Time to start thinking World Juniors

Don't look now, but the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship is quickly approaching.

This year's tournament will take place Dec. 26 - Jan. 5 in Buffalo, N.Y. A full tournament schedule and ticket information can be found at BuffaloWorldJuniors.com.

Hockey Canada will host pre-competition games in December prior to the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., including three featuring Canada's National Junior Team. Canada is scheduled to play Switzerland in Oshawa on December 20, Sweden in Toronto on December 21 and Finland in Kitchener on December 23. A fourth pre-competition game between Sweden and Switzerland will take place in St. Catharines, also on Dec. 23.

On Nov. 29, Hockey Canada will send out 39 invitations for its selection camp scheduled Dec. 11-15 in Toronto. There will be no NHL junior-aged Canadians on the list, but Hockey Canada will keep roster spots open until Dec. 11 for any players who will be released by their NHL teams in the meantime.

The U.S. National Junior Team will also play a pre-tournament schedule with games in Rochester and Jamestown, N.Y. A total of five games will be played from Dec. 21 - 23 involving the U.S., Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Russia and Slovakia. Team USA will face off against the Czechs on Dec. 21 at The Sports Centre at Monroe Community College in Rochester and the Norwegians two days later at Savings Bank Arena in Jamestown. The Americans will also travel to Troy, N.Y., on Dec. 19 to face Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute at Houston Field House.

Approximately 28 players will be invited to Team USA's pre-tournament training camp to begin Dec. 16 in Albany, N.Y. The final 22-player U.S. roster for the WJC will be unveiled prior to Team USA's pre-tournament game against Norway. Keith Allain, head coach at Yale University, will serve as head coach of the 2011 U.S. National Junior Team.

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