After claiming the gold medal the last two tournaments, the United States will now host the World Juniors in Minnesota’s twin cities, aiming for a threepeat. They have a good roster to make that happen, but there are several teams that go into the event feeling good about their chances.
Preliminary round
The first phase of the tournament involves two groups (A and B) of five teams playing a round robin to decide positioning for the playoff portion. The top four nations from each group make it to the quarter-finals, while the bottom teams will play each other in a relegation game.
December 26, 2024
1:00 PM EST: Sweden vs. Slovakia
3:30 PM EST: Denmark vs. Finland
6:00 PM EST: Germany vs. United States
8:30 PM EST: Czechia vs. Canada
December 27, 2024
2:00 PM EST: Slovakia vs. Germany
4:30 PM EST: Latvia vs. Canada
6:00 PM EST: United States vs. Switzerland
8:30 PM EST: Denmark vs. Czechia
December 28, 2024
2:00 PM EST: Sweden vs. Switzerland
4:30 PM EST: Finland vs. Latvia
December 29, 2024
1:00 PM EST: Germany vs. Sweden
3:30 PM EST: Finland vs. Czechia
6:00 PM EST: Slovakia vs. United States
8:30 PM EST: Canada vs. Denmark
December 30, 2024
2:00 PM EST: Switzerland vs. Germany
4:30 PM EST: Latvia vs. Denmark
December 31, 2024
1:00 PM EST: Switzerland vs. Slovakia
3:30 PM EST: Czechia vs. Latvia
6:00 PM EST: United States vs. Sweden
8:30 PM EST: Canada vs. Finland
Grid schedule (EST)
| Team | Dec 26 | Dec 27 | Dec 28 | Dec 29 | Dec 30 | Dec 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | CZE (20:30) | LAT (16:30) | — | DEN (20:30) | — | FIN (20:30) |
| CZE | CAN (20:30) | DEN (20:30) | — | FIN (15:30) | — | LAT (15:30) |
| DEN | FIN (15:30) | CZE (20:30) | — | CAN (20:30) | LAT (16:30) | — |
| FIN | DEN (15:30) | — | LAT (16:30) | CZE (15:30) | — | CAN (20:30) |
| GER | USA (18:00) | SVK (14:00) | — | SWE (13:00) | SUI (14:00) | — |
| LAT | — | CAN (16:30) | FIN (16:30) | — | DEN (16:30) | CZE (15:30) |
| SUI | — | USA (18:00) | SWE (14:00) | — | GER (14:00) | SVK (13:00) |
| SVK | SWE (13:00) | GER (14:00) | — | USA (18:00) | — | SUI (13:00) |
| SWE | SVK (13:00) | — | SUI (14:00) | GER (13:00) | — | USA (18:00) |
| USA | GER (18:00) | SUI (18:00) | — | SVK (18:00) | — | SWE (18:00) |
Relegation game
A single relegation game will be played between the teams that finish at the bottom of each group. The winner will remain in the Top Division for the 2027 event. The loser will drop down to Division IA, making room for Norway’s promotion next year.
January 2, 2025
12:30 PM EST: A5 vs. B5
Playoff round
The top seed from Group A plays the fourth seed from Group B, the second seed of Group A the third seed from Group B, and so on. These are all single-elimination games, with the losers’ tournament coming to an end, and the winners moving on to the semifinals. The winners of the semis play for the gold medal, while the losers battle for bronze.
January 2, 2025
2:00 PM EST: Quarter-final 1
4:30 PM EST: Quarter-final 2
6:00 PM EST: Quarter-final 3
8:30 PM EST: Quarter-final 4
January 4, 2025
4:30 PM EST: Semifinal 1 (reserved for USA)
8:30 EST: Semifinal 2 (reserved for Canada)
January 5, 2025
4:30 PM EST: Bronze Medal Game
8:30 PM EST: Gold Medal Game
