The best junior hockey players in the world will be coming to a city near you in a few years to compete against each other.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that Ottawa will be the host city for 2025’s World Junior Hockey Championship.
The annual tournament sees the ten top-ranked countries send their best under-20 players to compete, with the winning team ultimately being named world champion.
IIHF President Luc Tardif says he’s thrilled to see the tournament return to the city.
“Ottawa is undoubtedly a city that rallies behind hockey, as we can remember from the exceptional atmosphere during the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship,” Tardif says. “The World Juniors has a unique place in the calendar as it takes place during the holiday season and is an eagerly awaited event.”
The tournament officially starts on Boxing Day in 2024, but IIHF staff members say some exhibition games will be played in Ottawa and other nearby communities before it begins.
We’ve reached out to the IIHF to learn if any games will be played in the Leeds-Grenville region.