2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships


The 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 40th Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. It was hosted in Helsinki, Finland. It began on December 26, 2015, and ended with the gold medal game on January 5, 2016. This marked the sixth time that Finland has hosted the WJC, and the hosts defeated Russia 4–3 in overtime to win their fourth title in history and second in the last three years. Belarus was relegated to Division I-A for 2017 by merit of their tenth-place finish, while Finnish right winger Jesse Puljujärvi earned MVP and top scorer honors.

Player eligibility

A player is eligible to play in the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships if:
If a player who has never played in IIHF-organized competition wishes to switch national eligibility, he must have played in competitions for two consecutive years in the new country without playing in another country, as well as show his move to the new country's national association with an international transfer card. In case the player has previously played in IIHF-organized competition but wishes to switch national eligibility, he must have played in competitions for four consecutive years in the new country without playing in another country, he must show his move to the new country's national association with an international transfer card, as well as be a citizen of the new country. A player may only switch national eligibility once.

Top Division

Venues

Officials

The IIHF selected 12 referees and 10 linesmen to officiate during the tournament:
Referees
Linesmen

Format

The four best ranked teams from each group of the preliminary round advance to the quarterfinals, while the last placed team from both groups play a relegation round in a best of three format to determine the relegated team.

Preliminary round

All times are local.
Team qualified to Quarterfinals
Team will play in Relegation round

Group A

Group B

Relegation

Playoff round

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Bronze medal game

Final

Statistics

Scoring leaders

PosPlayerCountryGPGAPts+/−PIM
1Jesse Puljujärvi751217+80
2Sebastian Aho75914+94
3Patrik Laine77613+86
4Auston Matthews77411+62
5Matthew Tkachuk74711+76
6Alexander Nylander7459+50
7Zach Werenski7279+104
8Denis Malgin6189−16
9Olli Juolevi7099+64
10Christian Dvorak7358+80
10Adrian Kempe7358+18
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Source: IIHF

Goaltending leaders

PosPlayerCountryTOIGAGAASv%SO
1Linus Söderström295:2871.4294.702
2Alex Nedeljkovic325:5291.6694.271
3Thomas Lillie185:00103.2491.450
4Kaapo Kähkönen214:1392.5290.910
5Adam Huska292:30193.9089.890
TOI = Time On Ice ; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; Sv% = Save Percentage; SO = Shutouts
Source: IIHF

Tournament awards

Reference:
Most Valuable Player
All-star team
IIHF best player awards
Team
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th

Note that due to the lack of playoff games for determining the spots 5–8, these spots were determined by the preliminary round records for each team.

Division I

Group A

The Division I A tournament was played in Vienna, Austria, from 13 to 19 December 2015.

Group B

The Division I B tournament was played in Megève, France, from 12 to 18 December 2015. Prior to the start of the tournament Japan withdrew, and was relegated for 2017.

Division II

Group A

The Division II A tournament was played in Elektrėnai, Lithuania, from 13 to 19 December 2015.

Group B

The Division II B tournament was played in Novi Sad, Serbia, from 17 to 23 January 2016.

Division III

The Division III tournament was played in Mexico City, Mexico, from 15 to 24 January 2016.