The pre-tournament schedule for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship has been announced, with six Alberta communities set to host a total of 12 games from December 17 to 23.
The tournament will kick off in Cold Lake and conclude in Blackfalds, making stops in Red Deer, Camrose, Lloydminster, and Edmonton along the way. Canada’s National Junior Team will play two games in Red Deer before heading to Edmonton for their final pre-tournament match. Red Deer will host an additional two games, while Camrose will welcome two matchups and Blackfalds will host three games.
Canada’s exhibition schedule begins at the Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer, where they will face Finland on December 18 and Sweden on December 20. They will wrap up their pre-tournament action against Sweden at Rogers Place in Edmonton on December 22. The team’s pre-tournament opener is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ABT, and both games against Sweden will take place at 5 p.m. ABT.
In addition to the games, seven Alberta communities will host competing teams from around the world for pre-tournament camps leading up to the World Juniors. The locations and teams are as follows: Blackfalds (Czechia, Norway), Camrose (Finland, Slovakia), Calgary (Canada), Cold Lake (Germany, Switzerland), Edmonton (Sweden), Lloydminster (Latvia), and Red Deer (United States).
“As excitement builds for the IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, we are thrilled to announce the Road to the World Juniors schedule,” said Dean McIntosh, Senior Vice-President of Revenue, Fan Experience, and Community Impact with Hockey Canada.
“We know fans and volunteers in each community take pride in welcoming the world, and we are eager to provide all 10 teams with a world-class experience as they prepare to compete for a gold medal in December and January.”
The full tournament will run from December 26 to January 5. The preliminary round will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer, with Canada starting their tournament against Switzerland on December 26.
