Schedule announced for 2022 World Jr A Challenge

Photo by Jason Setnyk

The World Junior A Challenge is set to make its return for the first time since 2019, and Cornwall will host two Canadian teams and three international entries at the 4,800-seat Cornwall Civic Complex from Sunday, December 11th to Sunday, December 18th.

The 2022 World Junior A Challenge represents a partnership between Hockey Canada, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), Hockey Eastern Ontario, NHL Central Scouting and the local organizing committee. The five-team format includes Team Canada East, Team Canada West, Latvia, Sweden and the United States. The Latvian entry will be its national junior team, as part of its preparations for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B.

“The unveiling of the schedule for the 2022 World Junior A Challenge is an important step as we prepare to host eight days of exciting, high-caliber hockey, allowing fans to secure their seats to watch five great teams in our city,” said Lorne Taillon, chair of the local organizing committee. “Having experienced this event first-hand in 2019, fans in Cornwall and across Canada can expect to be treated to highly-skilled, fast-paced hockey that includes future stars of the game competing for a gold medal on the international stage.”

The official tournament schedule features four preliminary-round games for each team between December 11th – 16th, kicking off with Team Canada East taking on Latvia at 1 pm and Team Canada West facing off against the United States on opening night. The top four teams will advance to the medal round, with the bronze medal and gold medal games taking place at 1 pm and 5 pm, respectively, on Sunday, December 18th. TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the bronze and gold medal game; please check local listings for details.

“The City of Cornwall has been preparing to host the World Junior A Challenge since 2019, and we are grateful to the city and organizing committee for their dedication and support of the event,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties with Hockey Canada. “Fans in Ontario having been patiently waiting for this world-class event, and those fans can expect high-quality hockey.”

Ticket information

Fans looking to secure their seats can purchase a full-event ticket package for $189 online at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets or in person at the City of Cornwall Box Office at the Cornwall Aquatic Centre (open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm).

The package is a great deal! It includes one ticket to all 14 tournament games, including both medal games, as well as three pre-tournament games.

More details about the 2022 World Junior A Challenge, including pre-tournament games and official tournament rosters, will be announced in the coming weeks.

About the World Jr A Challenge

Cornwall was originally scheduled to host the World Junior A Challenge in 2020 and 2021, but both were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city most recently hosted a pre-tournament game between Sweden and Slovakia ahead of the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, and played host to the 2008 RBC Cup, Canada’s National Junior A Championship, and 1980 Air Canada Cup, Canada’s National Men’s U18 Club Championship.

Created in 2006 to showcase the talent in the Canadian Junior Hockey League, the World Junior A Challenge includes two Canadian teams – Canada East (NOJHL, OJHL, CCHL, LJHAAAQ, MHL) and Canada West (AJHL, SJHL, MJHL, SIJHL) – and three international entries, Latvia, Sweden and the United States.

The tournament has quickly become a highlight of the international hockey calendar for NHL scouts. The World Junior A Challenge has produced more than 300 NHL draft picks, including 51 selected in the first round – names like Boeser, Lindholm, Pastrnak, Schwartz, Tarasenko, Turris and Vasilevski.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2022 World Junior A Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca.