2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

The 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship was the 40th World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. It was hosted in Helsinki in Finland. It began on December 26, 2015, and ended with the gold medal game on January 5, 2016. This marked the sixth time that Finland has hosted the WJC, and the hosts defeated Russia 4-3 in overtime to win their fourth title in history and second in the last three years. Belarus was relegated to Division I-A for 2017 by merit of their tenth-place finish, while Finnish right winger Jesse Puljujärvi earned MVP and top scorer honors.

Player eligibility
A player is eligible to play in the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships if:
 * the player is of male gender;
 * the player was born at the earliest in 1996, and at the latest, in 2001;
 * the player is a citizen in the country he represents;
 * the player is under the jurisdiction of a national association that is a member of the IIHF.

If a player who has never played in IIHF-organized competition wishes to switch national eligibility, he must have played in competitions for two consecutive years in the new country without playing in another country, as well as show his move to the new country's national association with an international transfer card. In case the player has previously played in IIHF-organized competition but wishes to switch national eligibility, he must have played in competitions for four consecutive years in the new country without playing in another country, he must show his move to the new country's national association with an international transfer card, as well as be a citizen of the new country. A player may only switch national eligibility once.

Format
The four best ranked teams from each group of the preliminary round advance to the quarterfinals, while the last placed team from both groups play a relegation round in a best of three format to determine the relegated team.

Group A
The Division I A tournament was played in Vienna, Austria, from 13 to 19 December 2015.


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Group B
The Division I B tournament was played in Megève, France, from 12 to 18 December 2015. Prior to the start of the tournament Japan withdrew, and was relegated for 2017.


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Group A
The Division II A tournament was played in Elektrėnai, Lithuania, from 13 to 19 December 2015.


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Group B
The Division II B tournament was played in Novi Sad, Serbia, from 17 to 23 January 2016.


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Division III
The Division III tournament was played in Mexico City, Mexico, from 15 to 24 January 2016.


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