Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, will host the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship.
It will be played Dec. 26, 2026 to Jan. 5, 2027, with games at Rogers Place in Edmonton and Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer, the home of the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League.
Edmonton was the host city for the World Juniors in 2021 and 2022, and co-hosted the tournament twice, with Red Deer and Calgary in 1995, and with Calgary in 2012.
"We are excited to bring the IIHF World Junior Championship back to Edmonton and Red Deer, and to give hockey fans in Alberta and across the country the opportunity to watch the top under-20 players compete for a gold medal right here in Canada," Hockey Canada senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact Dean McIntosh said. "Both cities have been successful hosts of IIHF and other high-profile international events, and we know our partners in Edmonton and Red Deer will host a world-class event for players, teams, fans and volunteers alike."
The 2026 WJC will be played in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, from Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 2026. The United States is the two-time defending champion, having won the gold medal in Sweden in 2024 and in Ottawa in 2025.
The last country to win the WJC three straight times was Canada during its run of five in a row from 2005-09.
Canada has back-to-back fifth-place finishes after consecutive losses in the quarterfinals, but is expected to be led at the 2026 WJC by Penn State freshman forward Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft.
McKenna scored one goal in five games at the 2025 WJC. This season the 17-year-old is tied for the lead among NCAA freshmen with 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 14 games.
It previously had been announced that the 2028 World Juniors would be played in Finland, and the 2029 WJC will be held in Quebec City and Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
