The
IIHF World Junior Championship is an annual event organized by the
International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20
ice hockey teams from around the world. It is traditionally held from late December to the beginning of January. The main tournament features the top ten ranked hockey nations in the world, comprising the "Top Division", from which a world champion is crowned. There are also three lower pools—Divisions I, II and III—that each play separate tournaments playing for the right to be
promoted to a higher pool with the last place team facing
relegation to a lower pool.
The first official tournament was held in 1977. Prior to that, there had been invitational tournaments in 1974, 1975 and 1976 that were not sanctioned by the IIHF.
As of 2024, 48 official tournaments have been staged, while the 2022 tournament was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Historically, the tournament has been dominated by Canada (20 gold medals) and the Soviet Union/CIS/Russia (13 gold medals). The USSR won the first four official tournaments, while the Canadians put together five straight championships between 1993 and 1997 , and another five straight from 2005 to 2009 .
Medalists
The winners by season listed below.
Unofficial tournaments
Official tournaments
Key
(#) Number of tournaments (or 2nd, 3rd or 4th places) won at the time.
Year
Gold
Silver
Bronze
4th place
Host city (cities)
Host country (countries)
1977
Soviet Union (1)
Canada (1)
Czechoslovakia (1)
Finland (1)
Zvolen and Banská Bystrica
Czechoslovakia
1978
Soviet Union (2)
Sweden (1)
Canada (1)
Czechoslovakia (1)
Montreal and Quebec City
Canada
1979
Soviet Union (3)
Czechoslovakia (1)
Sweden (1)
Finland (2)
Karlstad and Karlskoga
Sweden
1980
Soviet Union (4)
Finland (1)
Sweden (2)
Czechoslovakia (2)
Helsinki and Vantaa
Finland
1981
Sweden (1)
Finland (2)
Soviet Union (1)
Czechoslovakia (3)
Füssen , Landsberg and Kaufbeuren
West Germany
1982
Canada (1)
Czechoslovakia (2)
Finland (1)
Soviet Union (1)
Bloomington , Minneapolis and Duluth Winnipeg and Kenora
United States Canada
1983
Soviet Union (5)
Czechoslovakia (3)
Canada (2)
Sweden (1)
Leningrad
Soviet Union
1984
Soviet Union (6)
Finland (3)
Czechoslovakia (2)
Canada (1)
Norrköping and Nyköping
Sweden
1985
Canada (2)
Czechoslovakia (4)
Soviet Union (2)
Finland (3)
Helsinki and Turku
Finland
1986
Soviet Union (7)
Canada (2)
United States (1)
Czechoslovakia (4)
Hamilton , Toronto and London
Canada
1987
Finland (1)
Czechoslovakia (5)
Sweden (3)
United States (1)
Piešťany , Topoľčany , Trenčín and Nitra
Czechoslovakia
1988
Canada (3)
Soviet Union (1)
Finland (2)
Czechoslovakia (5)
Moscow
Soviet Union
1989
Soviet Union (8)
Sweden (2)
Czechoslovakia (3)
Canada (2)
Anchorage and Eagle River
United States
1990
Canada (4)
Soviet Union (2)
Czechoslovakia (4)
Finland (4)
Helsinki and Turku
Finland
1991
Canada (5)
Soviet Union (3)
Czechoslovakia (5)
United States (2)
Saskatoon
Canada
1992
CIS (1)
Sweden (3)
United States (2)
Finland (5)
Füssen and Kaufbeuren
Germany
1993
Canada (6)
Sweden (4)
Czech Republic and Slovakia (6)
United States (3)
Gävle , Uppsala and Falun
Sweden
1994
Canada (7)
Sweden (5)
Russia (1)
Finland (6)
Ostrava and Frýdek-Místek
Czech Republic
1995
Canada (8)
Russia (1)
Sweden (4)
Finland (7)
Red Deer , Edmonton and Calgary
Canada
1996
Canada (9)
Sweden (6)
Russia (2)
Czech Republic (1)
Boston , Amherst and Marlborough
United States
1997
Canada (10)
United States (1)
Russia (3)
Czech Republic (2)
Geneva and Morges
Switzerland
1998
Finland (2)
Russia (2)
Switzerland (1)
Czech Republic (3)
Helsinki and Hämeenlinna
Finland
1999
Russia (1)
Canada (3)
Slovakia (1)
Sweden (2)
Winnipeg , Brandon and Selkirk
Canada
2000
Czech Republic (1)
Russia (3)
Canada (3)
United States (4)
Skellefteå and Umeå
Sweden
2001
Czech Republic (2)
Finland (4)
Canada (4)
Sweden (3)
Moscow and Podolsk
Russia
2002
Russia (2)
Canada (4)
Finland (3)
Switzerland (1)
Pardubice and Hradec Králové
Czech Republic
2003
Russia (3)
Canada (5)
Finland (4)
United States (5)
Halifax and Sydney
Canada
2004
United States (1)
Canada (6)
Finland (5)
Czech Republic (4)
Helsinki and Hämeenlinna
Finland
2005
Canada (11)
Russia (4)
Czech Republic (1)
United States (6)
Grand Forks and Thief River Falls
United States
2006
Canada (12)
Russia (5)
Finland (6)
United States (7)
Vancouver , Kelowna and Kamloops
Canada
2007
Canada (13)
Russia (6)
United States (3)
Sweden (4)
Leksand and Mora
Sweden
2008
Canada (14)
Sweden (7)
Russia (4)
United States (8)
Pardubice and Liberec
Czech Republic
2009
Canada (15)
Sweden (8)
Russia (5)
Slovakia (1)
Ottawa
Canada
2010
United States (2)
Canada (7)
Sweden (5)
Switzerland (2)
Saskatoon and Regina
Canada
2011
Russia (4)
Canada (8)
United States (4)
Sweden (5)
Buffalo and Lewiston
United States
2012
Sweden (2)
Russia (7)
Canada (5)
Finland (8)
Calgary and Edmonton
Canada
2013
United States (3)
Sweden (9)
Russia (6)
Canada (3)
Ufa
Russia
2014
Finland (3)
Sweden (10)
Russia (7)
Canada (4)
Malmö
Sweden
2015
Canada (16)
Russia (8)
Slovakia (2)
Sweden (6)
Toronto and Montreal
Canada
2016
Finland (4)
Russia (9)
United States (5)
Sweden (7)
Helsinki
Finland
2017
United States (4)
Canada (9)
Russia (8)
Sweden (8)
Montreal and Toronto
Canada
2018
Canada (17)
Sweden (11)
United States (6)
Czech Republic (5)
Buffalo and Orchard Park
United States
2019
Finland (5)
United States (2)
Russia (9)
Switzerland (3)
Vancouver and Victoria
Canada
2020
Canada (18)
Russia (10)
Sweden (6)
Finland (9)
Ostrava and Třinec
Czech Republic
2021
United States (5)
Canada (10)
Finland (7)
Russia (1)
Edmonton
Canada
2022
Canada (19)
Finland (5)
Sweden (7)
Czechia (6)
Edmonton
Canada
2023
Canada (20)
Czechia (1)
United States (7)
Sweden (9)
Halifax and Moncton
Canada
2024
United States (6)
Sweden (12)
Czechia (2)
Finland (10)
Gothenburg
Sweden
2025
Ottawa
Canada
2026
Minneapolis and Saint Paul
United States
2027
Calgary and Edmonton
Canada
Medal table
Map of countries' best results
The unofficial tournaments held prior to 1977 are not included in this table.
Countries in italics no longer compete at the World Championships.
See also