The IIHF announced Wednesday it has canceled the 2022 World Junior Championship amid an outbreak of COVID-19.
Chris Peters of Daily Faceoff first reported the tournament was set to be canceled.
"We owed it to the participating teams to do our best to create the conditions necessary for this event to work," IIHF President Luc Tardif said in a statement. "Unfortunately, this was not enough. We now have to take some time and focus on getting all players and team staff back home safely."
The hockey tournament began Sunday and was expected to run through Jan. 5, but multiple games have already been forfeited because of positive tests within the teams.
Team USA was placed in quarantine on Tuesday while Team Czechia was required to enter quarantine on Wednesday. A positive case on the Russian team Wednesday would have necessitated a third forfeit in the tournament.
Though the players have been following protocols, there have reportedly been issues at the team hotels:
The tournament was split between Red Deer and Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.
The International Ice Hockey Federation announced it would cancel all of its January events, including two men’s Under-20 and four women’s Under-18 tournaments, because of the increase in cases of COVID-19 worldwide.
The World Juniors were allowed to go ahead since the teams "were already in the protected environment by the time the recommendation was made."
Players and staff arrived in Canada on Dec. 15 while preparing for the event.
Still, the tournament won't be concluded because of the high number of cases among the teams.
The United States was looking to defend its title after winning the 2021 championship in Canada.
The International Ice Hockey Federation is canceling all of its January events because of the rise in COVID-19 cases, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. The decision could be announced as soon as Friday.
The 2022 U18 Women's World Championships in Sweden are among the events being canceled, per Kaplan.
According to Kaplan, many players are upset by the news because they believe the COVID-19 pandemic has "widened the gender gap in the sport." It also makes the women athletes feel the IIHF is continuing to prioritize men's programming.
The IIHF still has the 2022 U18 men's event for April in Germany and the 2022 U20 Men's World Championship is set to be held in Edmonton from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. In addition, several lower-tier tournaments and the 2022 Ice Hockey World Championship in Finland remain scheduled.
The IIHF's impending announcement comes after the NHL and NHL Players' Association announced that NHL players would not participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because the league needs the two-week break in February to make up over 50 postponed games.
The International Ice Hockey Federation announced Friday that it had reached an agreement with the NHL and NHL Players' Association to allow NHL players to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The NHL and NHLPA released the following statement regarding the decision:
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly commented on the agreement as well, saying: "We understand how passionately NHL players feel about representing and competing for their countries. We are very pleased that we were able to conclude arrangements that will allow them to resume best on best competition on the Olympic stage."
NHL players were not permitted to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, marking the first time since the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer that NHL players were omitted.
Prior to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, men's ice hockey was populated by amateur players and players who competed in professional leagues aside from the NHL.
While that led to some legendary moments, including a U.S. team comprising college players upsetting the mighty Soviet Union in Lake Placid in 1980, it prevented the best players in the world from competing for Olympic gold.
The level of interest surrounding men's hockey at the Olympics increased significantly in 1998, and that remained that case through the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
Perhaps the best argument in favor of NHL players in the Olympics occurred in 2010 when Canada and the United States met in the gold-medal game in Vancouver.
Both teams were stacked with top-flight NHL talent, and the game went to overtime, where Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby beat then-Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller for the game-winner.
The high-level play and drama on display in 2010 simply weren't present in 2018 in Pyeongchang.
Without NHL players, perennial powers like the United States, Finland and Sweden failed to medal, while Canada settled for bronze.
The gold-medal game was won by the Olympic Athletes from Russia over a Germany team that made a surprising deep run.
While Germany's Cinderella story made for some nice moments, the lack of star power in the tournament left fans longing for the return of NHL players.
It became clear in July when the NHL left a break in its 2021-22 regular season schedule that an Olympic return was a strong possibility.
That return was finalized Friday, and it will see the NHL pause from Feb. 7 through Feb. 22 next season.
With NHL players back in the fold, Canada, the Russian Olympic Committee, the United States, Finland and Sweden figure to be the top medal contenders in Beijing.
The tournament will also include Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia, Latvia and Denmark. Plus, host nation China will make its Olympic debut in men's ice hockey.
The International Ice Hockey Federation announced the cancellation of the 2020 men's hockey world championship Saturday because of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, IIHF President Rene Fasel said the following regarding the decision in a statement:
"This is a harsh reality to face for the international ice hockey family, but one that we must accept. The coronavirus is a global problem and requires major efforts by government bodies to combat its spread. The IIHF must do all it can to support this fight. We have to set sport aside for now and support both the government bodies and the ice hockey family."
The men's hockey world championship had been set to emanate from Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland, from May 8 through May 24.
This marks the second cancellation of a major IIHF-sanctioned event, as the women's world championship that was scheduled to take place in Nova Scotia, Canada, in March was previously canceled as well.
Per CNN, there are more than 234,000 cases of COVID-19 worldwide, contributing to over 9,800 deaths. That includes over 3,800 cases and 33 deaths in Switzerland.
The men's hockey world championship is staged annually, and it often features many of the best NHL players who either didn't make the playoffs or saw their teams get eliminated early in the postseason.
