The IIHF World Junior Championship is an annual ice hockey tournament that is organized from late December to January. The tournament was first held in 1977 as an officially sponsored tournament by IIHF. Before being sponsored by the International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ), unofficial versions of the tournament took place from 1974-1976. It has since become one of the most prestigious events in international hockey, featuring under-20 teams from the top ice hockey nations around the world. As of 2024, Canada holds the most gold medals, with 20 titles as of 2024.
IIHF World Junior Championship Host Country list
The 2025 IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championship will be the 49th edition of the tournament, taking place from December 26, 2024, to January 5, 2025. The tournament will be hosted in Ottawa, Canada. Canada has hosted the most WJC, marking the 19th time in 2025. It will be the fourth time in six years that the tournament returns to Canada, with games played at the Canadian Tire Centre and TD Place Arena. Games will be held at two venues: the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators, which has a seating capacity of 18,655, and TD Place Arena, home of the Ottawa 67's, which holds 8,585 spectators.
Below is the list of all the countries that have hosted the IIHF World Junior Championship, as of 2024,
| Year | Host Country | Gold Medal | Silver Medal | Bronze Medal |
| 2025 | Canada | - | - | - |
| 2024 | Sweden | United States | Sweden | Czechia |
| 2023 | Canada | Canada | Czechia | United States |
| 2022 | Canada | Canada | Finland | Sweden |
| 2021 | Canada | United States | Canada | Finland |
| 2020 | Czech Republic | Canada | Russia | Sweden |
| 2019 | Canada | Finland | United States | Russia |
| 2018 | United States | Canada | Sweden | United States |
| 2017 | Canada | United States | Canada | Russia |
| 2016 | Finland | Finland | Russia | United States |
| 2015 | Canada | Canada | Russia | Slovakia |
| 2014 | Sweden | Finland | Sweden | Russia |
| 2013 | Russia | United States | Sweden | Russia |
| 2012 | Canada | Sweden | Russia | Canada |
| 2011 | United States | Russia | Canada | United States |
| 2010 | Canada | United States | Canada | Sweden |
| 2009 | Canada | Canada | Sweden | Russia |
| 2008 | Czech Republic | Canada | Sweden | Russia |
| 2007 | Sweden | Canada | Russia | United States |
| 2006 | Canada | Canada | Russia | Finland |
| 2005 | United States | Canada | Russia | Czech Republic |
| 2004 | Finland | United States | Canada | Finland |
| 2003 | Canada | Russia | Canada | Finland |
| 2002 | Czech Republic | Russia | Canada | Finland |
| 2001 | Russia | Czech Republic | Finland | Canada |
| 2000 | Sweden | Czech Republic | Russia | Canada |
| 1999 | Canada | Russia | Canada | Slovakia |
| 1998 | Finland | Finland | Russia | Switzerland |
| 1997 | Switzerland | Canada | United States | Russia |
| 1996 | United States | Canada | Sweden | Russia |
| 1995 | Canada | Canada | Russia | Sweden |
| 1994 | Czech Republic | Canada | Sweden | Russia |
| 1993 | Sweden | Canada | Sweden | Czechoslovakia |
| 1992 | Germany | CIS | Sweden | United States |
| 1991 | Canada | Canada | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia |
| 1990 | Finland | Canada | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia |
| 1989 | United States | Soviet Union | Sweden | Czechoslovakia |
| 1988 | Soviet Union | Canada | Soviet Union | Finland |
| 1987 | Czechoslovakia | Finland | Czechoslovakia | Sweden |
| 1986 | Canada | Soviet Union | Canada | United States |
| 1985 | Finland | Canada | Czechoslovakia | Soviet Union |
| 1984 | Sweden | Soviet Union | Finland | Czechoslovakia |
| 1983 | Soviet Union | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | Canada |
| 1982 | United States | Canada | Czechoslovakia | Finland |
| 1981 | Germany | Sweden | Finland | Soviet Union |
| 1980 | Finland | Soviet Union | Finland | Sweden |
| 1979 | Sweden | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | Sweden |
| 1978 | Canada | Soviet Union | Sweden | Canada |
| 1977 | Czechoslovakia | Soviet Union | Canada | Czechoslovakia |
| 1976* | Finland | Soviet Union | Canada | Czechoslovakia |
| 1975* | United States/Canada | Soviet Union | Canada | Sweden |
| 1974* | Soviet Union | Soviet Union | Finland | Canada |
Related : List of IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championship Winner Year by Year
FAQs on IIHF World Junior Championship
A. As of 2024, Canada has won the IIHF WJC title 20 times.
A. The 2026 IIHF World Championship will be held in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, USA.
A. The World Junior Hockey 2024 was held in Gothenburg, Sweden.
A. The 2027 IIHF World Juniors will be held in Calgary and Edmonton, Canada.
