Alberta selected as host for 2027 World Junior Championship and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov becomes first player to reach 100 points in 2023-24

The Government of Alberta committed $11 million to invest in the events.

“Hosting international games and tournaments are critical to provide opportunities for our men’s, women’s, and para athletes to develop and compete on the world stage, showcase our teams and communities, and inspire the next generation of participants and fans,” said Katherine Henderson, president, and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada.

“We are grateful that the Province of Alberta has made this significant investment to enable these events to be played on home ice, which will significantly benefit each of our programs, including our national teams that are preparing for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”

Ottawa is set to host the 2025 edition of the World Juniors, with Minneapolis and Saint Paul sharing the event the following year in 2026. 

Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov becomes first player to reach 100 points this year

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov became the first NHL player to reach 100 points during the 2023-24 season following a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.

Ahead of that game, Kucherov was leading the league at 98 points, but had Colorado Avalanche forward McKinnon treading closely behind him with 96.

Kucherov put up a goal and three assists during the contest to bring his point total to triple digits at 102. The 100th point came on an assist to aid forward Brayden Point’s goal in the second period. The Lightning went on to reign victorious over the Devils with a score of 4-1.

This will be the fourth time he has achieved this remarkable feat in Kucherov’s 10-year NHL career. He first did so in 2017-18, sitting with 100 points precisely to finish the season, then smashed that career-high the following year to reach 128 points. Last season, the forward totalled 30 goals and 113 points.

The achievement also made him the ninth player in NHL history to become the first to reach 100 points on multiple occasions throughout their career.

With his performance so far this season, Kucherov is making a solid case to become a Hart Trophy finalist. He’s recorded 38 goals and 102 points in 59 games, which places him perfectly on track for his projected 140 points with the completion of 82 games.

If he were to do so, Kucherov could potentially have new career highs all around. With his personal best goals sitting at 41, he is on track to break through his personal best. Still, he needs 25 assists in the final 23 games of the season for the Lightning to shatter his career-high of 87 assists.