Christmas is a special time in Canada for obvious reasons, but Boxing Day is a date that’s circled on the calendar of every hockey fan in the country.
The 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gets underway from the cities of Halifax and Moncton on Dec. 26, and Canada is once again favoured to claim the gold medal at the event which features the best players under the age of 20 in the world.
Hockey Canada released its final 22-man roster ahead of the team’s opening game of the tournament on Dec. 26 against Czechia, and it includes top prospects Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, as well as 2022 fourth overall pick Shane Wright.
Canada is seeking its second consecutive gold medal and third in the past four years at the event. Several players are returning from the squad that claimed gold in August (the 2022 event was postponed until the summer due to a COVID-19 outbreak last December) including Bedard, Logan Stankoven, Brennan Othmann, Joshua Roy, Nathan Gaucher, Zack Ostapchuk, and defencemen Olen Zellweger, and Ethan Del Mastro.
Outright odds
Canada is a -101 favourite at Sports Interaction to win the tournament, with Finland (+302) and the USA (+338) pegged as the nation’s stiffest competition for gold by oddsmakers.
| Nation | Outright Odds |
| Canada | -101 |
| Finland | +302 |
| USA | +338 |
| Sweden | +493 |
| Czechia | +1381 |
| Slovakia | +3493 |
| Switzerland | +7250 |
| Germany | +9410 |
| Latvia | +50000 |
| Austria | +50000 |
Group A odds
Canada will be playing in Group A alongside Sweden, Czechia, Germany, and Austria. Group B will consist of Finland, USA, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Latvia.
Group B odds
After a single round-robin series in each group, the top four teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinal playoff round on Jan. 2. The two semifinal games are scheduled for Jan. 4 and the gold medal and bronze medal games will be played on Jan. 5.
Odds are already being offered at Sports Interaction for Canada’s tournament opener against Czechia on Boxing Day. The Canadians are -588 on the moneyline while Czechia is +900 to pull off the upset. A draw in the game is +1300.
Canada will then play Germany on Dec. 28 and Austria on Dec. 29 before concluding round-robin play on Dec. 31 against Sweden. All of the games will be broadcast on TSN.
Sports Interaction isn’t the only sportsbook Canadians can wager with for the tournament. Canada Sports Betting has you covered with a comprehensive list of available sportsbooks in your region.
