Team Canada will still play in 2022 World Juniors in Edmonton next month
Posted Jul 27, 2022 08:30:00 PM.
Amid the fallout from how Hockey Canada has handled sexual assault allegations, Team Canada will still appear in the upcoming World Juniors tournament in Edmonton, Hockey Canada president Scott Smith said during a pause in Wednesday’s parliamentary hearings.
The International Ice Hockey Federation, Smith noted, remained committed to hosting the tournament in Edmonton, stressing that the event itself is not one run by Hockey Canada.
The team continuing to participate comes in the immediate wake of new allegations on Friday of sexual assault by former national team players at the 2003 tournament in Halifax. Halifax police quickly announced they are opening an investigation into the alleged incident.
Also on Friday, London, Ont., police announced they are reopening an investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2018 involving eight CHL players, some of whom were on the 2018 Canadian world juniors team.
The 2022 tournament, already absent Russia because of an IIHF ban prompted by that country's invasion of Ukraine, will go ahead as planned at Rogers Place. Canada was in Group A with Czechia, Finland, Latvia and Slovakia.
Team USA is the defending champion, having captured gold by beating Canada in the 2021 tournament held in Edmonton. Team USA is in Group B with Austria, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.
The 2022 world juniors were postponed from the usual December-January window because of rising COVID-19 infections caused by the Omicron variant.
The 2023 world juniors are slated for December 26 to January 5, 2023, in Halifax and Moncton.
