Canada national junior hockey team The Canadian men ' s national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under - 20 ice hockey team in Canada . The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation ' s World Junior Hockey Championship , held annually every December and January . The team also faced their Russia n counterparts at the 2007 Super Series , an eight game series commemorating the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series . There are a total of 357 , 962 junior hockey players in Canada . The head coach for the 2009 tournament was Pat Quinn . His assistants are Dave Cameron ( Mississauga St . Michael ' s Majors ( OHL ) ) and Willie Desjardins ( Medicine Hat Tigers ( WHL ) ) . . The national junior team is extremely popular in Canada , even more so than the men ' s senior team which plays at the World Championships . World Junior events in Canada are often sold out , television ratings are extremely high , and even events in Europe are well attended by a contingent of Canadian fans . The Canadian junior team is one of the two most successful in the world along with that of the former Soviet Union and currently Russia . Its success can be traced back to the formation of the " Program of Excellence " in 1982 by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association , which created the first true national junior team . Since that time , Canada has won 15 of 27 world junior championships , including the last five . History . In 1973 , the International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) created an invitation - only junior tournament for the top ice hockey nations in the world . Held in late December 1973 and early January 1974 , it featured six teams : the Soviet Union , Czechoslovakia , Sweden , Finland , the United States and Canada . For that first tournament , The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association ( CAHA ) wanted to send the defending Memorial Cup champion Toronto Marlboros to represent Canada . That team declined , so instead the Peterborough Petes , the runner up in the Ontario Hockey Association was sent . Despite being the only club team in the tournament , the Petes finished third . The same six teams were invited to the 1975 tournament which was held in Winnipeg , Manitoba . An all - star team from the Western Canada Hockey League represented Canada and finished second . Canada was again represented by a club team , the Sherbrooke Beavers , in 1976 , again finishing second . World Junior Championships . The 1977 tournament was the first formal World Junior Championship , featuring the top eight junior teams in the world . Once again , the CAHA sent a club team , the defending Memorial Cup champion St . Catharines Fincups . The Canadians won the silver medal in this tournament , posting a 5 – 1 – 1 record in the round robin event . World Junior Championship record . The 1974 , 1975 and 1976 tournaments were unofficial . The 1974 team was represented by the Peterborough Petes . Canada was disqualified in 1987 for a bench clearing brawl with the Soviets . In 1996 , a playoff was added to the tournament ( prior to this , it was just a round robin tournament . ) Playoff games are included in record . Since 2007 , the IIHF has awarded 3 points for a win , 2 points for an overtime win and 1 point for an overtime loss . < nowiki > * < / nowiki > Includes one win in extra time ( in the playoff round ) < br > < nowiki > + < / nowiki > Includes one loss in extra time ( in the playoff round ) Super Series . In 2007 , the Canadian junior team played the Russian junior team in an 8 - game Super Series commemorating the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series .