The IIHF World Junior Championship returns home for Canada in 2018-19 with the added pressure of defending their gold medal from a year ago.
The tournament starts Dec. 26, as per Boxing Day tradition, and will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia — the 14th time Canada is serving as the host nation.
Having the World Juniors on home soil comes with great responsibility in Canada, of course, as an entire country shifts its collective focus and emotions toward a group of teenagers for two weeks. And remarkably, Canada has medalled every year it's hosted the WJC dating to 1978, including winning gold in Toronto in 2015.
WORLD JUNIORS 2019: Team-by-team guide | 10 players to watch
Team Canada settled for silver in Montreal in 2017, losing to the United States in dramatic shootout fashion, but reclaimed gold from its cross-border rival on U.S. soil a year ago, a run that started with a snow-globe showdown against the Americans outdoors and finished with a victory over Sweden in the gold-medal game.
This year, Canada opens as the odds-on favorite to defend their World Juniors gold. Here's everything to know about the tournament, including how to watch live games online in Canada and a complete schedule with updated scores and standings.
Team Canada’s schedule, results at World Juniors
Like in years past, the format for the 2018-19 World Junior Championship consists of two groups of five teams. They'll play a preliminary round robin to determine seeding, followed by a single-elimination tournament. Canada drew Group A, which also includes Denmark, Switzerland, Russia and the Czech Republic.
| Date | Opponent | Result | TV info |
| Dec. 26 | Denmark | W, 14-0 | 8 p.m. (NHLN, TSN) |
| Dec. 27 | Switzerland | W, 3-2 | 8 p.m. (NHLN, TSN) |
| Dec. 29 | Czech Republic | W, 5-1 | 8 p.m. (NHLN, TSN) |
| Dec. 31 | Russia | L, 2-1 | 8 p.m. (NHLN, TSN) |
| Jan. 2 | Finland | L, 2-1 (OT) | 6:30 p.m. (NHLN, TSN) |
| Jan. 4 | Semifinals | N/A | N/A |
| Jan. 5 | Medal games | N/A | N/A |
(All times Eastern)
How to watch Canada games live online
TSN owns exclusive broadcast rights for the World Junior Championship in Canada and will show every game live during the tournament across its various television channels. Canadian viewers can find a live stream for games online at TSN.ca or through the TSN app and TSN Direct.
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Team Canada’s 2019 World Juniors roster
As usual, Hockey Canada had the luxury to choose from a who's who pool of top NHL prospects. Among the notables to make the final cut this year was Michael DiPietro, a top goalie prospect for the hometown Canucks, and 17-year-old sensation Alexis Lafreniere, who draws comparisons to Sidney Crosby and Canada's youngest WJC player since Connor McDavid. Pre-tournament injuries may have claimed Gabe Vilardi and Alex Formenton, but Canada has plenty of talent to fill the gaps.
FORWARDS
| Name | 2018-19 team | NHL rights |
| Jaret Anderson-Dolan | Spokane (WHL) | Kings |
| Shane Bowers | Boston U (NCAA) | Senators |
| Maxime Comtois | Drummondville (QMJHL) | Ducks |
| Cody Glass | Portland (WHL) | Golden Knights |
| Barrett Hayton | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) | Coyotes |
| Owen Tippett | Mississauga (OHL) | Panthers |
| MacKenzie Entwistle | Hamilton (OHL) | Blackhawks |
| Nick Suzuki | Owen Sound (OHL) | Canadiens |
| Morgan Frost | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) | Flyers |
| Alexis Lafreniere | Rimouski (QMJHL) | 2020 draft |
| Brett Leason | Prince Albert (WHL) | 2019 draft |
| Jack Studnicka | Oshawa (OHL) | Bruins |
| Joe Veleno | Drummondville (OMJHL) | Red Wings |
DEFENSEMEN
| Name | 2018-19 team | NHL rights |
| Evan Bouchard | London (OHL) | Oilers |
| Josh Brook | Moose Jaw (WHL) | Canadiens |
| Ian Mitchell | Denver (NCAA) | Blackhawks |
| Markus Phillips | Owen Sound (OHL) | Kings |
| Ty Smith | Spokane (WHL) | Devils |
| Noah Dobson | Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) | Islanders |
| Jared McIsaac | Halifax (QMJHL) | Red Wings |
GOALIES
| Name | 2018-19 team | NHL rights |
| Michael DiPietro | Windsor (OHL) | Canucks |
| Ian Scott | Prince Albert (WHL) | Maple Leafs |
MORE: Canada loses Alex Formenton for tournament
World Junior Championship standings
GROUP A
| Team | Wins | Losses | OTL | Points |
| 1. Russia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2. Canada | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 3. Czech Republic | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 4. Switzerland | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 5. Denmark | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
GROUP B
| Team | Wins | Losses | OTL | Points |
| 1. Sweden | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 2. United States | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 3. Finland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 4. Slovakia | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 5. Kazakhstan | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Wins in regulation = 3 points
Overtime win = 2 points
Overtime loss = 1 point
Full World Junior Championship schedule
| WEDNESDAY, DEC. 26 | ||
| Czech Republic 2, Switzerland 1 (OT) | 4 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| United States 2, Slovakia 1 | 6:30 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Canada 14, Denmark 0 | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Finland 1, Sweden 2 | 10:30 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| THURSDAY, DEC. 27 | ||
| Russia 4, Denmark 0 | 4 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Slovakia 2, Sweden 5 | 6:30 p.m. | TSN |
| Switzerland 2, Canada 3 | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Finland 5, Kazakhstan 0 | 10:30 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| FRIDAY, DEC. 28 | ||
| Russia 2, Czech Republic 1 | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| United States 8, Kazakhstan 2 | 10:30 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| SATURDAY, DEC. 29 | ||
| Denmark 0, Switzerland 4 | 4 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Slovakia 1, Finland 5 | 6:30 p.m. | ... |
| Canada 5, Czech Republic 1 | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Sweden 5, United States 4 (OT) | 10:30 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| SUNDAY, DEC. 30 | ||
| Russia 7, Switzerland 4 | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Slovakia 11, Kazakhstan 2 | 10:30 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| MONDAY, DEC. 31 | ||
| Czech Republic 4, Denmark 0 | 4 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Sweden 4, Kazakhstan 1 | 6:30 p.m. | ... |
| Russia 2, Canada 1 | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| United States 4, Finland 1 | 10:30 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2 | ||
| Kazakhstan 4, Denmark 3 | 2 p.m. | ... |
| Switzerland 2, Sweden 0 | 4 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Finland 2, Canada 1 (OT) | 6 p.m. | TSN |
| United States 3, Czech Republic 1 | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| Russia 8, Slovakia 3 | 10:30 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| FRIDAY, JAN. 4 | ||
| Kazakhstan 4, Denmark 0 | noon | ... |
| Finland 6, Switzerland 1 | 4 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| United States 2, Russia 1 | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| SATURDAY, JAN. 5 | ||
| Kazakhstan vs. Denmark | noon | ... |
| Russia 5, Switzerland 2 (Bronze-medal game) | 4 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
| USA 2, Finland 3 (Gold-medal game) | 8 p.m. | NHLN, TSN |
(All times Eastern)