World Junior A Challenge
Encyclopedia
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.
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 League
s, 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, the current champion, captured the first two gold medals in tournament history, while the United States won the next three.
The tournament was created in 2006 through a proposal by the Canadian Junior A Hockey League
(CJHL prior to 2008) to Hockey Canada
. The idea behind the tournament was to showcase players from Canadian Junior "A" to Canadian Hockey League
, National Collegiate Athletic Association
, and National Hockey League
scouts, while also exposing them to an international level and style of play.
The inaugural 2006 tournament was hosted in Yorkton, Saskatchewan
, and featured six teams – Canada West, Canada East, Russia
, Slovakia
, Germany
and Belarus
. Both Canadian teams met in the final with Canada West defeating Slovakia 7-1 and Canada East defeating Russia 5-1 in their respective semifinals. Led by Kyle Turris
, Canada West ran up a 4-0 tally against Canada East early in the game and held on for a 4-3 victory to win the first-ever WJAC championship.
The 2007 tournament was held in Trail, British Columbia
. The United States
joined the tournament for the first time, replacing Slovakia. For the second straight year, Canada West defeated the East in the final.
Beginning in 2008, the United States began a string of dominance at the tournament. They defeated Canada West in the 2008 (Camrose, Alberta
) and 2009 (Summerside, Prince Edward Island
) finals before winning their third consecutive title against Canada East in 2010 (Penticton, British Columbia
). The 2009 tournament featured newcomers Sweden
, who sent a team in place of Germany. That year also marked the only time in tournament history that Canada East failed to medal. At the 2010 WJAC, Switzerland
competed in place of Belarus
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
tournament sponsored by Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), and the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
(IIHF). The tournament showcases Junior A level
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
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.
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
British Columbia Hockey League
The British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior "A" ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 16 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior...
, Alberta
Alberta Junior Hockey League
The Alberta Junior Hockey League is an Alberta-based Junior A hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in two divisions: the Bauer and Sherwood conferences...
, Manitoba
Manitoba Junior Hockey League
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ....
, and Superior International Junior Hockey League
Superior International Junior Hockey League
The Superior International Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The winner of the SIJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern...
s, while Canada East features players from the Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, and Hockey Canada. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario...
, Ontario, Central, Quebec
Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League
The Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA Quebec or Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League is a Hockey Quebec Junior "AAA" ice hockey league and is a member of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League...
, and Maritime Junior Hockey Leagues. American players are chosen from the United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
. Canada West, the current champion, captured the first two gold medals in tournament history, while the United States won the next three.
History
Canadian Junior A Hockey League
The Canadian Junior Hockey League , an association of Canadian Junior A ice hockey leagues and teams, formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Royal Bank Cup.The CJHL spans the majority of...
(CJHL prior to 2008) to Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
. The idea behind the tournament was to showcase players from Canadian Junior "A" to Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
, National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
, and National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
scouts, while also exposing them to an international level and style of play.
The inaugural 2006 tournament was hosted in Yorkton, Saskatchewan
Yorkton, Saskatchewan
Yorkton is a city located in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, near the Manitoba border. Founded and incorporated in 1882 by a group of settlers from Ontario, it has grown to 15,038 residents as of the 2006 census. The city is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Orkney No. 244 and the Rural...
, and featured six teams – Canada West, Canada East, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
. Both Canadian teams met in the final with Canada West defeating Slovakia 7-1 and Canada East defeating Russia 5-1 in their respective semifinals. Led by Kyle Turris
Kyle Turris
Kyle Turris is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre with the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . He was selected third overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Playing career:...
, Canada West ran up a 4-0 tally against Canada East early in the game and held on for a 4-3 victory to win the first-ever WJAC championship.
The 2007 tournament was held in Trail, British Columbia
Trail, British Columbia
Trail is a city in the West Kootenay region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada.-Geography:Trail has an area of . The city is located on both banks of the Columbia River, approximately 10 km north of the United States border. This section of the Columbia River valley is located between the...
. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
joined the tournament for the first time, replacing Slovakia. For the second straight year, Canada West defeated the East in the final.
Beginning in 2008, the United States began a string of dominance at the tournament. They defeated Canada West in the 2008 (Camrose, Alberta
Camrose, Alberta
Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada, amid some of the richest farmland in the prairies. It is a relatively small city which originally grew up along a railroad and now grows along Highway 13. Camrose is a scenic community with many parks, leading to its moniker "The Rose City"...
) and 2009 (Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Summerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the principal municipality for the western part of the island.- History :...
) finals before winning their third consecutive title against Canada East in 2010 (Penticton, British Columbia
Penticton, British Columbia
Penticton is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan and Skaha Lakes. Its 2010 population was 37,721 .-Name origin:...
). The 2009 tournament featured newcomers Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, who sent a team in place of Germany. That year also marked the only time in tournament history that Canada East failed to medal. At the 2010 WJAC, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
competed in place of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
.
Champions
For information on the specific tournament, check "Details".EWLINE
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All-time Team Records
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See also
- International Ice Hockey FederationInternational Ice Hockey FederationThe International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
- Hockey CanadaHockey CanadaHockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
- Belarus Ice Hockey FederationBelarus Ice Hockey FederationBelarusian Ice Hockey Association is the Belarusian national ice hockey federation. It was founded on March 6, 1992 and became a member of the IIHF in two months ....
- Deutscher Eishockey-BundDeutscher Eishockey-BundThe German Ice Hockey Federation , commonly abbereviated as DEB, has been the responsible federation of ice hockey associations since its establishment on June 16, 1963, for the sport of ice hockey in Germany...
- Ice Hockey Federation of RussiaIce Hockey Federation of RussiaThe Ice Hockey Federation of Russia is the governing body overseeing ice hockey in Russia.- History :The federation was founded on November 12, 1991 as "Ice Hockey Federation of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic / Ice Hockey Federation of Russia" established during the existence of...
- Slovak Ice Hockey Federation
- USA HockeyUSA HockeyUSA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
- Canadian Junior A Hockey LeagueCanadian Junior A Hockey LeagueThe Canadian Junior Hockey League , an association of Canadian Junior A ice hockey leagues and teams, formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Royal Bank Cup.The CJHL spans the majority of...
- United States Hockey LeagueUnited States Hockey LeagueThe United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
- Royal Bank CupRoyal Bank CupThe Royal Bank Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament held to determine the Canadian Junior A champion. The winner of the tournament wins the Royal Bank Cup...
- Hockey Canada World U-17 hockey challengeWorld U-17 Hockey ChallengeThe World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, originally known as the Quebec Esso Cup, is an international ice hockey tournament held annually in Canada. The tournament does not operate during years in which the Canada Winter Games are held. As such, the World Under-17 Challenge is held three out of every...
- IIHF World U18 ChampionshipsIIHF World U18 ChampionshipsThe IIHF World U18 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a system similar to Ice Hockey World Championships and World...
- IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship