Edmonton and Red Deer previously co-hosted the 2022 world juniors, which were cancelled partway through due to COVID-19. Edmonton then hosted a rescheduled tournament in August 2022.
Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., will host the 2027 World Junior Championship.
The tournament is scheduled to take place from Dec. 26, 2026, to Jan. 5, 2027. The 18,500-seat Rogers Place, home of the Edmonton Oilers, and the 7,050-seat Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer will host the action.
The IIHF, CHL and Hockey Canada announced the news on Tuesday, saying the successful bid represents a partnership between OEG Sports & Entertainment, the WHL's Red Deer Rebels, Hockey Alberta, the cities and the Government of Alberta.
Edmonton and Red Deer gets another shot as co-hosts after the Omicron variant of COVID-19 shut down the 2022 world juniors. Edmonton then hosted a rescheduled tournament alone in August 2022.
“This event celebrates the spirit of international competition and our province’s passion for hockey, while showcasing Alberta as a world-class destination for sporting events,” Alberta's tourism and sports minister, Andrew Boitchenko, said in the announcement.
Dating back to 2012, Edmonton has hosted the world juniors three times. The 2027 tournament will be the fourth time.
Before the 2022 tournament, Edmonton hosted the 2021 world juniors without fans due to COVID-19, and it co-hosted the 2012 edition with Calgary.
In 2022, Canada beat Finland in overtime of the gold medal game after Mason McTavish made a goal-line save, with Sweden capturing bronze. The United States beat Canada in 2021, with Finland winning bronze. And in 2012, Sweden won gold, Russia got silver and Canada earned bronze.
In February 2024, the Province of Alberta made an $11-million commitment to host four marquee international tournaments in its communities through 2027.
As part of that commitment, province will also host Rivalry Series games involving the national women's team, and it did host camps involving the men's, women's and Para hockey teams this past summer.
Edmonton has also hosted the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, while Red Deer hosted the 2022 edition. Both cities co-hosted the 2018 tournament.
The 2026 world juniors are scheduled for Dec. 26, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minn.
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