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.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | 4th Place | Host City/Country |
| 1977 | Soviet Union | Canada | Czechoslovakia | Finland | Czechoslovakia |
| 1978 | Soviet Union | Sweden | Canada | Czechoslovakia | Montreal/Quebec City, Canada |
| 1979 | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | Sweden | Finland | Karlstad/Karlskoga, Sweden |
| 1980 | Soviet Union | Finland | Sweden | Czechoslovakia | Helsinki/Vantaa, Finland |
| 1981 | Sweden | Finland | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | West Germany |
| 1982 | Canada | Czechoslovakia | Finland | Soviet Union | United States/Canada |
| 1983 | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | Canada | Sweden | Lenningrad, Soviet Union |
| 1984 | Soviet Union | Finland | Czechoslovakia | Canada | Norrköping/Nyköping, Sweden |
| 1985 | Canada | Czechoslovakia | Soviet Union | Finland | Helsinki/Turku, Finland |
| 1986 | Soviet Union | Canada | United States | Czechoslovakia | Hamilton/Toronto/London, Canada |
| 1987 | Finland | Czechoslovakia | Sweden | United States | Piešťany/Topoľčany/Trenčín/ Nitra, Czechoslovakia |
| 1988 | Canada | Soviet Union | Finland | Czechoslovakia | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| 1989 | Soviet Union | Sweden | Czechoslovakia | Canada | Anchorage/Eagle River, United States |
| 1990 | Canada | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | Finland | Helsinki/Turku, Finland |
| 1991 | Canada | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia | United States | Saskatoon, Canada |
| 1992 | Russia (CIS) | Sweden | United States | Finland | Füssen/Kaufbeuren, Germany |
| 1993 | Canada | Sweden | Czech Republic/ Slovakia | United States | Gävle/Uppsala/Falun, Sweden |
| 1994 | Canada | Sweden | Russia | Finland | Czech Republic |
| 1995 | Canada | Russia | Sweden | Finland | Red Deer/Edmonton/Calgary, Canada |
| 1996 | Canada | Sweden | Russia | Czech Republic | Boston/ Amherst/Marlborough, United States |
| 1997 | Canada | United States | Russia | Czech Republic | Geneva/Morges, Switzerland |
| 1998 | Finland | Russia | Switzerland | Czech Republic | Helsinki/Hämeenlinna, Finland |
| 1999 | Russia | Canada | Slovakia | Sweden | Winnipeg/Brandon/Selkirk, Canada |
| 2000 | Czech Republic | Russia | Canada | United States | Skellefteå/Umeå, Sweden |
| 2001 | Czech Republic | Finland | Canada | Sweden | Moscow, Podolsk, Russia |
| 2002 | Russia | Canada | Finland | Switzerland | Czech Republic |
| 2003 | Russia | Canada | Finland | United States | Halifax/Sydney, Canada |
| 2004 | United States | Canada | Finland | Czech Republic | Helsinki/Hämeenlinna, Finland |
| 2005 | Canada | Russia | United States | United States | United States |
| 2006 | Canada | Russia | Finland | United States | Vancouver/Kelowna/Kamloops, Canada |
| 2007 | Canada | Russia | United States | Sweden | Sweden |
| 2008 | Canada | Sweden | Russia | United States | Czech Republic |
| 2009 | Canada | Sweden | Russia | Slovakia | Ottawa, Canada |
| 2010 | United States | Canada | Sweden | Switzerland | Saskatoon/Regina, Canada |
| 2011 | Russia | Canada | United States | Sweden | Grand Forks/Thief River Falls, United States |
| 2012 | Sweden | Russia | Canada | Finland | Calgary/Edmonton, Canada |
| 2013 | United States | Sweden | Russia | Canada | Ufa, Russia |
| 2014 | Finland | Sweden | Russia | Canada | Malmö, Sweden |
| 2015 | Canada | Russia | Slovakia | Sweden | Toronto/Montreal, Canada |
| 2016 | Finland | Russia | United States | Sweden | Helsinki, Finland |
| 2017 | United States | Canada | Russia | Sweden | Montreal/Toronto, Canada |
| 2018 | Canada | Sweden | United States | Czech Republic | Buffalo, United States |
| 2019 | Finland | United States | Sweden | Switzerland | Vancouver/Victoria Canada |
| 2020 | Canada | Russia | Sweden | Finland | Ostrava/Třinec, Czech Republic |
| 2021 | United States | Canada | Finland | Russia | Edmonton, Canada |
| 2022 | Canada | Finland | Sweden | Czechia | Edmonton, Canada |
| 2023 | Canada | Czechia | United States | Sweden | Halifax/Moncton Canada |
| 2024 | Gothenburg, 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
