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The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship Leaves an Indelible Mark

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The trials posed by the COVID-19 pandemic did not hamper The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship from achieving new heights of international success. There is not much to be said as the results from the tournament speak for themselves. Let’s take a look back at the results, yes?

The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship was the first major international sports event hosted during a pandemic. The event not only reached its Canadian fans but worldwide fans as well. In Canada, an average of 1.1 million viewers tuned in to watch the live games on TV. The 2021 World Junior Championship aired on TSN Sports became the most-watched event since 2015. It piqued 13.5 million Canadian viewers’ attention, an equivalent of 36% of Canada’s population.

Internationally, 12 countries broadcasted at least one game, and over 100 million viewers worldwide tuned in to watch. Also, Russia’s Channel One had 15 million viewers watching the quarter-final game between Russia and Germany.

The event not only left a memorable impact on television audiences but on social media fans as well. A total of 162.9 million impressions and 7.1 million engagements were generated on Hockey Canada and IIHF’s social media channels. Moreover, 22 million page views got registered on IIHF.com; this number marks a 70.58% increment from the total page views registered in 2020.

In so many ways, the world’s top junior hockey tournament proved worth the IIHF and Hockey Canada’s efforts to bring the event to life. It proved to be a worthwhile investment, too; the 50/50 online jackpot generated over CAD$38 million in total sales. The raised funds would be used to finance projects involving ordinary people in society.

We can all agree that the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship was undeniably a huge success, right? Despite being held when restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic were still effective, the event achieved big numbers and entertained fans at the comfort of their own homes.

IIHF’s Top 10 Goals of the 2021 World Juniors

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Despite the absence of fans during The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, indelible memories topped with impressive goals were scored by U20 stars. The moments are numerous, making it hard to decide where to start or stop. Today though, let us look back at the top 10 goals of the championship.

01. Alex Turcotte USA 1 vs. Canada 0

This goal was be termed as the top goal of the 2021 World Juniors. Alex Turcotte scored against Devon Levi at 13:25 of the final.

2. Tim Stutzle; GER 2 vs Slovakia 2

Stutzle scored against Slovak goalie Simon Latkoczy’s. The unforeseen goal was shot off Simon’s shoulder and luckily bounced in off defenseman Becar.

3. Vasili Ponomaryov RUS 1 vs. Germany 0

In the first period of quarter-final game 1, Russia over Germany with a flawless 1-0. The score was a short-handed goal from Vasili Ponomaryov.

4. Filip Koffer CZE 1 vs Russia 0

For a minute, the Czechs were under intense pressure from Russia. However, Rychlovsky made off with the puck while Filip Koffer got the opportunity to get his first score of the 2021 World Juniors championship.

5. Tim Stutzle GER 2 vs Switzerzland 0

The fifth goal on the list is a critical 5-4 win over the Swiss scored by Tim Stutzle. The 18-year-old is well known for leading short-staffed Germans to their first-ever quarter-final

6. Lucas Raymond SWE 1 vs. Finland 0

Lucas Raymond scored against goalie Kari Piiroinem. His high-end skills were evident on this one. He faked a cross-ice pass before beating Kari high to the short side.

7. Kasper Simontaival FIN 1 vs USA 1

Kasper Simontaival scored two beautiful goals against the Americans in the semi-finals. Getting into the slot, waiting for a feed, then firing the puck past America’s Spencer knight was his simple yet effective way of scoring.

8. Elmer Soderblom SWE 5 vs. the Czech Republic 1

A 108 kg and 202 cm Elmer Soderblom scored with his stick sandwiched in his legs. Unpredicted right? His goal, however, made it to the highlight reel.

9. Dylan Cozens CAN 1 vs. Czech Republic 0

At 8:22, Canada’s Dylan Cozen scored the first goal over the Czech Republic against goalie Nick Malik.

10. Arthur Kaliyev USA 1 vs. Slovakia 0

And lastly, a power-play goal was scored by American winger Arthur Kaliyev. He opened the scoring with a one-timer in the win over Slovakia.

