It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And no, not just because most folks can spend their days in sweats, adding a little something to their coffees, sneaking treats before noon, and spending time with their family. Those are all excellent, seasonal gifts, but there's no better part of the holidays than the World Juniors if you ask me.

This year's tournament is back to its regularly scheduled programming after the 2022 tournament was nixed just a couple of days in and then re-done the following August. It was cool to have summer hockey (sort of), but few things beat waking up on Boxing Day and knowing that you have some of the best hockey this sport has to offer.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of the tournament, just a reminder that Russia and Belarus have both been barred f