Who has won the most World Juniors? List of every gold medalist of the annual international tournament
It’s been more than a year and a half since a IIHF World Junior Championship winner was crowned, but that’s about to change this August.
As it comes a few months later, a champion will be named for the 2022 tournament when 10 teams meet in Edmonton to compete at the international level.
The United States enters the tournament as the reigning champion, having defeated Canada for their fifth win in the 2021 gold medal game. Meanwhile, Canada is looking to climb back to the top of World Juniors Mountain for the first time since 2020.
Both countries are considered favorites to win the competition year after year, but who has won the most medals and the most gold medals?
MORE: Schedule, Scores, Results for all World Juniors 2022 games
Here’s a look at every World Juniors winner back to the beginning of tournament history.
Which country has won the most medals?
Canada goes into the 2022 tournament with the most gold medals of all time. Its most recent came in 2020.
But Russia, which is not participating in the 2022 tournament, owns the most medals overall with 37. It has won the most silver and bronze medals of any country.
MORE: Why won’t Russia take part in World Juniors 2022?
The United States has the third most gold medals with Finland and owns the fifth most medals overall.
| country | gold | Silver | bronze | In total |
| Russia* | 13 | 13 | 11 | 37 |
| Canada | 18 | 10 | 5 | 33 |
| Sweden | 2 | 11 | 6 | 19 |
| Finland | 5 | 4 | 7 | 16 |
| United States | 5 | 2 | 6 | 13 |
| Czech Republic+ | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 |
| Slovakia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
* Includes medals won as Soviet Union and CIS
+ Includes medals won as Czechoslovakia
List of all World Juniors winners
The last winner to be crowned world junior champions was the United States, who beat Canada 2-0 in the 2021 gold medal game.
The Kings’ Alex Turcotte and Ducks’ Trevor Zegras both scored, while the Panthers’ Spencer Knight eliminated US rivals for the country’s fifth gold medal.
Here is a list of all medalists for each year of the tournament.
| YEAR | POSITION | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Edmonton, Canada | United States | Canada | Finland |
| 2020 | Ostrava/Trinec, Czech Republic | Canada | Russia | Sweden |
| 2019 | Vancouver/Victoria, Canada | Finland | United States | Russia |
| 2018 | Buffalo, NY, USA | Canada | Sweden | United States |
| 2017 | Montreal/Toronto, Canada | United States | Canada | Russia |
| 2016 | Helsinki, Finland | Finland | Russia | United States |
| 2015 | Montreal/Toronto, Canada | Canada | Russia | Slovakia |
| 2014 | Malmo, Sweden | Finland | Sweden | Russia |
| 2013 | Ufa, Russia | United States | Sweden | Russia |
| 2012 | Calgary/Edmonton, Canada | Sweden | Russia | Canada |
| 2011 | Buffalo/Niagara, NY, USA | Russia | Canada | United States |
| 2010 | Regina/Saskatoon, Canada | United States | Canada | Sweden |
| 2009 | Ottawa, Canada | Canada | Sweden | Russia |
| 2008 | Pardubice/Liberec, Czech Republic | Canada | Sweden | Russia |
| 2007 | Leksand/Mora, Sweden | Canada | Russia | United States |
| 2006 | Kamloops/Kelowna/Vancouver, Canada | Canada | Russia | Finland |
| 2005 | Grand Forks, ND/Thief River Falls, Minnesota, USA | Canada | Russia | Czech Republic |
| 2004 | Helsinki/Hameenlinna, Finland | United States | Canada | Finland |
| 2003 | Halifax/Sydney, Canada | Russia | Canada | Finland |
| 2002 | Pardubice/Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic | Russia | Canada | Finland |
| 2001 | Moscow/Podolsk, Russia | Czech Republic | Finland | Canada |
| 2000 | Skellefteå/Umeå, Sweden | Czech Republic | Russia | Canada |
| 1999 | Winnipeg, Canada | Russia | Canada | Slovakia |
| 1998 | Helsinki/Hameenlinna, Finland | Finland | Russia | Switzerland |
