The City of Ottawa will host the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championships, conjuring up memories of the famous Jordan Eberle goal at the 2009 tournament.
For the first time in 16 years, the World Junior Hockey Championships are returning to Ottawa. Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation made the announcement on Thursday.
The tournament will begin on Boxing Day, as it always does, and run through to the gold medal game on January 5th, 2025. Games will be played at both the Canadian Tire Centre and TD Place Arena.
“We are thrilled that the IIHF World Junior Championship will return to Canada and our nation’s capital in 2025,” Hockey Canada's Pat McLaughlin said in a press release. “The bid that was submitted to host the World Juniors in Ottawa was exceptional, and we cannot wait for fans throughout Canada and the world to experience the celebration of hockey for themselves.
“Hosting the World Juniors is a privilege, and we are grateful to the IIHF for its trust in allowing us to deliver the event on its behalf for the 19th time in Canada, and to the CHL for its continued support of the tournament each year.”
The bid represents something of an olive branch between the Ottawa Senators and Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, who will partner in this venture, along with Ottawa Tourism, Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO), the Province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa.
“Ottawa is the ideal place to host the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship,” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said in a Hockey Canada press release. “Our love for hockey is second to none and our city rallies behind hockey at every level of the game, from youth hockey to our very successful junior hockey team, the Ottawa 67’s, to the highest level of the professional game, the Ottawa Senators.
"Ottawa hosted one of the most successful World Junior tournaments in 2009 and we regularly host national and international tournaments in our city."
Not only was it successful, it was also one of the most exciting, memorable tournaments ever. Few Ottawa fans will ever forget Canada's semifinal game against Russia, which led 5-4 in the dying moments. With the goalie pulled and just 5.4 seconds left, Jordan Eberle scored the tying goal as TSN's Gord Miller excitedly hollered, “CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?” right across Canada.
Eberle then scored the winning goal in the shootout in a 6-5 win (it's always 6-5) that will be remembered forever. As with the 1980 USA Miracle on Ice victory over the Soviet Union, that win will always be far more memorable than the final game where both teams actually clinched their gold medals.
Jamie Lee Rattray, a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team and 2022 Olympic gold medallist, will be the honorary chair of the Ottawa host committee, while James Boyd (Ottawa 67’s), Erin Crowe (Ottawa Senators), Valerie Hughes (OSEG), Krista Outhwaite (HEO), Chris Phillips (Ottawa Senators) and Lesley Pincombe (Ottawa Tourism) will serve as co-chairs.
“The 2025 World Juniors will be a great boost for our city, our economy, and our thousands of hockey fans and players of all ages," Sutcliffe said. "And it will showcase Ottawa to the world.”