That's when Edmonton is slated to host the World Junior Hockey Championship, using the same bubble set-up that hosted four playoff and one play-in round that culminated in the Tampa Bay Lightning's victory over the Dallas Stars.
The World Junior always offers a glimpse of the game's brightest teenagers competing for their country. The Devils had three prospects in last year's gold medal game when Team Canada defensemen Kevin Bahl and Ty Smith, skated off with the championship trophy over Team Russia, who had rearguard Daniil Misyul in their lineup.
Another Devils prospect, forward Nikola Pasic, won a bronze medal with Sweden.
The later acquisition of Canadian forward Nolan Foote in the Blake Coleman trade and the drafting of Alexander Holtz (Sweden), Dawson Mercer and Nico Daws (Canada) brings to eight the number of Devils prospects who left the Czech Republic last year with medals dangling around their necks. (Defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk could have been the ninth but he was injured when Russia picked their team.)
Bahl, Daws, Misyul, Pasic and Smith have outgrown the tournament. But all three Devils first-rounders from October's Draft should play leading roles for their country.
Holtz (seventh overall) returns for Sweden after a five-point performance last season. Mercer (18th) is one of handful of returning players on the defending gold medalists. The Devils other first-rounder, defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin (20th) has seen duty on the top unit for Russia during selection camp.
Canada, Russia and Sweden, last year's medalists, are expected to contend again this time around.
Their stellar group of 2002-born U.S. players could make the Americans the ultimate favourite. The Devils are represented on head coach Nate Leaman's squad by Patrick Moynihan, the club's sixth-round (158th overall) pick two years ago.
Moynihan was among the more interesting picks in the 2019 NHL Draft. A forward playing on the USNTDP U18s, who were stacked up front, Moynihan ceded a bigger role to more celebrated teammates, a group that included Jack Hughes. But the ensuing 18 months have shown that Moynihan's selection was a shrewd call by the Devils. He scored 13 goals as a freshman for Providence, where he plays for Leaman.
Two years ago, Sweden beat Russia 4-3 on home ice in the gold medal game of the U18 Worlds. The U.S., smarting over a semi-final loss to the Russians, poured it on against Canada, defeating their northern neighbor 5-2, to win bronze. Results at the U18 level don't always follow the same formbook two years later - especially in a season when the pandemic has turned everything upside down - but the quality class of 2002-born prospects (and late-born 2001s) have engaged in some memorable international contests to date. Included in that competition is Team Canada's dramatic semi-final victory over the U.S. at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky tournament. Playing on the same Edmonton ice, Canada controversially tied the game with no time left on the clock and then won it in overtime. The hosts later beat Sweden (and Holtz) in the gold medal game.
Players and staff have arrived in Edmonton and are observing strict protocols like those observed by NHL personnel during the playoffs.
That group also includes Devils 2020 fourth-round (99th overall) pick Jaromir Pytlik, who returns to play for the Czech Republic.
The spike of COVID-19 cases worldwide has led to a number of players being deemed unfit to play. No country has been unaffected but one of the most notable cases is 2021 Draft prospect William Eklund, who was expected to play for Team Sweden and should be a first-round pick when the Draft next takes place.
The tournament begins December 25 with a slate of games that includes the U.S. vs Russia. Both teams are in Group B, along with Sweden, Czech Republic and Austria. Canada, who open on December 26 against Germany, are also grouped with Finland, Slovakia and Switzerland.
All games will be broadcast on the NHL Network.