 

A look at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship

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The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship was held when restrictions due to the covid-19 pandemic were still effective. Hockey fans, however, got to enjoy the event through social media channels and TV. It is expected that the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held under different situations than the 2021 event. If you are a hockey fan who’d love to make it to the event, then read on to find out all about the tournaments.

Venue for the Tournaments
The 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship marks the 15th World Juniors to be hosted in Canada. The event will be held at Rogers Place. The recently constructed multi-use indoor arena in Edmonton, Canada, is home to NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, WHL’s Red Deer Rebels, and Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL).

How to Acquire Tickets for the 2022 Event
The tournament will take place from 26th December 2021 to 5th January 2022. The expectation is that the situation regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will have gotten better by these dates. If these expectations were to come true, fans wishing to get information on future ticket opportunities for the 2022 World Juniors event could sign up for the Fan List. Also, fans who had previously purchased tickets for the 2021 event and did not request for refund will be able to use the tickets for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at no extra cost.

Tentative Groups of the 2022 IIHF World Juniors Championship
With the gold medal game of the 2021 World Juniors played, the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship provisional groups have been listed. The groups that are to play in Edmonton are Canada, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Austria. Those that are to play in Red Deer include the USA, Slovakia, Switzerland, Russia, and Sweden.

With the 2021 IIHF World Juniors Championship being a huge success, there is no doubt that 2022 will step it up a notch. Brace yourself up then for another memorable tournament.

everything know about World juniors 2021 Gold Medal Game

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Canada believed that the gold medal game was a chance for them to solidify their status as one of the best teams in the world. On the contrary, for the USA, it was a chance to get back their prize. While the US put their foot on the gas through to the 5-minute mark, they were given an offensive penalty with 3.22 thus giving Canada the power play. During the occasions that Canada got out of their zones, they had to get back to the bench. For them to claim the gold, the USA finished first in group B before defeating Slovakia and Finland in the semifinals.

Later on, they used the 34 saves from Spencer Knights and goals from Alex Turcott and Trevor Zgras to defeat Canada in the gold medal game. This was their fifth gold medal and perhaps the best medal game in the nation’s history. Currently, thy have won up to 13 medals. This includes five gold, two silver, and six bronze medals.

Finland’s Heavy Metal WJC Inspiration

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Bronze is not the kind of award that Finland initially hoped to win at the 2021 IIHF World junior championship. However, it is always better to come home with something than nothing. Coach Antti Penname used music to motivate his players in Edmonton. Encouraging players after losing the semi-finals with a score of 4-3 was not an easy task. Pennanen being the first time junior coach to capture Gold, asked his staff to organize a tournament highlight reel to pump up his players. Coach Pennanen and singer-guitarist Alexi Laiho, 41, were the cofounders of children of Bodom’s “Are you dead yet?” The band originated in 1993 in Espoo, the homeland of the Finnish national team. On 29th December 2005, singer-guitarist Alexi Laiho, 41, passed away, and fans worldwide were morning his death.

Pennanen played his music videos for Finland’s team before facing coach Igor Larionov’s talented Russian players at a match held at Rogers Place. Peananen motivated the Finland team by telling them, “This team still has a chance to make history; let’s take advantage of it.” The words of Coach Pennanen with the Finnish musical icon’s intense emotion led to the team’s outstanding performance. The Finns managed to beat the Russians 4-1, with Lundell scoring twice and Piironein making twenty-eight saves.

Lehtinen is a famous stylist mostly known for his stunning outfits like Amorphis and slayer designed world-rocking uniforms for the Finland players. In 2006, Finland played with Canada, and they won with a score of 5-0 at the world’s Riga. The win, which is the most memorable moment since it made them the first Eurovision winners. Finland is ranked as the country with the most football awards, with Sweden and Norway in second place. The U20 Finns are looking forward to getting the gold medal at the 2022 World Juniors tournament, which will be held in Edmonton.