The future of ice hockey is seen with the Under-20 IIHF World Juniors Championship, which is one of the top events in the sport. This is the best stage for youngsters who are eager to perform at the highest level. With the intensity of matches, it is also fun to watch and bet on.

This event is a glimpse into the future of ice hockey. The players are the stars of the long-term future of the sport that you will see in the NHL. Scouts love watching this competition because you can see flashes of brilliance from youngsters on the rink. This has led to fans and bettors showing interest as well because the IIHF Championship has proven to be one of the best events to bet on. What is World Junior hockey and how does the tournament work? Find out below.

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What is the age limit for World Junior Hockey? 

All players competing in World Junior Hockey will be under the age of 20. Players from different countries will prove their hockey development system’s strengths and showcase their skills on junior ice hockey’s biggest stage. 

Apart from the age limit, players will also have to adhere to national eligibility. Each player must be under the jurisdiction of an IIHF member national association and they have to be a citizen of the country they’re representing. 

What countries are in the World Juniors 2022? 

Ten national teams will vye for the chance to play at the highest level of junior hockey. In the 2022 event, Canada is the host country as they played in Edmonton and Alberta at Rogers Place and Peavey Mart Centrium respectively. 

The World Junior Championship hockey tournament was supposed to be held in late December 2021 headed into early January 2022 but it did not push through then because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are the 10 teams that will play in the World Juniors 2022 when it resumes in early August:

• Canada

• Finland

• Austria

• Germany

• Czechia

• Sweden

• United States

• Russia

• Switzerland

• Slovakia

How do the World Junior playoffs work? 

To know more about the playoffs, you should know first that the World Juniors has a group stage. This is where teams will have to play against the other four teams in their respective groups. Whichever team that has the most wins will earn the top seed and has a favourable spot in the playoffs.

These seeds will matter when we get into the bracket playoffs because that will determine where teams are placed.

The bracket

The World Junior playoff will be quite easy to follow when you’re familiar with the seeds from the group stage. This will be a single-elimination bracket with matchups based on the seeds. Here are some of the matchups that will be present:

Quarterfinal

• 1A vs 4B

• 2B vs 3A 

• 1B vs 4A

• 2A vs 3B

Semifinal 

• Winner of 1A vs 4B vs Winner of 2B vs 3A

• Winner of 1B vs 4A vs Winner of 2A vs 3B

Final

• Winner of semifinal series 1 vs Winner of semifinals series 2

Bronze medal game

Aside from the bracket, there will also be a bronze medal game to determine which team will place third in the tournament. This is a special game that will have to be played out between the losers of the first semifinal and second semifinal series. 

If you want to know how to bet on the World Junior Championship, being familiar with the event’s format is the first step. Remember that matchups are crucial to your success in betting which is why when you look at the World Junior hockey betting lines, always keep in mind the format of the playoffs and even the bronze medal game because you can win solid rewards.

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How many periods are there in World Junior hockey?

All World Junior Championship games usually last for three 20-minute periods. However, it can last around two-and-a-half to three hours in real time. This is due to the intermissions, stoppages for penalties, mandatory breaks, injury time, and overtime as well. 

Why you need to bet on junior ice hockey

The junior ice hockey scene promises fresh faces and arguably newer plays from up and coming athletes. You can watch talented players looking to establish themselves as the biggest stars in the ice hockey world. The best players of every World junior hockey tournament might even go on to play in the NHL or other top ice hockey leagues.

Future superstars plays in this tournament

If you want to know more about the future of ice hockey, you need to take a look at the U20 IIHF event, because the best players will appear here whether they’re from Canada, the United States, or other countries. 

Here are some of the previous stars who played at this event and turned out to become superstars in their own right when they became professional players:

• Peter Forsberg - Considered by many as one of the best players of all time. He got his start playing for Sweden at the IIHF event as he proved himself to be a superstar. He is still the all-time leader for points in the event’s history with 42 points across only 14 games. 
  
  

• Eric Lindros - As one of the most consistent Canadian players in the 1990s, Eric Lindros deserves to be mentioned here because this was the stage where he introduced himself as a top dog. He ended up becoming a legend in the NHL as he won multiple accolades. 

New and exciting plays from young ice hockey stars

The gold standard for ice hockey will always be the NHL since that is the preeminent hockey league in the world. However, there are other competitions with great hockey matches as well. The IIHF event for stars under 20 years of age is one of the best because you can watch an exciting brand of hockey.

