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The IIHF World Junior Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world. It is traditionally held from late December to the beginning of January. The main tournament features the top ten ranked hockey nations in the world, comprising the "Top Division", from which a world champion is crowned. There are also three lower pools—Divisions I, II and III—that each play separate tournaments playing for the right to be promoted to a higher pool with the last place team facing relegation to a lower pool.[1]
The first official tournament was held in 1977. Prior to that, there had been invitational tournaments in 1974, 1975 and 1976 that were not sanctioned by the IIHF.[2]
As of 2024, 48 official tournaments have been staged, while the 2022 tournament was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] Historically, the tournament has been dominated by Canada (20 gold medals) and the Soviet Union/CIS/Russia (13 gold medals). The USSR won the first four official tournaments, while the Canadians put together five straight championships between 1993 and 1997, and another five straight from 2005 to 2009.
The winners by season listed below.
Unofficial tournaments
| Year |  Gold |
 Silver |
 Bronze |
4th place | Host city (cities) | Host country (countries) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 |  Soviet Union |
 Finland |
 Canada |
 Sweden |
Leningrad | Soviet Union |
| 1975 | Soviet Union |
Canada |
Sweden |
 Czechoslovakia |
Winnipeg and Brandon Minneapolis, Bloomington and Fargo |
Canada United States |
| 1976 | Soviet Union |
Canada |
Czechoslovakia |
Finland |
Tampere, Turku, Pori and Rauma | Finland |
Official tournaments
- Key
- (#) Number of tournaments (or 2nd, 3rd or 4th places) won at the time.
The unofficial tournaments held prior to 1977 are not included in this table.
Countries in italics no longer compete at the World Championships.
| Country | Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Medals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada |
20 | 10 | 5 | 35 |
 Russia Soviet Union CISTotal |
4 8 1 13 |
10 3 0 13 |
9 2 0 11 |
23 13 1 37 |
 United States |
6 | 2 | 7 | 15 |
| Finland |
5 | 5 | 7 | 17 |
| Sweden |
2 | 12 | 7 | 21 |
| Czechia Czechoslovakia Total |
2 0 2 |
1 5 6 |
2 6 8 |
5 11 16 |
 Slovakia |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
 Switzerland |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 48 | 48 | 48 | 144 |
Notes
- During the final game of the tournament, Canada and the Soviet Union became engaged in a violent bench-clearing brawl while Canada was leading 4–2. Consequently, the game was declared null and void, and both teams were ejected from the tournament; while the Soviets were out of medal contention, Canada was playing for the gold medal and were guaranteed at least a bronze.[4][5]
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