The 2022 World Junior Championships that got canceled in December will be played in August in Edmonton, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
The 2022 World Juniors were being hosted in Edmonton and Red Deer in late December and early January, but the tournament got canceled after just a couple of days due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Back in February at the Beijing Olympics, IIHF President Luc Tardif said that the tournament would be played in the summer but didn’t confirm a location. He also said that the tournament will be restarted, all results and statistics from December would be erased, and teams would be able to submit new rosters for the new tournament.
This will certainly be a different look for the WJC, which has traditionally been used as an opportunity for NHL teams to scout players ahead of the draft. The NHL Draft will be held at its usual time in June, meaning the first-time eligible players won’t have an opportunity to showcase themselves at the tournament.
Another thing to consider is whether NHL clubs will want their young players participating in a tournament shortly before the start of their respective training camps. For example, the Buffalo Sabres might want 2021 first-overall pick Owen Power to focus on being healthy for training camp rather than representing Team Canada.
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