World Junior A Challenge
International U20 ice hockey tournament / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The World Junior A Challenge (WJAC) is an annual under-20 international ice hockey tournament sponsored by Hockey Canada, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The tournament showcases Junior A level players and is modeled after the IIHF World U20 Championships, which displays the best of all junior-aged hockey players. It has been hosted by Canadian cities every year in CJAHL markets.
Most recent season or competition: 2023 World Junior A Challenge | |
Sport | Ice hockey |
---|---|
First season | 2006 |
Most recent champion(s) | Canada West |
Most titles | United States (9) |
TV partner(s) | TSN |
Sponsor(s) | Hockey Canada Canadian Junior Hockey League International Ice Hockey Federation |
Related competitions | CJHL Prospects Game Royal Bank Cup World U-17 Hockey Challenge |
Official website | World Junior A Challenge |
The tournament features six teams per year and has seen teams from Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Slovakia, Germany, Switzerland and Belarus. Canada is represented by two regional squads; Canada West consists of players from the British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Superior International Junior Hockey Leagues, while Canada East features players from the Northern Ontario, Ontario, Central, Quebec, and Maritime Junior Hockey Leagues. American players are chosen from the United States Hockey League. Canada West captured the first two gold medals in tournament history, while the United States won the next three. Also, Russia, who has been with the tournament since the beginning, generally sends their Under-18 Team in place of a general select squad.[1][2][3]