The NHL has suspended the 2019-20 season, and it is currently unknown when or if the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs will take place.
This marks the first time since 1988, when the tournament was canceled in favor of participation in the Winter Olympics, that the IIHF men's world hockey championship will not be held.
Canada and Finland will face off for the gold medal in the 2019 IIHF Hockey World Championship after scoring semifinal wins Saturday at Ondrej Nepela Arena in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Vegas Golden Knights winger Mark Stone continued to build a strong case for tournament MVP with a goal and an assist to pace the Canadians in a 5-1 victory over the Czech Republic. Darnell Nurse (Edmonton Oilers), Pierre-Luc Dubois (Columbus Blue Jackets), Kyle Turris (Nashville Predators) and Thomas Chabot (Ottawa Senators) also lit the lamp for the 26-time champions.
Meanwhile, Finland ended the title hopes of previously undefeated Russia with a dramatic 1-0 triumph. Captain Marko Anttila scored the game's only goal with just under 10 minutes left in regulation, while goalie Kevin Lankinen stonewalled the numerous Red Machine snipers to earn a 32-save shutout.
Saturday Results
Finland 1, Russia 0
Canada 5, Czech Republic 1
Sunday Schedule
Bronze Medal: Russia vs. Czech Republic (9:45 a.m. ET)
Gold Medal: Canada vs. Finland (2:15 p.m. ET)
Championship Game Preview
Canada played the semifinal with the freedom of a team given a second lease on life, and it's easy to understand why.
Alain Vigneault's squad was less than a second from elimination in the quarterfinals before a Damon Severson (New Jersey Devils) slap shot beat Switzerland netminder Leonardo Genoni and trickled across the goal line with 0.4 seconds left in the third period to tie the game.
Stone scored in overtime to punch the Canadians' ticket to the semifinals, and now the they are one win away from their first world title since 2016. They failed to reach the final the last two years.
Finland, which last captured World Championship gold in 2011, poses a difficult final challenge for Canada, though. The Lions scored a 3-1 victory over the Canadians in the first game of pool play and put their defensive prowess on display once again Saturday to upset Russia.
The Finns also showcased their ability to win a high-scoring shootout in a 5-4 overtime triumph against rival and defending champion Sweden in the quarterfinals.
Kaapo Kakko could be the X-factor in the final.
The 18-year-old sensation is a candidate to become the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft on June 21, and he shined with six goals in Finland's first four games of the event.
He's failed to find the net in the team's last five contests, however, and figures to see a heavy dose of Canada's defensively strong second line—Anthony Cirelli (Tampa Bay Lightning), Sean Couturier (Philadelphia Flyers) and Sam Reinhart (Buffalo Sabres)—in the gold-medal game.
All told, it's hard to say whether Finland edging a Russian side that looked poised to win gold or Canada's destruction of the Czechs was the more impressive performance in the semis.
But now the stage is set for what should be a closely contested fight for the championship in Slovakia.
Tuesday was the final day of group play at the Hockey World Championships in Slovakia, and while all eight quarterfinal teams were already decided coming into the day, the matchups between the United States and Canada in Group A and Russia and Sweden in Group B still had major implications for seedings.
Below, we'll break down the day's scores and highlights.
Canada def. United States, 3-0
The Canadians clinched the top spot in Group A on Tuesday, defeating the United States 3-0.
The loss dropped the Americans to fourth in the group, meaning they'll face Russia in their first quarterfinal. Canada finished the group stage with 18 points, while the United States managed 14 points in total.
Goals from Pierre-Luc Dubois, Jared McCann and Kyle Turris gave the Canadians the crucial win, while Matt Murray stopped all 28 of the United States' shots.
With the victory, Canada is set to face Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Other matchups will feature Finland vs. Sweden and the Czech Republic vs. Germany.
Russia def. Sweden, 7-4
The Russians didn't mess around on Tuesday, blowing out Sweden 7-4 in a game that gave them the top spot in Group B play.
Russia tied with the Czech Republic in total points (18) but held the head-to-head-tiebreaker after beating the Czechs earlier in the tournament.
Sweden had their chances, outshooting the Russians 37-34, but Russian goalie Andrei Vasilevski came away with 33 saves in the win. Seven different players scored for the Russians, led by Evgeni Malkin's (goal and assist) and Alex Ovechkin.
William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each scored a goal and an assist for Sweden.
Slovakia def. Denmark, 2-1 (OT)
Slovakia ended its Hockey World Championships on a positive note Tuesday, beating Denmark 2-1 in a game that went to a penalty shootout.
Michal Kristof was the hero, scoring the game-winning goal in the shootout, while goalie Denis Godla saved all four of Denmark's attempts. Ladislav Nagy also beat Danish goalie Sebastian Dahm.
Martin Marincin scored Slovakia's lone goal in regulation, while Mikkel Boedker scored Denmark's only goal.
The victory ensured Slovakia will finish in fifth place in Group A with 11 points, while Denmark finished in sixth on just six points.
Latvia def. Norway, 4-1
In the battle for fifth place in Group B, Latvia came out on top.
