2027 World Junior Championship to be played in Alberta

Hockey Canada announced this weekend that the 2027 World Junior Championship will return to Alberta, Canada.

The specific cities or venues haven’t been confirmed yet, but it marks a return after the province hosted the event in Edmonton in 2021 and 2022.

As part of the announcement, Hockey Canada also re-affirmed that the Para Hockey Championship will be hosted in Calgary from May 4-12, and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup – a U-18 showcase that kicks off the prospect season – will take place in Edmonton from Aug. 5-10.

Other future events include Rivalry Series games in 2025 and 2026 and the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

“Hosting international games and tournaments are critical to provide opportunities for our men’s, women’s and para athletes to develop and compete on the world stage, showcase our teams and communities, and inspire the next generation of participants and fans,” Hockey Canada president and CEO Katherine Henderson said in a statement. “We are grateful that the Province of Alberta has made this significant investment to enable these events to be played on home ice, which will significantly benefit each of our programs, including our national teams that are preparing for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”

As part of the new deal, the Albertan government has committed to spending $11 million to help host the events.

Calgary and Edmonton co-hosted the 2012 World Juniors, while Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary shared the 1995 tournament.

Ottawa will host the 2025 edition of the tournament before Minneapolis and Saint Paul share the event in 2026.