All-Time IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Medalists

Since 1974, and officially since 1977, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has organized an annual hockey tournament of the world’s best under-20 hockey players. The tournament typically kicks off around Christmas, more recently Boxing Day (December 26th) and goes until the first week of Janaury.

In Canada, the World Juniors (WJH, WJHC) can be equated to March Madness NCAA basketball. It’s a huge deal in Canada. It has also become a huge deal in Scandanavia, western Europe and the United States.

In my household, the World Juniors has been a tradition since I can remember. Many a year I have set my alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to watch Team Canada face their opponent. I still wake up early to watch the live action. The tournament started as an invite only tournament in 1974, however the first three years were not sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation. In each of those three years the Soviet Union captured Gold with Canada getting silver in 1975 and 1976 and taking home the bronze in 1974. Finland won silver in 1974 with Sweden winning the bronze in 1975 and Czechoslovakia winning bronze in 1976.

In 1977, the IIHF started organizing and sanctioning the World Junior Hockey Championship tournament.

List of World Junior Hockey Medalists

Here is a look at the all-time medalists for the World Juniors hockey tournament beginning in 1977.

YearGoldSilverBronze4th PlaceHost City/Country
1977Soviet UnionCanadaCzechoslovakiaFinlandCzechoslovakia
1978Soviet UnionSwedenCanadaCzechoslovakiaMontreal/Quebec City, Canada
1979Soviet UnionCzechoslovakiaSwedenFinlandKarlstad/Karlskoga, Sweden
1980Soviet UnionFinlandSwedenCzechoslovakiaHelsinki/Vantaa, Finland
1981SwedenFinlandSoviet UnionCzechoslovakiaWest Germany
1982CanadaCzechoslovakiaFinlandSoviet UnionUnited States/Canada
1983Soviet UnionCzechoslovakiaCanadaSwedenLenningrad, Soviet Union
1984Soviet UnionFinlandCzechoslovakiaCanadaNorrköping/Nyköping, Sweden
1985CanadaCzechoslovakiaSoviet UnionFinlandHelsinki/Turku, Finland
1986Soviet UnionCanadaUnited StatesCzechoslovakiaHamilton/Toronto/London, Canada
1987FinlandCzechoslovakiaSwedenUnited StatesPiešťany/Topoľčany/Trenčín/
Nitra, Czechoslovakia
1988CanadaSoviet UnionFinlandCzechoslovakiaMoscow, Soviet Union
1989Soviet UnionSwedenCzechoslovakiaCanadaAnchorage/Eagle River,
United States
1990CanadaSoviet UnionCzechoslovakiaFinlandHelsinki/Turku, Finland
1991CanadaSoviet UnionCzechoslovakiaUnited StatesSaskatoon, Canada
1992Russia (CIS)SwedenUnited StatesFinlandFüssen/Kaufbeuren, Germany
1993CanadaSwedenCzech Republic/ SlovakiaUnited StatesGävle/Uppsala/Falun,
Sweden
1994CanadaSwedenRussiaFinlandCzech Republic
1995CanadaRussiaSwedenFinlandRed Deer/Edmonton/Calgary, Canada
1996CanadaSwedenRussiaCzech RepublicBoston/ Amherst/Marlborough, United States
1997CanadaUnited StatesRussiaCzech RepublicGeneva/Morges, Switzerland
1998FinlandRussiaSwitzerlandCzech RepublicHelsinki/Hämeenlinna, Finland
1999RussiaCanadaSlovakiaSwedenWinnipeg/Brandon/Selkirk,
Canada
2000Czech RepublicRussiaCanadaUnited StatesSkellefteå/Umeå, Sweden
2001Czech RepublicFinlandCanadaSwedenMoscow, Podolsk, Russia
2002RussiaCanadaFinlandSwitzerlandCzech Republic
2003RussiaCanadaFinlandUnited StatesHalifax/Sydney, Canada
2004United StatesCanadaFinlandCzech RepublicHelsinki/Hämeenlinna, Finland
2005CanadaRussiaUnited StatesUnited StatesUnited States
2006CanadaRussiaFinlandUnited StatesVancouver/Kelowna/Kamloops, Canada
2007CanadaRussiaUnited StatesSwedenSweden
2008CanadaSwedenRussiaUnited StatesCzech Republic
2009CanadaSwedenRussiaSlovakiaOttawa, Canada
2010United StatesCanadaSwedenSwitzerlandSaskatoon/Regina, Canada
2011RussiaCanadaUnited StatesSwedenGrand Forks/Thief River Falls, United States
2012SwedenRussiaCanadaFinlandCalgary/Edmonton, Canada
2013United StatesSwedenRussiaCanadaUfa, Russia
2014FinlandSwedenRussiaCanadaMalmö, Sweden
2015CanadaRussiaSlovakiaSwedenToronto/Montreal, Canada
2016FinlandRussiaUnited StatesSwedenHelsinki, Finland
2017United StatesCanadaRussiaSwedenMontreal/Toronto, Canada
2018CanadaSwedenUnited StatesCzech RepublicBuffalo, United States
2019FinlandUnited StatesSwedenSwitzerlandVancouver/Victoria Canada
2020CanadaRussiaSwedenFinlandOstrava/Třinec, Czech Republic
2021United StatesCanadaFinlandRussiaEdmonton, Canada
2022CanadaFinlandSwedenCzechiaEdmonton, Canada
2023CanadaCzechiaUnited StatesSwedenHalifax/Moncton Canada
2024Gothenburg, Sweden

This year the World Juniors Championship is being held in Gothenburg, Sweden. The host nation squad looks in good shape to capture their first championship since 2012.

Additional Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_IIHF_World_Junior_Championship_medalists