Led by Miks Indrasis' goal and two assists, the Latvians rolled Norway on Tuesday, winning 4-1. Janis Jaks, Ronalds Kenins and Rihards Marenis all scored for Latvia, while Tobias Lindstrom scored the lone goal for Norway. Latvia was dominant, peppering Norwegian goalie Henrik Haukeland with 38 shots.
The victory left Latvia (nine points) in fifth place, while Norway (six points) finished the group stage in six.
Canada wrapped up the group stage of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship with a 3-0 victory over the United States on Tuesday in Kosice, Slovakia.
Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the opening goal for Canada, while Kyle Turris and Jared McCann added to the team's tally.
The three points from the result propel Canada to the top of Group A, whereas the United States remains in fourth.
The United States hardly had time to get settled before it was staring at a one-goal deficit. Schneider was caught watching Mark Stone for too long as the Canadian forward was skating behind the net. Stone dumped the puck off to Dubois, who had an easy finish to put Canada ahead 1:49 into the game.
Anthony Mantha entered Tuesday with a team-high 11 points (seven goals, four assists) through Canada's first six games. He added to his account by assisting on Turris' goal to make it a 2-0 game in the opening period.
Mantha stole the puck from James van Riemsdyk, which allowed Canada to catch the U.S. defense out of position. He passed across to a streaking Turris, who slotted the puck home over a diving Schneider.
Mantha then missed a large chunk of the second period after receiving a two-minute penalty and a 10-minute misconduct for a check to the head of Colin White.
As Mantha was serving his punishment, McCann capped off Canada's scoring. McCann beat Schneider with a wrist shot that flew just under the crossbar.
Entering Tuesday, the United States ranked sixth in goals (27) and shots on goal (245). Canada stifled what had been a strong attacking unit, limiting Team USA to 28 shots. Matt Murray was excellent between the pipes to help the Canadians preserve the shutout, their third of the group stage.
The United States could've moved all the way into first place had it walked away with a win. Instead, it has the tall task of upsetting unbeaten Russia in the quarterfinals.
Not only did the Russians win all seven of their group-stage games, they did so with a plus-29 goal differentia, allowing only seven goals in the process. A repeat of its bronze-medal finish in 2018 will be difficult for the United States in the playoff round.
Canada will take on Switzerland, the fourth-place finisher in Group B. Although the Swiss reeled off four wins in the group, they lost their toughest tests against Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Canada should secure passage to the semifinals.
The 2019 World Junior Hockey Championship reached the quarterfinals Wednesday.
Top seeds Russia and Sweden looked to avoid major upsets against Slovakia and Switzerland, respectively, while the United States and Canada looked to keep their hopes alive for reaching the final.
Here's a look at all the results from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Switzerland 2, Sweden 0
Yannick Bruschweiler and Luca Wyss found the back of the net while Luca Hollenstein made 41 saves, leading Switzerland to a 2-0 upset victory over Sweden in a quarterfinal.
The Swedes went undefeated in pool play, highlighted by an overtime victory over the U.S. But Bruschweiler scored at the 15:23 mark in the first period, and Hollenstein made sure Switzerland never looked back with his second shutout of the event.
Switzerland's only previous win thus far came against lowly Denmark, which was outscored by 26 goals in its four pool-play games.
It's Switzerland's first win over Sweden at the World Juniors since 2004 and its first triumph over the Swedes in an elimination game since 1998.
Finland 2, Canada 1
Canada led with less than a minute remaining.
Now the team is headed home.
Aleksi Heponiemi scored a game-tying goal with 46.4 seconds left in regulation, and Toni Utunen netted a game-winner in overtime, giving Finland a 2-1 upset over Canada in its quarterfinals clash.
Heponiemi's goal was a bit of dumb luck. He was at the right place at the right time when a Eeli Tolvanen pass hit his leg and sent it into the back of the net.
Playing before a raucous home crowd, Canada blew its chances to put the game away and sent the crowd home disappointed. The Canadians had their best chance to win the game a little over a minute into overtime, but Maxime Comtois failed to get a penalty shot past Finland goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Finland will match up with Switzerland in the semis.
United States 3, Czech Republic 1
Noah Cates, Josh Norris and Alexander Chmelevski each found the back of the net, leading the United States to a dominant 3-1 win over the Czech Republic in their quarterfinals matchup.
Goalie Cayden Primeau stopped 18 of 19 shots that went his way. The Americans peppered the net to the tune of 41 shots and were never out of control.
Cates scored the game's first goal at the 12:12 mark of the first period, and Norris knocked one through in the second period. Martin Kaut briefly gave the Czechs some hope with a goal at 51:29, but Chmelevski shut the door with less than a minute remaining.
Russia 8, Slovakia 3
Klim Kostin scored two goals and Grigori Denisenko added a goal and two assists as Russia beat Slovakia 8-3.
Russia's three-goal spree within a two-minute, 13-second span in the first period set the tone. Another first-period goal and three more tallies in the second gave Russia an insurmountable 7-0 advantage heading into the third. Kostin scored his pair in the second period, with Denisenko earning an assist for each.
Slovakia erased its zero after a Martin Fehervary goal early in the third. Russia scored once more before Slovakia tallied two goals in the last minute and two seconds.
