2021 world juniors to be held in Edmonton hub

This year's World Junior Championship will take place in the Edmonton hub without fans, the IIHF announced Thursday.

The tournament was originally set to take place in both Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta, beginning Dec. 26. It remains unclear if it will begin as scheduled.

"This is a tough decision to have to take, but ultimately we did not have a choice," IIHF president Rene Fasel said. "The health and safety of players, officials, and fans is our top priority. We were impressed with the presentation from the local organizing committee outlining how a potential 'bubble' scenario would operate within Edmonton, and we are confident that we can follow the NHL's great example in creating a safe environment for teams to compete."

Edmonton and Red Deer will also host the 2022 tournament, which was set to take place in Sweden. Instead, Sweden will host the 2024 tournament.

The Edmonton bubble was utilized throughout the summer to host NHL teams during the postseason. The hub housed players and staff in three hotels within walking distance of Rogers Place.

Since arriving at the hub in late July, the NHL hasn't recorded a positive COVID-19 test despite playing multiple games daily at the arena.