CALGARY – At its meetings in Moscow on Friday, the IIHF announced that Canada has been awarded the rights to play host to the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will take place in Canada from December 2009 to January 2010.

With the 2011 World Junior Championship in the U.S.A., North American cities will play host to four consecutive World Juniors between 20.

It was previously announced that Canada will host the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa from December 26th, 2008 to January 5th, 2009 and that Canada also will be the site of the 2012 World Junior Championship, although the city has yet to be determined.

This marks the first time Canada will play host to back-to-back World Junior Championships.
“We were ecstatic to hear the news that Canada will once again host the World Junior Championship,” said Bob Nicholson, President of Hockey Canada. “This is a tremendous event and, as always, we expect it to be a huge success in Canada. We are very pleased that the IIHF and the other nations have allowed us to host the event in 2010. The World Junior Championship has become a Christmas-time tradition for hockey fans throughout our nation, and we are looking forward to hosting this event in 2009 in Ottawa and in 20.”

Over the coming months, Hockey Canada will announce the details of how cities can apply to host the 2010 World Junior Championship. Further details also will be made available on the process for hosting the 2012 World Juniors.

Canada has won the last three World Junior Championships and has medaled in the last nine World Juniors. Canada has hosted the IIHF World Junior Championship a total of seven times. Past host cities were Vancouver/Kamloops/Kelowna, BC (2006), Halifax/Sydney, NS (2003), Winnipeg, MB (1999), Red Deer, AB (1995), Saskatoon, SK (1991), Hamilton, ON (1986) and Montreal, QC (1978).

2009 World Junior Championship: Ticket packages for the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa are now available. A number of different options are available to hockey fans.