The World Junior Hockey Championship will take place in Halifax and Moncton from Dec. 26, 2022 to Jan. 5, 2023, Hockey Canada announced Thursday.
Last month, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) took the decision to withdraw the 2023 edition of the tournament in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The IIHF then cited “concern for the safety and well-being of all players, officials, members of the media and participating amateurs” to justify its decision, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Remember that this year’s World Junior Hockey Championship will be held in Edmonton next summer.
The World Juniors which were to take place in Red Deer and Edmonton had been canceled in December following outbreaks of COVID-19 among several teams present at the tournament.
Edmonton’s Rogers Place will once again host the tournament from August 9-20, in partnership with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers.
“Hosting the World Juniors twice in less than six months is a unique opportunity for our organization and hockey fans across Canada, and since the IIHF was looking for a host, we were in a position to make a call for nominations from hockey-loving communities across the country,” Hockey Canada president and chief operating officer Scott Smith said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the 2023 World Juniors in Halifax and Moncton,” added IIHF President Luc Tardif.
The last time the tournament was held in the Maritimes was in 2003, in Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia.