CORNWALL, Ont. – 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, Dec. 11-18.
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 CJHL is eternally grateful to the City of Cornwall for the patience they have exhibited through these recent challenging times,” offered CJHL president Brent Ladds. “Their continued commitment to hosting this event provides everyone with the confidence that the 2022 WJAC will be a successful event.”
The official tournament schedule features four preliminary-round games for each team between Dec. 11-16, kicking off with Team Canada East taking on Latvia at 1 p.m. ET 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 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET, respectively, on Dec. 18. 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.”
Fans looking to secure their seats can purchase a full-event ticket package for $189 online at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets. The package includes one ticket to all 14 tournament games, including both medal games, and 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.
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.
For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2022 World Junior A Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Photo credit: Matthew Murnaghan / Hockey Canada Images
