Norway advances to top division of 2027 World Junior Championship

Norway has made it back to the top division of the World Junior Championship in 2027 after winning gold at the Division IA tournament in Slovenia this week.

The team will return to the top event for the first time since being relegated in 2024 in Sweden . It will mark the team’s fourth appearance since 2011, with Norway having never managed to stay in the top event in consecutive years.

Norway opened the tournament with a convincing 8-2 victory over France on Dec. 7. They needed extra time to beat Ukraine 3-2 the following day, but that game proved crucial to Norway’s gold-medal hopes. That was amplified on Dec. 10, when they beat Austria – their toughest competition – 7-3 on Dec. 10. A 10-2 victory over Kazakhstan meant they just needed a single point against Slovenia to seal the deal and move on to the top tournament.

Norway’s promotion on Saturday was already guaranteed thanks to Austria’s 5-4 loss to Kazakhstan. That didn’t stop Norway from scoring five goals in the first period in a lopsided affair over the hosts.

Norway’s top forward was Niklas Aaram-Olsen, who had six goals and points in his first four games. Other key contributors include Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Tinus Luc Koblar, New York Rangers draft pick Mikkel Eriksen and Utah Mammoth selection Ludvig Lafton.

Norway will be able to bring back nine players in 2027, including Eriksen and Koblar. The same goes for Aaram-Olsen, a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The team can also bring back 2009-born goaltender Maximilliam Vatn Aas, who is one of the better Norwegian goaltenders in recent history.

Norway will replace the team that gets relegated following the 2026 World Junior Championship in Minnesota in early January. Denmark was promoted to the top event this year, but look like the favorites to be sent back down.