By: Justin Gincauskas
One of the best traditions for hockey fans is watching the World Junior Championship begin on Dec. 26. There are not many better ways to spend the holidays than watching future NHL stars battle it out while playing for their country.
The event is held in Sweden this year, and the home team is one of the top contenders to win the tournament. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Sweden has the second-best odds to win at +250, tied with Canada. The U.S. is currently the favorite, sitting at +175.
Last year, Canada defeated Czechia to win the gold medal. In the bronze medal match, the United States won against Sweden.
10 countries participate in the tournament each year. Here are the World Junior Championship teams ranked ahead of the 2024 event.
10. Norway
Norway is back in the tournament after being promoted from Division IA. The last time the Norwegians competed at the event was back in 2014.
Just playing in the tournament is an accomplishment for the team. However, Norway will likely be regulated after the event if they do not pull off a significant upset.
9. Latvia
Latvia finished ninth in the tournament last year, and they will likely finish in the same spot again this year.
Despite the lack of talent on the roster, Latvia plays with a high determination that few teams can match. They do not make it easy for anyone, and it is best not to overlook them. They shocked everyone in 2022, so who says they cannot do it again?
8. Germany
The tournament’s most important game for Germany will come on Dec. 30. That is when they play the Latvians, which will likely determine who makes it to the quarterfinals.
Germany does not have enough on the roster to compete with the top teams. Things could get ugly when they play Canada, Sweden, and Finland, as they are all in the same group as Germany.
7. Switzerland
There are top-tier and bottom-tier teams in the World Junior Championship, and Switzerland finds itself somewhere in the middle.
The team will have close games with some of the best teams (a 3-2 overtime win over Finland last year) but will also have poor performances against teams of a similar level (a 9-1 loss to Czechia).
6. Slovakia
Slovakia is another one of those teams stuck in the middle. They do not expect to compete for a medal but are also not worried about being relegated.
None of the top teams will take Slovakia lightly, especially after their upset against the U.S. last year and near upset against Canada. The team also does not look as strong as last year.
5. Czechia
Despite winning the silver medal in last year’s event, Czechia will not have many players from that roster returning this year.
One player to watch out for is defenseman Adam Jiricek, who is projected to be an NHL first-round pick in 2024. Jiricek and the returning cast of Matyas Sapovaliv and Jiri Kulich will attempt to get Czechia back in the medal rounds.
4. Finland
Finland will hope to avenge the disappointing fifth-place finish they had last year.
With Canada and Sweden in their group, Finland will likely have a tough matchup against the U.S. or Czechia in the quarterfinals. It is crucial for the team to take care of business against Germany and Latvia and then hope for an upset on Dec. 31 against Sweden.
3. United States
Anything other than a gold medal for the United States will be a disappointment.
The team features 10 NHL first-round draft picks, which includes Jimmy Snuggerud, who had 13 points in seven games with the U.S. last year. The U.S. always has big expectations but has not handled them well in the previous two years.
2. Sweden
Playing in their home country will give Sweden a significant boost. They will be a serious threat to win the gold medal.
It is strange to believe that Sweden has only won the tournament twice in the event’s history. The team usually crumbles under the weight of expectations, but they will have the home crowd to pick them up if they stumble early on in the tournament.
1. Canada
Canada has dominated the tournament throughout its history, winning 20 gold medals. They will again be one of the favorites to win the World Junior Championship.
The player to watch, not only for Canada but the entire tournament, is projected 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini. He will need to play a significant role if Canada is going to win its third straight gold medal in 2024.
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