The IIHF World Junior Championship has become ubiquitous -- in hockey circles at least -- with the Christmas holiday season. And the tournament returns this year to its usual place of honor.
That's after the 2022 championship was shuttered in December 2021 amid a spike of COVID-19 cases within the Edmonton "bubble," which was serving as the tournament's venue. The event was ultimately restaged there in August, with Team Canada beating Team Finland 3-2 in overtime to claim gold.
So, if you're feeling some déjà vu -- "wait, didn't they just crown a World Junior champion?