OTTAWA, Ont. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), has announced that the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship will be played in Ottawa, Ont., from Dec. 26, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025.
The successful bid represents a partnership between the Ottawa Senators, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), Ottawa Tourism, Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO), the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario.
“We are thrilled that the IIHF World Junior Championship will return to Canada and our nation’s capital in 2025,” said Pat McLaughlin, chief operating officer of Hockey Canada. “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 18,652-seat Canadian Tire Centre, home of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators, will serve as the primary competition venue and host 17 games, including both semifinals and the bronze and gold medal games. The additional 14 games are set for TD Place, home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s, which can welcome approximately 9,000 fans.
“The IIHF is thrilled to return to Canada for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. “Ottawa is undoubtedly a city that rallies behind hockey, as we can remember from the exceptional atmosphere during the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship. The World Juniors has a unique place in the calendar as it takes place during the holiday season and is an eagerly awaited event.
“We look forward to seeing fans from the four corners of Canada and all around the world in Ottawa in December 2024.”
In 2009, the IIHF World Junior Championship generated $80.5 million in economic impact in Ontario, with over 450,000 fans attending the tournament. On the ice, Canada’s Jordan Eberle’s game-tying and game-winning goals in a semifinal win over Russia set off celebrations across the country, ultimately leading to Canada’s fifth-consecutive gold medal in front of a sold-out crowd of red and white.
“Ottawa is the ideal place to host the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said Mark Sutcliffe, mayor of Ottawa. “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.
“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, and it will showcase Ottawa to the world.”
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) and Chris Phillips (Ottawa Senators) will serve as co-chairs.
Pre-tournament games for the 2025 World Juniors are expected to take place in Ottawa and surrounding communities, allowing fans in and around the nation’s capital to watch the best under-20 hockey players in the world before the puck officially drops on Boxing Day.
With demand for tickets expected to exceed availability, more information about a priority ticket draw and tournament ticket packages will be announced in the coming months. Fans looking to receive updates about the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship as soon as they become available can sign up to become a Hockey Canada Insider today.
For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and by using #WorldJuniors.
