Christmas Day World Juniors action kicks off on TSN
The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship kicks off on Christmas Day for the first time since 2005 with three round-robin games on tap from the bubble in Edmonton. All of the games can be seen on TSN and streaming on TSN.ca, the TSN App and TSN Direct.
Brianne Spiker, TSN.ca Staff Cole Caufield Jackson Lacombe , The Canadian Press
The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship kicks off on Christmas Day for the first time since 2005 with three round-robin games on tap from the bubble in Edmonton.
All of the games can be seen on TSN and streaming on TSN.ca, the TSN App and TSN Direct.
CBJ Viewer s Guide to the World Junior Championships
Three Blue Jackets draft picks taking part in the hockey appetizer starting Christmas Day by Jeff Svoboda @JacketsInsider / BlueJackets.com
Merry Christmas! Your present is hockey.
The popular IIHF World Junior Championships began Christmas Day as well, though, with all games of the entertaining Under-20 tournament set to be shown live on NHL Network. Think of it as an appetizer before the meal arrives in the middle of January.
For Blue Jackets fans, the present for tuning in is getting the chance to see the future. Three members of the team s 2020 draft class - first-round pick Yegor Chinakhov (Russia), third-round pick Samuel Knazko (Slovakia) and fourth-round pick Mikael Pyyhtia (Finland) are taking part.
2021 World Junior Championship Primer: Canada seeks back-to-back golds
Canada s Bowen Byram (4) and Jamie Drysdale (6) celebrate a goal against the Russia during third period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship pre-competition action in Edmonton on Wednesday, December 23, 2020. (Jason Franson/CP)
Lauren Kelly | @laurkelly24 December 24, 2020, 10:33 AM
As the COVID-19 pandemic caused the IIHF to cancel almost every single international tournament on its schedule, many feared that the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship would be next. However, the IIHF found a way to go ahead with the marquee event of the year and worked together with Hockey Canada to move the event to the NHL’s former bubble in Edmonton.
Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images
Topi Niemelä
Niemela started the game on the third pair with Eemil Viro, but was put on the first power play unit and was given spot shifts higher up the lineup with fellow Leaf Mikko Kokkonen and Ville Heinola. By the end of the game when Finland was trying to tie a 3-2 game, he was moved up permanently to the top pair to get maximum offense. Finland is basically using him as a Travis Dermott.
In terms of highlights, Niemela set up the first goal of the game on the power play.
Niemela picks up an assist on his first shift: pic.twitter.com/QCn6QNgEfi Kevin Papetti (@KPapetti) December 23, 2020
Preview the ten countries playing in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship by New York Rangers @NYRangers
Ten countries will participate in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, beginning December 25. Group A is comprised of Canada, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, and Switzerland; Group B is comprised of Austria, Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.
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Austria
Austria is participating in the tournament for the first time since 2010 (the team was promoted from the Division 1 - Group A tournament following last year). Austria s top player is Marco Rossi, who was selected by the Minnesota Wild with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.