For nearly two weeks, running parallel with the holiday season, the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Hockey Championship takes place. The tournament concentrates the top players under 20 years of age from the top 10 hockey nations, with one claiming a trophy, and more coveted individual gold medals.
This year’s event will be played in a bubble format as everyone involved tries to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. That has already proven difficult, as players and coaches from several nations have contracted the virus and are unable to travel, while other players have already dealt with an infection.