Canada Favored to Win Back-to-Back IIHF World Juniors (U20) Tournaments
- Sportsbooks list Canada as the favorite to defend its IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship
- Canada hasn’t won back-to-back world juniors since winning five in a row from 2005-09
- Canada has won just one of the past three world juniors played on Canadian soil
Canada is the New England Patriots of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
No matter what the scenario, no matter how ordinary the Canadian club might look on paper, it’s never a wise strategy to count them out on the world stage.
So it’s no surprise that sportsbooks peg Canada as the +105 chalk to win the 2019 edition of the world junior tournament.
Odds to Win IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship
| Team | Odds to win IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship |
|---|---|
| Canada | +105 |
| United States | +325 |
| Finland | +400 |
| Russia | +700 |
| Sweden | +800 |
Despite winning last year, Canada has won just two of the last nine world junior championships.
Is History On Canada’s Side?
There is no generational talent like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, or Eric Lindros to carry the Canadians this year. But often when that’s the case, it’s served them well.
Minus a stud to lead them, the team concept, always a staple of Canadian hockey success, is easier to preach. And that was most certainly the case in 2006, the last time the world juniors were staged in BC, Canada was a lunch-bucket squad led to gold by grinder Steve Downie.
The most talented player on the team was the undrafted Jonathan Toews.
AN EARLY HOLIDAY GIFT: Alexis Lafrenière describes the special, surprising moment when he found out he made Team Canada for the #WorldJuniors https://t.co/99ZK29ENQx #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/Q9qvJnpQhp
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) December 19, 2018
The best player on this year’s team might turn out to be Alexis Lafreniere, favored to be selected first overall in the 2020 NHL entry draft.
Turnabout Is Fair Play?
Last year in Buffalo, Canada won the gold medal and the host Americans settled for a bronze medal.
But in 2017, the last time the world juniors were held in Canada, it was Team USA that was golden, beating the Canadians in a shootout in the championship game.
Last year Canada won the #WorldJuniors on U.S. soil. This winter @USAHockey wishes to return the favour. We had a chat with returning @LilUziPoehlss. https://t.co/FXhdR1nnK7
Photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images pic.twitter.com/VZdyUCcK8Z
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 26, 2018
The United States is a real threat to win it all here.
With a roster that includes seven NHL first-round draft picks, the Americans are deep in all areas and feature the next great NHL star in Jack Hughes, the consensus No. 1 overall choice for the 2019 NHL entry draft.
Team USA is the only country to earn a medal in each of the last three world junior tournaments, also earning bronze in 2016.
The Fantastic Finnish?
Since winning the title in 2016, Finland has finished ninth and sixth in the last two world juniors. But this year’s group is an intriguing lot.
It’s a young team – six players figure to go in the 2019 NHL entry draft – but it’s also a talented bunch, led by Nashville Predators first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen.
Canada looked flat early and it proved costly in a 5-2 loss to Finland Sunday.https://t.co/vDpogzfA5H
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 24, 2018
Finland whipped Canada 5-2 in a pre-tournament game.
The Final Verdict
No country has won more world junior gold medals since 2010 than the United States.
At +325, the Americans are a good value. They will beat Canada in the gold-medal game, with Finland topping Russia for bronze.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
