2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

2025 IIHF World Junior Championship

Tournament details
Host country	Canada
City	Ottawa
Venue(s)	Canadian Tire Centre and TD Place
Dates	December 26, 2024 – January 5, 2025
Teams	10

The 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (2025 WJC) will be the 49th Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. It will begin on December 26, 2024, and will end with the gold medal game being played on January 5, 2025. The United States will enter the tournament as the defending champions after defeating Sweden 6–2 in 2024 final.

Background

The tournament will be returning to Ottawa after last being hosted there in 2009. This will mark the 19th time that Canada will host the WJC and fourth time in six years. The tournament games will be played at the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators, and TD Place, home of the Ottawa 67's and Ottawa Charge.

Venues

Ottawa		Ottawa
Canadian Tire Centre Capacity: 18,655	TD Place Arena Capacity: 8,585

Top Division

Seeding

Group A
(Canadian Tire Centre)

• United States (1)
• Finland (4)
• Canada (5)
• Latvia (8)
• Germany (9)

Group B
(TD Place Arena)

• Sweden (2)
• Czechia (3)
• Slovakia (6)
• Switzerland (7)
• Kazakhstan (11-Promoted)

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	United States	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Advance to quarterfinals
2	Finland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Canada (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Latvia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Germany	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Advance to relegation

First match(es) will be played: 26 December 2024. Source: IIHF
(H) Host

26 December 2024 14:30

United States

v

Germany

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

26 December 2024 19:30

Finland

v

Canada

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

---

27 December 2024 15:30

Germany

v

Finland

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

27 December 2024 19:30

Latvia

v

Canada

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

---

28 December 2024 15:30

Latvia

v

United States

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

---

29 December 2024 14:30

United States

v

Finland

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

29 December 2024 19:30

Canada

v

Germany

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

---

30 December 2024 15:30

Germany

v

Latvia

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

---

31 December 2024 14:30

Finland

v

Latvia

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

31 December 2024 19:30

Canada

v

United States

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Sweden	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Advance to quarterfinals
2	Czechia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Slovakia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Switzerland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Kazakhstan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Advance to relegation

First match(es) will be played: 26 December 2024. Source: IIHF

26 December 2024 12:00

Slovakia

v

Sweden

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

26 December 2024 17:00

Czechia

v

Switzerland

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

---

27 December 2024 13:00

Switzerland

v

Slovakia

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

27 December 2024 17:00

Sweden

v

Kazakhstan

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

---

28 December 2024 13:00

Kazakhstan

v

Czechia

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

---

29 December 2024 12:00

Switzerland

v

Sweden

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

29 December 2024 17:00

Czechia

v

Slovakia

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

---

30 December 2024 13:00

Slovakia

v

Kazakhstan

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

---

31 December 2024 12:00

Kazakhstan

v

Switzerland

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

31 December 2024 17:00

Sweden

v

Czechia

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

Relegation

2 January 2024 11:00

A5

v

B5

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

Playoff round

Winning teams will be reseeded for the semi-finals in accordance with the following ranking:

1. Higher position in their group
2. Higher number of points in preliminary pool play
3. Better goal differential
4. Higher number of goals scored
5. Better seeding coming into the tournament (final placement at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships).

Rank	Team	Group	Pos	Pts	GD	GF	Seed
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Bracket

	Quarterfinals				Semifinals				Final
	2 January –
	1A
					4 January – Canadian Tire Centre
	4B
	2 January –
	2B
									5 January – Canadian Tire Centre
	3A
	2 January –
	1B
					4 January – Canadian Tire Centre
	4A
	2 January –
									Third place
	2A
									5 January – Canadian Tire Centre
	3B

Quarterfinals

2 January 2025 12:00

v

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

2 January 2025 14:30

v

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

2 January 2025 17:00

v

TD Place Arena, Ottawa

2 January 2025 19:30

v

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

Semifinals

4 January 2025 15:30

v

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

4 January 2025 19:30

v

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

Bronze medal game

5 January 2025 15:30

v

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

Gold medal game

5 January 2025 19:30

v

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa

Division I

Main article: 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – Division I

Group A

The Division I A tournament will be played in Bled, Slovenia, from 9 to 15 December 2024.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Norway	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Promotion to the 2026 Top Division
2	France	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Denmark	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Austria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Hungary	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Slovenia (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Relegation to the 2026 Division I B

First match(es) will be played: 9 December 2024. Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best-ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host

Group B

The Division I B tournament will be played in Tallinn, Estonia, from 11 to 17 January 2025.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Japan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Promotion to the 2026 Division I A
2	Ukraine	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Italy	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Estonia (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Poland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	South Korea	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Relegation to the 2026 Division II A

First match(es) will be played: 11 January 2025. Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best-ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host

Division II

Main article: 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – Division II

Group A

The Division II A tournament will be played in Zagreb, Croatia, from 6 to 12 January 2025.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Croatia (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Promotion to the 2026 Division I B
2	Lithuania	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Great Britain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	China	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Netherlands	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Romania	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Relegation to the 2026 Division II B

First match(es) will be played: 6 January 2025. Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best-ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host

Group B

The Division II B tournament will be played in Belgrade, Serbia, from 19 to 25 January 2025.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Spain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Promotion to the 2026 Division II A
2	Serbia (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Iceland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Australia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Belgium	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Israel	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Relegation to the 2026 Division III A

First match(es) will be played: 19 January 2025. Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best-ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host

Division III

Main article: 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – Division III

Group A

The Division III A tournament will be played in Istanbul, Turkey, from 27 January to 2 February 2025.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
1	Chinese Taipei	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Promotion to the 2026 Division II B
2	New Zealand	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Bulgaria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Turkey (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Mexico	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Relegation to the 2026 Division III B

First match(es) will be played: 27 January 2025. Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best-ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host

Group B

The Division III B tournament will be played in Bangkok, Thailand, from 11 to 14 December 2024.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion
1	Kyrgyzstan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Promotion to the 2026 Division III A
2	Luxembourg	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	South Africa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Thailand (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

First match(es) will be played: 11 December 2024. Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best-ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host