TRURO, N.S. – The World Junior A Hockey Challenge is set to make its return to Nova Scotia for the first time since 2017, as the City of Truro and Municipality of Colchester will host two Canadian teams and three international entries at the 3,100-seat Rath Eastlink Community Centre, Dec. 10-17.
The 2023 World Junior A Hockey Challenge represents a partnership between Hockey Canada, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), Hockey Nova Scotia, NHL Central Scouting and the local organizing committee. The five-team format includes Team Canada East, Team Canada West, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States.
“The unveiling of the schedule is an important step as we continue our preparations for this event,” said Matt Moore, chair of the local organizing committee. “Having experienced this tournament first-hand in 2017, fans in Truro and across Nova Scotia can expect to be treated to highly skilled, fast-paced hockey that includes future stars of the game competing for a gold medal on the international stage.”
The tournament schedule kicks off with Team Canada West taking on Sweden at 3:30 p.m. AT and Team Canada East facing off against Slovakia on opening night. The top four teams will advance to the medal round, with the medal games taking place at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. AT, respectively, on Dec. 17.
TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the medal games. Preliminary-round games and semifinals will be available by livestream at HockeyCanada.ca.
“The Rath Eastlink Community Centre played host to an amazing event in 2017, capped off with the excitement of a Canadian gold medal,” said Breanne Ferris, manager of events and properties with Hockey Canada. “We are grateful for their dedication and support of the organizing committee to bring this event back to Nova Scotia and are looking forward to another memorable event on the East Coast.”
Fans looking to secure their seats can CLICK HERE to purchase an early-bird full-event ticket package for $192. The package includes one ticket to all 14 tournament games, including both medal games. The first 100 packages sold include an exclusive tournament toque and scarf.
