The week between Christmas and New Year’s brings one of the most fun events in the hockey world – the IIHF World Junior Championships. The 2016 version begins in two days, and we’ve got everything you need to know about the Sabres prospects involved, the schedule, and how to watch the games.
When and where is the tournament this year?
The 2016 World Juniors are being hosted in Helsinki, Finland, which means most games will be morning or early afternoon affairs for those watching in America. The tournament runs from Dec. 26 – Jan. 5, with a day off on January 1.
Team USA Schedule
Since the majority of our readers are American, here’s the preliminary round schedule for Team USA. All game times are EST.
Saturday, Dec. 26, 1:00pm – Canada vs. USA
Monday, Dec. 28, 9:00am – USA vs. Sweden
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1:00 pm – Switzerland vs. USA
Thursday, Dec. 31, 9:00am – USA vs. Denmark
Should they get out of Group A, the playoff rounds will begin on Saturday, January 2.
How to watch
Games will be broadcast on the NHL Network and TSN. You can also follow along on the official IIHF World Junior website.
Any Sabres prospects in the tournament?
After having eight prospects in the last tournament, the Sabres will only have one representative this year – USA defenseman Will Borgen. Borgen was drafted by the Sabres last year in the fourth round, and the mobile defenseman has nine assists in 18 games in the NCAA this year for St. Cloud State University. Vaclav Karabacek was also named to the preliminary roster for the Czech Republic, but a broken thumb is keeping him out of the tournament.