TORONTO -- Canada will open the 2015 IIHF world junior hockey championship on Dec. 26 against Slovakia in Montreal, according to the schedule released Tuesday by Hockey Canada, the IIHF and the tournament host committee.
In Group A, Canada will play preliminary-round games at the Bell Centre along with defending gold medallist Finland, the United States, Slovakia and Germany. In Group B, 2014 silver medallist Sweden will join Russia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Canada will also play Germany on Dec. 27, Finland on Dec. 29 and the United States on New Year's Eve.
The Canadian team will be based in Montreal for the preliminary round. Toronto will host games in the medal round.
Quarter-final games begin Jan. 2 and the medal games will be played Jan. 5.
The Canadian team will play pre-competition games in Toronto (Dec. 19), Ottawa (Dec. 21) and Montreal (Dec. 23). Opponents will be determined at a later date.
The 2015 tournament marks the 11th time that Canada has served as host.