| 1997 | Geneva/Morges, Switzerland | Canada | United States | Russia |
| 1996 | Boston, Mass., United States | Canada | Sweden | Russia |
| 1995 | Red Deer, Canada | Canada | Russia | Sweden |
| 1994 | Ostrava/Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic | Canada | Sweden | Russia |
| 1993 | Gavle/Fulun, Sweden | Canada | Sweden | Czechoslovakia |
| 1992 | Fussen/Kaufbeuren, Germany | CIS | Sweden | United States |
| 1991 | Saskatoon, Canada | Canada | soviet union | Czechoslovakia |
| 1990 | Helsinki/Turku, Finland | Canada | soviet union | Czechoslovakia |
| 1989 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | soviet union | Sweden | Czechoslovakia |
| 1988 | Moscow, Soviet Union | Canada | soviet union | Finland |
| 1987 | Piestany, Czechoslovakia | Finland | Czechoslovakia | Sweden |
| 1986 | Hamilton, Canada | soviet union | Canada | United States |
| 1985 | Helsinki/Turku, Finland | Canada | Czechoslovakia | soviet union |
| 1984 | Nykoping, Sweden | soviet union | Finland | Czechoslovakia |
| 1983 | Leningrad, Soviet Union | soviet union | Czechoslovakia | Canada |
| 1982 | Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., USA | Canada | Czechoslovakia | Finland |
| 1981 | Fussen/Augsburg, Germany | Sweden | Finland | soviet union |
| 1980 | Helsinki, Finland | soviet union | Finland | Sweden |
| 1979 | Karlstad, Sweden | soviet union | Czechoslovakia | Sweden |
| 1978 | Montreal Canada | soviet union | Sweden | Canada |
| 1977 | Bystrica-Zvolen, Czechoslovakia | soviet union | Canada | Czechoslovakia |
| 1976* | Tampere, Finland | soviet union | Canada | Czechoslovakia |
| 1975* | USA/Canada | soviet union | Canada | Sweden |
| 1974* | Leningrad, Soviet Union | soviet union | Finland | Canada |
* – The IIHF officially began sponsoring the World Junior Championships in 1977
When does the World Juniors 2022 start?
- Start date: Tuesday, August 9th
- Deadline: Saturday August 20th
After the tournament was canceled in December 2021, the IIHF is trying again for the 2022 edition in August. It starts on August 9th and runs for 12 days until August 20th.
The group stage begins on August 9th and takes place over the first seven days of the competition. The quarterfinals will all take place on August 17th, the semifinals on August 19th and the tournament will end with the bronze and gold games on August 20th.
How to watch World Juniors hockey games on TV and live stream
- TV stations (Canada): TSN
- Live stream (Canada): TSN.ca, TSN app
- TV stations (USA): NHL Network
- Live Stream (USA): fuboTV
At World Juniors 2022, TSN and the NHL Network will once again be home to all the action.
American audiences can watch the games live on TV on the NHL Network or stream them via fuboTV.
MORE: Watch World Juniors 2022 Live with fuboTV (Free Trial, US Only)
Canadian viewers can watch the competition on TSN or stream the games through TSN.ca or on the TSN app.
Where are the World Juniors 2022?
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta
- Venue: Roger’s Place
The 2022 World Junior Championships will be held in Edmonton, Alberta. All games will be played at Rogers Place, home of the Oilers. It’s the first time since 1988 that there aren’t multiple venues.
Last December, when the 2022 tournament originally started, it was set for both Edmonton and Red Deer. Games were split between Rogers Place and the Peavey Mart Centrum in Red Deer, home of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels.
Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 tournament was scheduled to take place in Gothenburg, Sweden. However, due to restrictions introduced with COVID-19, it was changed to Edmonton in September 2020. Instead, Gothenburg was reassigned for the 2024 tournament.
This year Edmonton will host World Juniors games for the fourth time, having previously hosted in 1995, 2012 and 2021.