World Juniors 2022 forecasts. Scott Wheeler chooses teams and medals – The Athletic
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year …” – Andy Williams, sings about the world juniors (I think)
The only real holiday season – the world junior season – is near. After Hockey Canada failed to raise gate revenue at the 2021 tournament, the 2022 event in Edmonton returns for the second year in a row, with Red Deer as co-host.
This summer, Canada hosted its summer showcase in Calgary, and decided not to attend the US Hockey event of the same name in Plymouth due to logistics (although Sweden and Finland still participated). This autumn’s evaluation schedule for many of the European clubs is now also in full swing (or on the horizon) with the Four Nations and Karjala Cup. Canada will soon return to Calgary to host its selection camp in December. Just before Christmas, all 10 countries (same nations as last year, after the IIHF put a break on promotion and relegation) will gather in Alberta to play before the tournament before a full series of matches to kick off really on boxing Day .
Here I have made my list choices (including lines, pairings and goalkeeper hierarchies) for the five superpowers: Canada, Team USA, Sweden, Russia and Finland.
All the while, I will analyze my choices, defend my cuts, and ultimately predict everything from the group stage to the three medalists. These choices are my own but I have noted wherever a league has a clear preference for a player who is different from my own.
Team Canada should be the clear odds favorites again this year and that much is obvious in how difficult some of these decisions will be – and how good many of the cuts will be.
This is especially true on forward, where I think (availability and health allow) 12 of the 14 forwards I have chosen here are locks.