CALGARY/EDMONTON, Alta. – Hockey Canada, along with the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship host committee, announced Tuesday the final schedule for the tournament, which runs from December 26, 2011 through January 5, 2012 in Calgary and Edmonton, Alta.

Groups were set based on the previous IIHF World Junior Championship results and were announced and assigned to Calgary and Edmonton in early January 2011. Group A, hosted in Calgary from December 26-31, features the defending gold medallists from Russia along with Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. Group B, hosted in Edmonton, will feature Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland and the United States.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2012 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Canada will open its Group B schedule against Finland in Edmonton on Monday, December 26. 

Canada’s preliminary round schedule at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship is as follows:

Monday, December 26, 2011          1:30 p.m.       Canada vs. Finland                  Edmonton, Alta.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011     6 p.m.           Canada vs. Czech Republic       Edmonton, Alta.
Thursday, December 29, 2011        6 p.m.           Canada vs. Denmark               Edmonton, Alta.
Saturday, December 31. 2011        6 p.m.           Canada vs. USA                       Edmonton, Alta.

The medal game schedule for the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship is as follows:

Monday, January 2, 2012              
3 p.m.           Quarter-final                          Calgary, Alta.
7 p.m.           Quarter-final                          Calgary, Alta.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012             
3 p.m.           Semifinal                                Calgary, Alta.
7 p.m.           Semifinal                                Calgary, Alta.

Thursday, January 5, 2012            
1:30 p.m.       Bronze medal game                Calgary, Alta.
6 p.m.           Gold medal game                   Calgary, Alta.

Highlights of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship schedule include:

• A Canada-United States New Year’s Eve match-up in Edmonton on December 31, 2011
• A rematch of the Russia-Sweden semifinal from the 2011 World Junior Championship on December 31 in Calgary (Russia came from behind to tie the game and then won the game in overtime to advance to the gold medal game against Canada)
• Quarter-finals in Calgary on January 2, semifinals in Calgary on January 3 and both medal games in Calgary on January 5

The 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship will mark the tenth time that Canada has hosted the IIHF World Junior Championship. Past Canadian host cities include Regina/Saskatoon, Sask. (2010); Ottawa, Ont. (2009); Vancouver/Kamloops/Kelowna, B.C. (2006); Halifax/Sydney, N.S. (2003); Winnipeg, Man. (1999); Red Deer, Alta. (1995); Saskatoon, Sask. (1991); Hamilton, Ont. (1986) and Montreal, Que. (1978).

For more information on Canada’s National Junior Team and the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit www.HockeyCanada.ca/2012Juniors, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/worldjuniors and www.twitter.com/hc_wjc.