Ottawa to host 2025 world junior hockey championship for first time in 16 years

Jun 22, 2023 | 10:35 AM

OTTAWA — The world junior hockey championship is returning to the nation’s capital.

Hockey Canada has announced that Ottawa will host the tournament from Dec. 26, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025.

It will mark the second time Ottawa has played host to the event.

The city last hosted in 2009, when Canada won the last of five straight world junior titles.

Canada has either hosted or co-hosted the world junior championship 18 times, including three straight from 2021-23.

The Canadians have won world junior gold a record 20 times. They captured gold earlier this year in Halifax for their second title in a row and third in four tournaments.

Hockey Canada said in a release that the 18,652-seat Canadian Tire Centre, home of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, will serve as the primary venue and host 17 games, including both semifinals and the medal games.

The additional 14 games are set for TD Place, home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s, which has a capacity of around 9,000 fans.

The 2024 tournament will be held in Goteborg, Sweden.

Hockey Canada says over 450,000 fans attended the 2009 tournament.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2023.

The Canadian Press