Belarus men's national junior ice hockey team

The Belarusian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Belarus. The team represents Belarus at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship Division I. Prior to independence in 1991, Belarusian players played for the Soviet Union, which played in the World Juniors from its inception in 1974. Belarus has played in the top division eight times, first in 1999 and most recently in 2018, with their best finish being ninth overall in both 2001 and 2002.
Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Ice Hockey Federation banned all Belarusian national and club teams from its events indefinitely, and Hockey Canada banned Belarus's “participation in events held in Canada that do not fall under the IIHF’s jurisdiction.”
==History==
Belarus became an independent nation in 1991, and the team made their first appearance at the World Junior Hockey Championships in 1998, when Belarus won Pool B (now Division I). The U20 team played at the 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Winnipeg, but the Belarusians never won a game. Belarus finished 10th and were relegated to Pool B for 2000. The team returned to the top level by defeating Germany in the final. The Belarusians avoided relegation by winning and tying a game against the Kazakhs.
Belarus competed in the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships, until finally being relegated under the new IIHF format. Belarus returned to the top division in 2005, but were relegated again. Belarus has mainly been in the second-tier Division I level since then, though have been promoted to the top division on occasion, most recently in 2018.
==World Junior Championship record==
Year 	Rank 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1974–1992	As part of 	As part of 	As part of 	As part of 	As part of	As part of	As part of	As part of	As part of	As part of	As part of	As part of	As part of
1993 	3rd in Minsk Group (Pool C) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1994 	26th (Pool C) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1995 	20th (Pool C1) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1996 	22nd (Pool C) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1997 	1st, Promoted to Pool B 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1998 	1st, Promoted to Top Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1999 	10th place (Relegated to Pool B) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2000 	1st, Promoted to Top Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2001 	9th place 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2002 	9th place 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2003 	10th place (Relegated to Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2004 	1st, Promoted to Top Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2005 	10th place (Relegated to Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2006 	1st, Promoted to Top Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2007 	13th place (Relegated to Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2008 	13th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2009 	13th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2010 	14th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2011 	13th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2012 	12th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2013 	12th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2014 	13th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2015 	1st, Promoted to Top Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2016 	10th place (Relegated to Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2017 	1st, Promoted to Top Division 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2018 	10th place (Relegated to Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2019 	12th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2020 	13th place (Division I) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2021 	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2022 	1st, Promoted to Top Division (expelled)	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2023 	Expelled 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2024 	Expelled 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
*Belarus at IIHF.com
Category:Junior national ice hockey teams