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The International Ice Hockey Federation has finally broken its silence on the 2021 World Junior Championship.
The annual tournament, which begins on Boxing Day every year and is a staple for Canadians and other hockey fans over the holidays, was supposed to be held in Edmonton and Red Deer this year.
However, due to COVID-19, there were a lot of question marks behind this year’s World Juniors, a lot of which have been answered today.
The 2021 #WorldJuniors will be played in a bubble without spectators in Edmonton🇨🇦, in 2022 with fans in Edmonton & Red Deer. The World Juniors in Gothenburg🇸🇪 will be moved to 2024. https://t.co/LIK2g8RYiG
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) September 17, 2020
📷 Codie McLachlan/CP/AP/Keystone pic.twitter.com/s3MO4Mc7n0
The IIHF has announced that the tournament will take place at a single venue, Rogers Place in Edmonton, in a bubble manner, very similar to how the NHL playoffs have been taking place.
“This is a tough decision to have to take, but ultimately we did not have a choice. The health and safety of players, officials, and fans is our top priority,” said René Fasel, IIHF president.
“We were impressed with the presentation from the local organizing committee outlining how a potential “bubble” scenario would operate within Edmonton, and we are confident that we can follow the NHL’s great example in creating a safe environment for teams to compete.”
Extensive COVID-19 testing will be underway throughout the tournament, both before teams arrive and once they’re inside the bubble.
The World Junior travel plan will see 3 charters deliver countries from Europe into Edmonton beginning the 2nd week of December. Intensive testing before those flights will be mandatory followed by strict protocol and daily testing upon arrival in the Hub.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) September 17, 2020
These changes will also necessitate a review of the tournament schedule, which will be announced at a later date.
Today, the IIHF also announced that the 2022 World Junior Championship would now be held in Edmonton and Red Deer as it was meant to this year.
As a result, the original host of the 2022 tournament, Gothenburg, Sweden, will now host in 2024.
“I sincerely thank the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and the City of Gothenburg for their understanding and cooperation which enabled us to come to this agreement,” said Fasel.
“This solution will allow for the IIHF together with Hockey Canada to reduce the overall costs associated with putting on the 2021 tournament in a bubble environment.”
As always, ten teams from North America and Europe will battle it out during this year’s tournament, which is still scheduled to begin on Boxing Day.
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