World U-17 Hockey Challenge

Not to be confused with IIHF World U20 Championship or IIHF World U18 Championship.
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Most recent season or competition:
2023 World U-17 Hockey Challenge
SportIce hockey
First season1986
Most recent
champion(s)		 Canada White
Most titles Canada Ontario (8)
Sponsor(s)Hockey Canada
Related
competitions		Canadian Junior Hockey League
World Junior A Challenge
Official websiteWorld U-17 Hockey Challenge

The World U-17 Hockey Challenge, originally known as the Quebec Esso Cup, is an international ice hockey tournament held annually in Canada. Prior to 2011,[NB 1] the tournament did not operate during years in which the Canada Winter Games were held. As such, the World Under-17 Challenge was held three out of every four years. It is organized by Hockey Canada and is the first major international competition for male hockey players under the age of 17. The tournament is the first step in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence and is used to identify players moving on to the U18 and National Junior Team.

Origins

The inaugural World Under-17 Hockey Challenge took place in Quebec as the 1986 Quebec Esso Cup. At the time, it was considered the unofficial world championship of midget hockey. It was also used as a development tool for the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to identify players for further development as well as expose them to their first taste of international competition. The tournament was among ten teams, five regional teams from Canada, Finland, Czechoslovakia, the United States, Sweden, and the Soviet Union. Team Quebec, led by future NHL first overall pick Pierre Turgeon captured gold by defeating the Soviets, who featured the likes of Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny.

Prior to November 2014, the tournament was held from late December through to early January. Originally, Canada would field five teams, selected on a regional basis.

Current tournament

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge has continued to grow over the years to the point where it is perhaps the largest annual event administered under Hockey Canada's own auspices. Although the tournament is not sanctioned by the IIHF, it attracts U17 teams from the United States, Sweden, and Russia on an annual basis and Czech Republic, Finland, and Slovakia on a semi-annual basis.

The tournament is currently held in November of each year.

Participating teams

Canada enters three teams each year. Prior to November 2014, Canada entered five regional teams

Other participating nations have included:

Results

Year 1st place, gold medalist(s) Gold 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Silver 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Bronze Host city (cities)
2024  Canada White  Canada Red  Sweden Ontario Sarnia
2023  Canada White  United States  Sweden Prince Edward Island Charlottetown and Summerside
2022  United States  Canada Red  Finland British Columbia Langley and Delta
2021 Tournament cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic. Prince Edward Island Charlottetown and Summerside
2020 Tournament cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic. [1] Prince Edward Island Charlottetown and Summerside
2019  Russia  United States  Czech Republic Alberta Saskatchewan Medicine Hat and Swift Current
2018  Russia  Finland  Sweden New Brunswick Saint John and Quispamsis
2017  United States  Canada Red  Czech Republic British Columbia Dawson Creek and Fort St. John
2016  Sweden  Canada Black  Russia Ontario Sault Ste. Marie
2015  Canada White  Russia  Sweden British Columbia Dawson Creek and Fort St. John
2014 (Nov.)  Russia  United States  Sweden Ontario Sarnia and Lambton Shores
2014 (Jan.)  United States  Canada Pacific  Russia Nova Scotia (Sydney/North Sydney/Port Hawkesbury)
2013  Sweden  Russia  United States Quebec Drummondville and Victoriaville
2012  Russia  United States  Canada Ontario Ontario Windsor
2011[NB 1]  Canada Ontario  United States  Canada Pacific Manitoba Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie
2010  United States  Canada Ontario  Sweden Ontario Timmins / Iroquois Falls / Cochrane / Kapuskasing / Kirkland Lake / New Liskeard
2009  Canada Ontario  Canada Pacific  United States British Columbia Campbell River / Courtenay / Duncan / Nanaimo / Parksville / Port Alberni
2008  Canada Ontario  United States  Canada West Ontario London / Lucan / St. Thomas / Stratford / Strathroy / Woodstock
2007 The ice hockey tournament at the 2007 Canada Winter Games was held in place of a 2007 tournament.
2006  Canada Quebec  United States  Czech Republic Saskatchewan Balgonie / Fort Qu'Appelle / Indian Head / Milestone / Moose Jaw / Regina / Southey / Weyburn
2005  Canada West  Canada Pacific  Canada Atlantic Alberta Lethbridge
2004  Canada Ontario  Canada Pacific  Canada Quebec Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's
2003 The ice hockey tournament at the 2003 Canada Games was held in place of a 2003 tournament.
2002  United States  Canada Pacific  Canada Ontario Manitoba Selkirk / Stonewall
2001  United States  Canada Pacific  Canada Ontario Nova Scotia New Glasgow / Truro
2000  Russia  Canada Ontario  Canada Pacific Ontario Timmins / Chapleau / Cochrane / Haileybury / Hearst / Kapuskasing / Kirkland Lake / New Liskeard / Smooth Rock Falls / Rouyn-Noranda
1999 The ice hockey tournament at the 1999 Canada Games was held in place of a 1999 tournament.
1998 II[NB 2]  Canada West  United States  Finland Saskatchewan Swift Current
1998 I[NB 2]  Canada Ontario  Czech Republic  Canada Quebec Ontario Kitchener
1997  Canada Ontario  Sweden  Canada Quebec Alberta Red Deer
1995  Canada Ontario  Finland  Canada Quebec New Brunswick Moncton
1994  Canada Quebec  United States  Canada Pacific Quebec Amos
1992  Canada Ontario  Canada Quebec  Czechoslovakia Ontario Sudbury
1991 The ice hockey tournament at the 1991 Canada Games was held in place of a 1991 tournament.
1990  Finland  Canada Quebec  Soviet Union Quebec Quebec City
1988  Soviet Union  Sweden  Canada Quebec Quebec Quebec City
1986  Canada Quebec  Soviet Union  Canada Pacific Quebec Quebec City

Medal table

Country 1st place, gold medalist(s) Gold 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Silver 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Bronze Medals
 Canada Ontario 8 2 3 13
 United States 6 9 2 17
 Russia
 Soviet Union
  		5
1
6 		2
1
3 		2
1
3 		9
3
12
 Canada Quebec 3 2 5 10
 Canada White 3 0 0 3
 Sweden 2 2 6 10
 Canada West 2 0 1 3
 Finland 1 2 2 5
 Canada Pacific 0 6 4 10
 Canada Red 0 3 0 3
 Czech Republic
 Czechoslovakia
  		0
0
0 		1
0
1 		3
1
4 		4
1
5
 Canada Black 0 1 0 1
 Canada Atlantic 0 0 1 1

Medals by Nations (1986-2024)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Canada (CAN)16141444
2 United States (USA)69217
3 Russia (RUS)63312
4 Sweden (SWE)22610
5 Finland (FIN)1225
6 Czech Republic (CZE)0145
Totals (6 entries)31313193

Notable participants

In bold, players selected first overall in the NHL entry draft

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b The ice hockey tournament at the 2011 Canada Games was supposed be held in place of a 2011 tournament. This is no longer true. The Canada Games tourney is now for U16 players, which will be played at the 2011 Games in Halifax. The U17 tournament will be played as planned in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. The female U18s nationals is off this year due to the Canada Games, but not the men.
  2. ^ a b Split events were held in 1998

References

  1. ^ "Hockey Canada statement on 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, presented by TELUS". Hockey Canada.