The World Junior Championship returns to Canada after a one-year break. Sweden hosted Gothenburg last year, and the young USA hockey players rejoiced at the title when they beat the home team in the final.
After a sensational turnaround in the bronze medal match, the Czechs overshot Finland and, after the silver medal in 2023, were rejoicing at their second medal in a row. On the contrary, for the first time since 2019, Canada came out empty-handed, which will thus take care of motivation on home soil.
WC U20 2025 programme: When do the Czechs play?
The Czech national team will begin their activity at the tournament on Thursday, December 26 against Switzerland. Two days later, they will face a newcomer from Kazakhstan, and on Sunday the 29th they will have a federal derby with Slovakia. They will then finish the group stage on New Year’s Eve in a match against the world vice-champions from Sweden.
| Group phase | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Group | A match |
| Thursday, December 26, 6:00 p.m | B | Slovakia – Sweden |
| Thursday, December 26, 8:30 p.m | A | USA – Germany |
| Thursday, December 26, 11:00 p.m | B | Czech Republic – Switzerland |
| Friday, December 27, 1:30 | A | Finland – Canada |
| Friday, December 27, 7:00 p.m | B | Switzerland – Slovakia |
| Friday, December 27, 9:30 p.m | A | Germany – Finland |
| Friday, December 27, 11:00 p.m | B | Sweden – Kazakhstan |
| Saturday, December 28, 1:30 | A | Latvia – Canada |
| Saturday 28 December, 19:00 | B | Kazakhstan – Czech Republic |
| Saturday, December 28, 9:30 p.m | A | Latvia – USA |
| Sunday, December 29, 6:00 p.m | B | Switzerland – Sweden |
| Sunday, December 29, 8:30 p.m | A | USA – Finland |
| Sunday, December 29, 11:00 p.m | B | Czech Republic – Slovakia |
| Monday, December 30, 1:30 | A | Canada – Germany |
| Monday, December 30, 7:00 p.m | B | Slovakia – Kazakhstan |
| Monday, December 30, 9:30 p.m | A | Germany – Latvia |
| Tuesday, December 31, 6:00 p.m | B | Kazakhstan – Switzerland |
| Tuesday, December 31, 8:30 p.m | A | Finland – Latvia |
| Tuesday, December 31, 11:00 p.m | B | Sweden – Czech Republic |
| Wednesday January 1, 1:30 | A | Canada – USA |
The elimination phase of the championship will start on Thursday, January 2. The medal fights are then scheduled for the night from Sunday, January 5 to Monday, January 6.
| Playoffs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | A match | ||
| Thursday, January 2, 6:00 p.m | Quarter final 1 | ||
| Thursday, January 2, 8:30 p.m | Quarter final 2 | ||
| Thursday, January 2, 11:00 p.m | Quarter final 3 | ||
| Friday, January 3, 1:30 | Quarter final 4 | ||
| Saturday, January 4, 9:30 p.m | Semi-final 1 | ||
| Sunday, January 5, 1:30 | Semi-final 2 | ||
| Sunday, January 5, 9:30 p.m | About 3rd place | ||
| Monday, January 6, 1:30 | The final | ||
World Cup U20 2025 group tables
The Czech Twenty20 will not meet the biggest favorites from the USA and Canada in the group phase, but will gradually play against Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Sweden in the tournament. The Czechs will play their first match on December 26 against the Swiss.
| Group B | Z | V | VP | PP | P | The score | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
| Czechia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
| Slovakia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
| Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0:0 | 0 |
World Cup U20 2025 groups
Both basic groups will take place in Ottawa, Canada. Group A, in which the defending champions from the USA will meet Finland, home Canada, Latvia and Germany, will take place in the Canadian Tire Center, which is the home arena of the NHL team Ottawa Senators.
In the hall called TD Place Arena, the matches of group B will take place, which includes Sweden, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland and a newcomer from Kazakhstan.
| Group A (Canadian Tire Center) | Group B (TD Place Arena) |
|---|---|
| USA | Sweden |
| Finland | Czechia |
| Canada | Slovakia |
| Latvia | Switzerland |
| Germany | Kazakhstan |
Where to watch the U20 WC 2025
As is customary, the match of the Czech junior national team can be watched on the sports channel of the public Czech television ČT Sport.
Internet streams from various bookmakers are also an alternative. However, registration and a minimum deposit are a condition for monitoring.
WC in hockey under 20 years 2025
The Under-20 World Championship is played every year at the turn of the calendar year, this year the elite juniors will be in action in the period from December 26, 2024 to January 5, 2025. The championship will take place in Ottawa, Canada.
