Team Canada takes gold when the 2024 World Junior Championships begin on Boxing Day in Gothenburg, Sweden, with Canada looking for a third straight gold medal for the first time since winning five straight from 2005-09.
Watch all of Canada’s IIHF World Junior Championship matches live on TSN, TSN.ca and the TSN App.
Canada had to reclaim the gold medal in dramatic fashion over the past two years, and needed an additional champion to push them over the top.
At the 2022 summer edition of the tournament in Edmonton, Finland rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to send the game into overtime before Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson sent Canada into a frenzy with a golden goal.
Last year in Halifax, Canada saw the Czechs rally from another two-goal deficit in the third period to push for another dramatic finish. Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther gave Canada back-to-back gold medals when he scored 6:22 into overtime to give Canada a 4-3 win.
Canada will be part of Group A at this year’s tournament, which also includes host Sweden, Finland, Germany and Latvia.
The second group consists of the United States, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Norway.
Beck, Celebrini lead the way
Montreal Canadiens outfielder Owen Beck is the only player returning from last year’s championship and is expected to be a key member of the team’s leadership group.
Last year, Beck entered the tournament as the 13th forward and registered an assist in three games.
After the tournament, Beck was traded from the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL to the Peterborough Petes where he finished the CHL regular season with seven goals and 25 points in 30 games. He added eight goals and 16 points in 22 playoff games to help lead Betts to the J. Ross Robertson Cup and a berth in last year’s Memorial Cup tournament.
This season, Beck ranks second behind Pitts with 16 goals and 30 points in 25 games.
MacLean Celebrini, a top prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft, is expected to be a key piece in the middle of this year’s edition of Team Canada.
Celebrini, 17, leads Boston University with 10 goals and 25 points in 15 games heading into this season’s World Junior Championships.
The 6-foot forward also helped Canada capture a bronze medal at the 2023 U18 World Championship in April, scoring six goals and 15 points in seven games.
Celebrini was ranked No. 1 on TSN scouting director Craig Button’s draft list in November and TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie ranked him No. 1 in his preseason draft rankings in September.
Canada schedule
Pre-tournament matches:
December 22: Canada vs. Canada. SWITZERLAND – 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT on TSN1/4
December 23: Canada vs. Canada. US – Noon ET/9 a.m. PT on TSN1/4
Tournament schedule:
December 26: Finland vs. Poland. Canada – 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT on TSN1/3/4
December 27: Latvia vs. Canada – 1pm ET/10am PT on TSN1/3/4
December 29: Canada vs. Canada. Sweden – 1:30 PM ET/10:30 AM PT on TSN1/3/4
December 31: Canada vs. Canada. Germany – 1pm ET/10am PT on TSN1/3/4
The knockout stage of the tournament begins on January 2 with the quarter-finals.
Click here for TSN’s full broadcast schedule for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship
