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AgriplaceCredit Union Centre

The Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, Canada was one of two arenas that hosted the 2010 tournament

The IIHF World Under-20 Championships (colloquially known as the World Junior Hockey Championship) is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world. It is traditionally held from late December to the beginning of January. The main tournament features the top ten ranked hockey nations in the world, comprising the "Top Division", from which a world champion is crowned. There are also three lower pools—divisions I, II and III—that each play separate tournaments playing for the right to be promoted to a higher pool, or face relegation to a lower pool.[1]

The first official tournament was held in held in 1977. Prior to that, there had been invitational tournaments in 1974, 1975 and 1976 that were not sanctioned by the IIHF.[2] One of the most infamous incidents in tournament history occurred in 1987 in Piestany, Czechoslovakia, where a massive bench-clearing brawl involving all players on both teams occurred between Canada and the Soviet Union. It began when Pavel Kostichkin took a two–handed slash at Theoren Fleury and the Soviet Union's Evgeny Davydov came off the bench, eventually leading to both benches clearing. The officials, unable to break up the fight, walked off the ice and eventually tried shutting off the arena lights, but the brawl lasted for 20 minutes before the game was declared null and void. An emergency IIHF meeting resulted in the delegates voting 7–1 to eject both teams from the tournament. While the Soviets were out of medal contention, Canada was playing for the gold medal, and were leading 4–2 at the time of the brawl. The gold medal ultimately went to Finland, hosts Czechoslovakia took the silver and Sweden, who had previously been eliminated from medal contention, was awarded the bronze.[3] The brawl helped raise the profile of the tournament in Canada where the tournament now ranks as one of the most important events on the hockey calendar.[4][5]

As of 2010, 34 official tournaments have been staged. Eight nations have won a gold medal and eleven have won medals. Historically, the tournament has been dominated by the Soviet Union/Russia and Canada, together accounting for 27 of the 34 gold medals awarded. Canada leads the all-time gold medal count with 15 and have won a total of 26 medals.

Champions

Unofficial tournaments

Year Gold medal icon Gold Silver medal icon Silver Bronze medal icon Bronze Host city (cities) Host country
1974 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Flag of Finland Finland Flag of Canada Canada Leningrad Flag of Soviet Union Soviet Union
1975 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Sweden Sweden Winnipeg Flag of Canada Canada
1976 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Tampere Flag of Finland Finland

Official tournaments

Key
  • (#) Number of tournaments won at the time.
Year Gold medal icon Gold Silver medal icon Silver Bronze medal icon Bronze Host city (cities) Host country
1977 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union (1) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Banská Bystrica and Zvolen Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia
1978 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union (2) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of Canada Canada Montreal Flag of Canada Canada
1979 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union (3) Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Flag of Sweden Sweden Karlstad Flag of Sweden Sweden
1980 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union (4) Flag of Finland Finland Flag of Sweden Sweden Helsinki Flag of Finland Finland
1981 Flag of Sweden Sweden (1) Flag of Finland Finland Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Füssen Flag of West Germany West Germany
1982 Flag of Canada Canada (1) Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Flag of Finland Finland Minnesota Flag of the United States United States
1983 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union (5) Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Flag of Canada Canada Leningrad Flag of Soviet Union Soviet Union
1984 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union (6) Flag of Finland Finland Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Norrköping and Nyköping Flag of Sweden Sweden
1985 Flag of Canada Canada (2) Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Helsinki and Turku Flag of Finland Finland
1986 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union (7) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of the United States United States of America Hamilton Flag of Canada Canada
1987 Flag of Finland Finland[α]
(1)
Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia[α] Flag of Sweden Sweden[α] Piešťany Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia
1988 Flag of Canada Canada (3) Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Flag of Finland Finland Moscow Flag of Soviet Union Soviet Union
1989 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union (8) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Anchorage Flag of the United States United States
1990 Flag of Canada Canada (4) Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Helsinki and Turku Flag of Finland Finland[β]
1991 Flag of Canada Canada (5) Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Saskatoon Flag of Canada Canada
1992 Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union [6](9) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of the United States United States of America Füssen and Kaufbeuren Flag of Germany Germany
1993 Flag of Canada Canada (6) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Gävle Flag of Sweden Sweden
1994 Flag of Canada Canada (7) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of Russia Russia Ostrava and Frýdek-Místek Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic
1995 Flag of Canada Canada (8) Flag of Russia Russia Flag of Sweden Sweden Red Deer Flag of Canada Canada
1996 Flag of Canada Canada (9) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of Russia Russia Boston Flag of the United States United States
1997 Flag of Canada Canada (10) Flag of the United States United States of America Flag of Russia Russia Geneva and Morges Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
1998 Flag of Finland Finland (2) Flag of Russia Russia Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Helsinki and Hämeenlinna Flag of Finland Finland
1999 Flag of Russia Russia (1) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Slovakia Slovakia Winnipeg Flag of Canada Canada
2000 Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic (1) Flag of Russia Russia Flag of Canada Canada Skellefteå and Umeå Flag of Sweden Sweden
2001 Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic (2) Flag of Finland Finland Flag of Canada Canada Moscow and Podolsk Flag of Russia Russia
2002 Flag of Russia Russia (2) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Finland Finland Pardubice and Hradec Králové Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic
2003 Flag of Russia Russia (3) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Finland Finland Halifax and Sydney Flag of Canada Canada
2004 Flag of the United States United States of America (1) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Finland Finland Helsinki and Hämeenlinna Flag of Finland Finland
2005 Flag of Canada Canada (11) Flag of Russia Russia Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic Grand Forks and Thief River Falls Flag of the United States United States
2006 Flag of Canada Canada (12) Flag of Russia Russia Flag of Finland Finland Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops Flag of Canada Canada
2007 Flag of Canada Canada (13) Flag of Russia Russia Flag of the United States United States of America Leksand and Mora Flag of Sweden Sweden
2008 Flag of Canada Canada (14) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of Russia Russia Pardubice and Liberec Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic
2009 Flag of Canada Canada (15) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of Russia Russia Ottawa Flag of Canada Canada
2010 Flag of the United States United States of America (2) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of Sweden Sweden Saskatoon and Regina Flag of Canada Canada
2011 Flag of Russia Russia (4) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of the United States United States of America Buffalo and Niagara, New York Flag of the United States United States
2012 Flag of Sweden Sweden (2) Flag of Russia Russia Flag of Canada Canada Calgary and Edmonton Flag of Canada Canada
2013 Flag of the United States United States of America (3) Flag of Sweden Sweden Flag of Russia Russia Ufa Flag of Russia Russia

