Canada to play preliminary games in Halifax during 2023 IIHF world junior hockey championship

Team Canada will play its preliminary games at Scotiabank Centre during the 2023 IIHF world junior hockey championship.

Hockey Canada and the IIHF announced the two groups for the world juniors, which begin on Boxing Day in Halifax and Moncton.

Canada, Sweden, Czechia, Germany and Austria will compete in Group A in Halifax. The United States, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia and Latvia will form Group B and play at the Avenir Centre in Moncton.

With no relegation at the 2022 world juniors, which are currently being held in Edmonton, the IIHF formed the groups by ranking each country on performance at the past five tournaments.

The IIHF banned Russia and Belarus from play “until further notice” a week after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. The federation also moved the 2023 world juniors from Novosibirsk and Omsk, Russia, to Canada.

A minimum of 10 pre-tournament games will also be played in communities throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The full tournament schedule will be available in the coming weeks.