Hockey Canada officially announced the schedule for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship set to be co-hosted in December by Halifax and Moncton, NB.
The 2022 runners-up, Finland, will be the first team to hit the ice when they take on Switzerland in Group B action from Moncton at 11am ET/9am PT on Boxing Day.
Defending champions Canada see their first action later on Boxing Day at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT in Halifax against Czechia. “The 2023 World Juniors will be an unforgettable celebration of hockey across the Maritimes, and we cannot wait to drop the puck on Boxing Day,” Hockey Canada vice-president of events and properties Dean McIntosh said in a release. “From the opening-day matchups to the rivalry games on New Year’s Eve, this year’s schedule is extremely competitive and will showcase the best under-20 hockey players in the world in a return to the tournament’s traditional holiday format.” Canada and Czechia will be in Group A along with Germany, Sweden and Austria.
The United States, Slovakia and Latvia comprise Group B alongside the Finns and Swiss. Canada is set to host its selection camp, along with exhibition games against a U Sports all-star team, in mid-December in Moncton.