Future tournaments

These tournaments have been announced, but have not been played yet.

Year Host city (cities) Host country
2014 Malmö Flag of Sweden Sweden
2015 Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec Flag of Canada Canada
2016 Finland Flag of Finland Finland
2017 Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec Flag of Canada Canada
2018 USA Flag of the United States United States
2019 Canada Flag of Canada Canada
2020 Czech Republic Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic
2021 Canada Flag of Canada Canada

Medal table

The unofficial tournaments held prior to 1977 are not included in this table.

Countries in italics no longer compete at the World Championships.

Country Gold medal icon Gold Silver medal icon Silver Bronze medal icon Bronze Medals
Flag of Canada Canada 15 7 4 26
Flag of Russia Russia
Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
 
3
9
12
6
3
9
5
2
7
14
14
28
Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic
Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia
 
2
0
2
0
5
5
1
6
7
3
11
14
Flag of Finland Finland 2 4 6 12
Flag of the United States United States of America 2 1 3 6
Flag of Sweden Sweden 1 8 5 14
Flag of Slovakia Slovakia 0 0 1 1
Flag of Switzerland Switzerland 0 0 1 1

See also

References

Footnotes
  • α During the final game of the tournament, Canada and the Soviet Union became engaged in a violent bench-clearing brawl while Canada was leading 4–2. Consequentially, the game was declared null and void, and both teams were ejected from the tournament; while the Soviets were out of medal contention, Canada was playing for the gold medal and were guaranteed at least a bronze.[7][8]
  • β Canada will host the tournament every 3 or 4 years. In 1990, Canada decided to switch years with Finland.
General
Specific
  1. "Tournament playing format", worldjuniors2008.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-26. 
  2. "International hockey timeline", International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved on 2008-06-12. 
  3. World Junior Hockey Championship–History; 1987–Piestany, Czechoslovakia. TSN. Retrieved on 2008-06-12.
  4. Joyce, Gare (2006), When the Lights Went Out, Random House, p. 254, ISBN 978038566275
  5. The Canadian Press. "Ottawa to Host 2009 World Junior Tourney", TSN, 2006-05-03. Retrieved on 2008-06-12. 
  6. "IIHF World U20 Championships" International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  7. Doug Harrison. Backgrounder–2008 World Junior Hockey Championship. CBC Sports. Retrieved on 2008-06-11.
  8. "Team Canada > National Junior Team > History", Hockey Canada. Retrieved on 2008-06-12. 

External links

This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at List of IIHF World Under-20 Championship medalists. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Ice Hockey Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA).


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