MONTREAL, Que./TORONTO, Ont. – Hockey Canada, along with the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship host committee and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), announced Tuesday the schedule for the tournament, which runs from Dec. 26, 2014 to Jan. 5, 2015 in Montreal and Toronto.

Montreal and Toronto will each host a preliminary round group, with Toronto hosting the medal round. Canada’s National Junior Team will be based in Montreal for the preliminary round.

In Group A, Canada will play the preliminary round at the Bell Centre in Montreal along with defending gold medallist Finland, the United States, Slovakia and Germany.

In Group B, 2014 silver medallist Sweden will join Russia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Canada’s National Junior Team opens its Group A schedule against Slovakia in Montreal on Dec. 26 and will face the United States on Dec. 31, continuing a New Year’s Eve tradition.

Canada’s preliminary round schedule at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship is as follows:

Friday, Dec. 26 @ 8 p.m. ET - Canada vs. Slovakia      
Saturday, Dec. 27 @ 8 p.m. ET - Canada vs. Germany     
Monday, Dec. 29 @ 8 p.m. ET - Canada vs. Finland        
Wednesday, Dec. 31 @ 4 p.m. ET - Canada vs. United States          

The medal round schedule for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship is as follows:

Friday, Jan. 2
1 p.m. ET - Quarter-final - Montreal, Que.
3 p.m. ET - Quarter-final - Toronto, Ont.
5 p.m. ET - Quarter-final - Montreal, Que.
8 p.m. ET - Quarter-final - Toronto, Ont.

Sunday, Jan. 4
4 p.m. ET - Semifinal - Toronto, Ont.
8 p.m. ET - Semifinal - Toronto, Ont.

Monday, Jan. 5
4 p.m. ET - Bronze medal game - Toronto, Ont.
8 p.m. ET - Gold medal game - Toronto, Ont.

With qualification for the quarter-finals and semifinals, Canada will play in Toronto at 8 p.m. ET.

Canada’s National Junior Team will play three pre-competition games, in Toronto (Dec. 19), Ottawa, Ont. (Dec. 21) and Montreal (Dec. 23). Canada’s opponents for the three games, along with the rest of the pre-competition schedule, will be announced at a later date. Tickets for the Montreal and Toronto games are included in the packages currently available, while tickets for the Ottawa game will be on sale June 12.

Some tickets still available

Tickets for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship are on sale now at www.hockeycanada.ca/2015juniors.

The Montreal package is for 13 games, which includes one Team Canada pre-competition game, four Team Canada preliminary round games, six other round robin games, and two quarter-finals. Montreal packages are selling fast, so fans looking to see the World Juniors and Team Canada should act now.

The Toronto package is for 19 games, including one Team Canada pre-competition game, 10 preliminary round games, two quarter-finals, two relegation round games, two semifinals, the bronze medal game and gold medal game. Inventory is very limited in Toronto. 

The 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship will mark the 11th time Canada has hosted the tournament. Past Canadian host cities include Calgary and Edmonton, Alta. (2012); Regina and Saskatoon, Sask. (2010); Ottawa, Ont. (2009); Vancouver, Kamloops and Kelowna, B.C. (2006); Halifax and Sydney, N.S. (2003); Winnipeg, Man. (1999); Red Deer, Alta. (1995); Saskatoon, Sask. (1991); Hamilton, Ont. (1986); and Montreal (1978).

The IIHF World Junior Championship will also be hosted in Canada in 2019 and 2021 as a part of an agreement between Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation that was approved at the IIHF congress in 2009. 

Hockey Canada, along with the International Ice Hockey Federation, Canadian Hockey League, Montreal Canadiens, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Hockey Quebec and the Ontario Hockey Federation, is proud to present the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Hosting the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship is made possible due to support from a number of partners, including the Government of Canada, Province of Quebec, Province of Ontario, City of Montreal, Tourism Toronto and Tourism Montreal.

For more information on Canada’s National Junior Team and the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/2015juniors, or follow on social media at www.facebook.com/worldjuniors, www.twitter.com/hc_wjc and www.twitter.com/hc_men.