With the pros, you will see that they have rock-solid systems in place which leaves out some of the exciting plays. The U20 World Championship hockey event is better because it’s more entertaining with the youngsters looking to make flashy plays compared to the structured competitions in pro tournaments.

Where to bet on World Junior hockey?

Sportsbet.io is one of the premier sportsbooks on the internet and it comes highly recommended by many bettors around the world. 

This platform has cemented its place atop the sports betting world because it has a variety of sports events to bet on and it also has a rock-solid number of offers. You can bet on countless sports here including soccer, basketball, baseball, and of course, ice hockey.

You can use the World Juniors betting odds on this platform as they provide bettors with the best numbers that they can use to determine who are the favourite and underdog but also know how much they can earn from the bets if they win.

With Sportsbet.io, you can be assured that you will have the best betting experience. Thankfully, ice hockey is offered here including the IIHF Championship for the juniors.

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Who are the favourites to win World Juniors? 

With the 2022 edition of the World Juniors fast approaching, there are people who have shown legitimate interest in betting on the event. Most bettors would always look up the favourites to know what teams they can rely on to win. 

Here are the teams that will be important to look into for your World Junior hockey betting. 

Canada

As the most dominant country at this event, you can tell that Canada has a vice grip on the IIHF Championship. Canadians have 18 titles to their name and they also had two separate five-peats in the 1990s and the mid-2000s.

Their last victory was 2020 which means they are meant to perform at the top level. With their performance in the first part of this event, you can expect that this will happen again since their country is stacked with talent everywhere. 

USA

Apart from Canada, the USA is arguably the country with the most talented roster of players. They have won five times and have eight more placements in the podium in this event. 

Since they host the majority of the NHL, you can see that the USA will always find a way to develop solid players which is why they have created some special moments at the IIHF and are considered favourites all the time. 

Sweden

Sweden has proven to be one of the strongest teams in terms of creating solid runs and developing great players. They were successful back in 1981 and 2012 but with this current squad, they have the potential to become a champion again. 

Don’t be shocked to see Sweden winning the event because they are ready to prove themselves and cement the Swedish youth as a powerful nation in ice hockey.

What are the best ice hockey betting markets?

In Sportsbet.io, you have access to some of the best betting markets. Here are some of what you can bet on in ice hockey. 

1x2 

This is one of the most popular markets in all of the sports betting world. 1x2 or three-way betting is about backing or laying a home win, draw, or away win. The 1 refers to the home win, the x is the draw, and the 2 is the away win. If you make the draw bet, you will most likely gain the highest possible reward in this market and there is a standard for favourites and underdogs depending on the odds for the other two results.

Winner (incl. Overtime and penalties)

This is the standard bet that you will make for any ice hockey competition like the IIHF Championship. You will have to predict and bet on which team you think will win a match and this should not change if there are overtime and penalties in the game. 

Total goals

This market will involve the bettor predicting how many goals will be scored in an IIHF Championship match. While it may sound simple, this market is quite challenging because you should know how certain teams play and their personnel who can score goals. If you know those factors, it will be easier for you to cement these wagers.

Learn more about the best tips for your NHL bets

How to win ice hockey bets

Learning the best betting tips can help you win your wagers. There are some factors you need to consider before making a decision so that you can have an edge over your bets. The following are the most essential tips you should know.

Find out the star players

If you are familiar with the competing teams, you need to know who their best players are. They will be the most influential players on the rink but they might lose the game for their team if they’re playing badly. 

Learn their playstyles

Ice hockey is a team-based sport which means that most of the players will base their playstyles on how the rest of the team performs. If you assess these players properly, you can have an easier time betting on matches. 

Stay updated with the news

In a fast-paced sport like ice hockey, you need to keep an eye on the news because injuries are common. This will matter in your betting because players missing out on certain games will be a big blow to any team. 

Do not miss out on U20 IIHF Championship betting

In the ice hockey world, there are a few events that have truly separated themselves from the rest of the pack. This is one of the best tournaments that you can bet on in ice hockey considering that the NHL, KHL, and AHL are the top-tier events. 

Here at Sportsbet.io, you can have a good time betting on this tournament because of the variety of betting options you have. Take a look at the promotions like the Price Boost or the Clubhouse to increase your chances of winning large rewards!

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Words: Cholo Martin

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