Another exciting aspect of the WJC this year is that Rogers Place will be packed with fans again. The 2021 World Juniors were of course held in a bubble without spectators. Now with restrictions eased and fans once again filling the barn, this will surely be a well-attended tournament with a nostalgically loud atmosphere.

Also announced Tuesday by Hockey Canada: the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, hosted in partnership with the Red Deer Rebels, will run July 31 to Aug 6 in Red Deer, featuring best-on-best competition between the world’s top under-18 national teams.