World Junior A Challenge
The World Junior A Challenge has been an ice hockey tournament for U20 national teams that has been held in Canada since 2006 . The competition is organized by the Canadian Ice Hockey Federation, Hockey Canada , the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF . It is held annually in November based on the model of the U20 junior ice hockey world championship , whereby the World Junior A Challenge is not in competition with the World Cup, but rather as a junior A compared to the major junior level as a "second division" . The field of participants always consists of six nations, but the line-up changes.
history
The competition was launched in 2006 at the suggestion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League by the Canadian ice hockey association Hockey Canada . The idea included that players from the lower leagues of the Canadian Hockey League also played in international games and thus recommended themselves to the scouts of the universities in the US American College Association National Collegiate Athletic Association or the National Hockey League .
In the first two events in 2006 and 2007, the Canada West team prevailed against Canada East before the United States won three times in a row between 2008 and 2010. They participated for the first time in 2007. After Canada West was successful again in 2011, the USA triumphed again three times. 2014 was the first event in which none of the Canadian teams made it into the medal ranks.
Attendees
Canada provides the largest contingent with two participants, divided into East and West. Players from the following leagues are eligible for the respective teams:
-
Canada West: ( British Columbia Hockey League , Alberta Junior Hockey League , Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , Manitoba Junior Hockey League and Superior International Junior Hockey League ) -
Canada East: ( Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League , Ontario Junior Hockey League , Central Canada Hockey League , Québec Junior AAA Hockey League and Maritime Junior Hockey League )
The following countries have also participated so far:
-
Germany
-
Russia
-
Sweden
-
Switzerland
-
Slovakia
-
United States ( United States Hockey League ) -
Belarus
-
Denmark
-
Czech Republic
Winners list
| year | gold | silver | bronze | venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 |
Canada West |
Canada East |
Russia |
Yorkton , Saskatchewan |
| 2007 |
Canada West |
Canada East |
United States |
Trail , British Columbia |
| 2008 |
United States |
Canada West |
Canada East |
Camrose , Alberta |
| 2009 |
United States |
Canada West |
Russia |
Summerside , Prince Edward Island |
| 2010 |
United States |
Canada East |
Switzerland |
Penticton , British Columbia |
| 2011 |
Canada West |
Canada East |
United States |
Langley , British Columbia |
| 2012 |
United States |
Canada West |
Switzerland |
Yarmouth , Nova Scotia |
| 2013 |
United States |
Russia |
Canada West |
Yarmouth , Nova Scotia |
| 2014 |
United States |
Denmark |
Russia |
Kindersley , Saskatchewan |
| 2015 |
Canada West |
Russia |
United States |
Cobourg & Whitby , Ontario |
| 2016 |
United States |
Canada East |
Russia |
Bonnyville , Alberta |
Medal table
| rank | team | gold | silver | bronze | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
United States
|
7th | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 2 |
Canada West
|
4th | 3 | 1 | 8th |
| 3 |
Canada East
|
0 | 5 | 1 | 6th |
| 4th |
Russia
|
0 | 2 | 4th | 6th |
| 5 |
Denmark
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 6th |
Switzerland
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Web links
- World Junior A Challenge at hockeycanada.ca (engl.)