It’s December, the first snow has fallen, and everyone is in a festive mood because it’s almost time for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-20 World Championship, a.k.a. the World Juniors. It’s an annual tradition that takes place in the last week of December, and transitions into a new year.
Unbeknownst to many fans of the annual tournament, the championships have already begun, as teams in lower divisions have jockeyed for placements in next year’s tournament.
The Division 1A World Junior Championship was contested from December 10 to 16 in Courcheval and Méribel, France. It was Kazakhstan who came out victorious, earning a promotion to the Top Division, where they will play with the likes of Canada and the USA in 2019.