World Juniors set to return to Alberta in August after January COVID-19 cancellation

The International Ice Hockey Federation says the World Juniors will return to Alberta in mid-August as a new event, months after COVID-19 forced the tournament’s cancellation in January.

“It will be in the middle of August in Alberta,” said Luc Tardif, IIHF president, said from the Beijing Olympics. “It will be a new competition, which means we will forget the results (in December).”

Tardif said details are still being worked on but that tournament would begin anew sometime after the under-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scheduled to be contested at Rogers Place and typically held in early August.

“It will be a hockey festival and the teams are excited to do it.”

Tardif said players who took part in December’s tournament will remain eligible despite exceeding the tournament’s age limit in some cases.

Countries will also be allowed to select new rosters, though it’s unclear if National Hockey League teams will allow players to participate so close to the start of training camp.

The IIHF says relegation of the lowest-finishing team “may be possible” at August’s tournament. A relegation round was scheduled for December’s event but later cancelled due to a high number of COVID-19 infections among players.

“One reason for playing the postponed events this summer is to hopefully have a better situation and less protocols,” reads an IIHF statement.

Tardif said hosting details are still be worked out but that an announcement with Hockey Canada would come at a later date. 

The Oilers Entertainment Group said in a statement it was excited to bring the tournament back to Edmonton.

The 2022 world junior ice hockey championship was initially scheduled for Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 5, 2022 in Edmonton and Red Deer.

It was cancelled on Dec. 29 after Russia, the United States and Czechia all forfeited a game after multiple players were required to quarantine following COVID-19 positive tests. 

The tournament was to have been played with full crowds but rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations prompted renewed public health measures limiting crowd sizes to half of capacity while also banning food and drink.