2021 World Junior Championship Preview, Part I

Photo by Peter Kovalev\\TASS via Getty ImagesThe annual World Junior Championship (WJC) — despite a bumpy road along the way — is nearly here. While enduring the hardships put in place by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has restructured the 2021 WJC to take place in a single-venue bubble in Edmonton, eliminating the second host city, Red Deer.

The IIHF also canceled all lower-division U20 level championships, meaning no team will be relegated from the WJC for 2022. While taking necessary precautions, the IIHF has hit its fair share of snags: Team Canada shut down their selection camp for two weeks due to two positive tests, Sweden’s coaching…