World Junior Hockey Championships 2016: Dates, Schedule, Teams, Bracket and More
The world's best young hockey talent descends on Helsinki, Finland, starting on Saturday in the 2016 World Junior Hockey Championships.
Ten countries will compete in the annual tournament made up of players under 20 years old that dates back to 1974.
Here is a list of the 10 teams involved in the junior championships and what groups they will be playing in:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
| Canada | Russia |
| Sweden | Slovakia |
| United States | Czech Republic |
| Denmark | Finland |
| Switzerland | Belarus |
Continue for the schedule of group-play games, which will be taking place from Dec. 26-31. The tournament will conclude after knockout play leads up to the gold-medal game on Jan. 5:
| Saturday, Dec. 26 | |||
| Czech Republic vs. Russia | B | 9 a.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| Switzerland vs. Sweden | A | 11 a.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Finland vs. Belarus | B | 1 p.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| USA vs. Canada | A | 3 p.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Sunday, Dec. 27 | |||
| Belarus vs. Slovakia | B | 11 a.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| Denmark vs. Switzerland | A | 3 p.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Monday, Dec. 28 | |||
| Slovakia vs. Czech Republic | B | 9 a.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| Sweden vs. USA | A | 11 a.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Russia vs. Finland | B | 1 p.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| Canada vs. Denmark | A | 3 p.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Tuesday, Dec. 29 | |||
| Belarus vs. Russia | B | 11 a.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| Switzerland vs. Canada | A | 3 p.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Wednesday, Dec. 30 | |||
| Czech Republic vs. Belarus | B | 9 a.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| Sweden vs. Denmark | A | 11 a.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Slovakia vs. Finland | B | 1 p.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| USA vs. Switzerland | A | 3 p.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Thursday, Dec. 31 | |||
| Russia vs. Slovakia | B | 9 a.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| Denmark vs. USA | A | 11 a.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
| Finland vs. Czech Republic | B | 1 p.m. | Hartwall Arena |
| Canada vs. Sweden | A | 3 p.m. | Helsinki Ice Hall |
There's an abundance of prospects that will soon be plying their trade in the NHL—none more so than on the roster of the defending champions, Team Canada. The 16-time winners have seven players on their roster drafted in the first round of the 2015 draft, including the No. 3 and No. 4 picks.
One of them is my player to watch in this tournament.
Player To Watch
Dylan Strome, F, Team Canada
The No. 3 overall pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, forward Dylan Strome is one of the brightest young players that isn't playing in the NHL. Applying his talents with the Erie Otters in the OHL, he already has 16 goals and 37 assists (53 points) in just 25 games.
Strome is attempting to follow up a 2014-15 season that saw him record 129 points in 68 games with 45 goals and 84 assists.
With great speed for a 6'3" frame, Strome has shown great hockey sense in always knowing where the play is flowing. He has the ability to get his linemates involved on the play while holding the individual brilliance that any future superstar needs.
His premier play has translated well onto the international stage. In just one appearance with a national team, which came with the U-18 squad, Strome recorded five goals and an assist in five games at the Hlinka Memorial Tournament last season.
The closer Strome gets to the NHL, the more talent he is going to play with. The more talent he plays with, the more he is going to flourish. This is as close to NHL talent without playing in the NHL as Strome will get to see.
The Coyotes should be watching these championships with great interest to see how he performs, as one day, he'll be gracing their top line.
Stats courtesy of EliteProspects.com
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
