Their primary participation in this age group comes at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Championship, held annually every December and January.

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.

[3] As the OHA and WCHL had each sent a representative already, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) sent Canada's entry in the form of the Sherbrooke Beavers for the 1976 tournament.

[8] Though he led the tournament in scoring with 17 points,[7] Canada managed only a bronze medal after losing the final round-robin game to Sweden, 6–5, in which they needed only a tie for silver.

[9] The CAHA nearly chose not to send a team in 1980 due to travel costs, but donations from the three major junior leagues ensured Canada's participation.

[14] Known as the "Program of Excellence", Costello and the CAHA proposed a multifaceted approach that would see Canada send its top eligible juniors from across the nation.

The CAHA ultimately gained the support of each league,[15] but not before having to also convince them to allow the organization to also invite eligible players from outside major junior hockey.

[17] The team lacked star players, but relied on a balanced offence and strong defence to post a 6–0–1 record in the round robin tournament.

They held on despite a frenzied attack in the final minutes to end with a 3–3 tie, and win Canada's first gold medal in the tournament's history.

[22] Attempting to repeat as champions in 1983, Canada endured numerous incidents and mind games perpetrated by the host Soviet Union.

The Soviets initially refused to grant a sufficient number of visas for the Canadian delegation, then when the team landed in Leningrad, had their clothing and equipment seized immediately by government officials.

[27] Believing that the Canada-Soviet match-up would again determine who won gold, the Czechoslovak hosts scheduled the two teams to be the final game of the 1987 tournament.

[28] Norwegian referee Hans Rønning, assigned based on his neutrality despite his inexperience officiating at the international level,[29] quickly lost control as both teams frequently hacked and slashed each other.

Midway through the second period, with Canada leading 4–2, a line brawl broke out that ultimately involved nearly every player for both teams after the Soviets left their bench, closely followed by the Canadians.

[32] Canada would achieve the same feat at the 1990 and 1991 tournaments, capturing back-to-back gold medals for the first time, hinging on crucial wins over the Soviet Union.

The streak started under difficult circumstances beginning at the 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden, one of the most competitive engagements in tournament history.

In 1995, the host Canadians benefited from a squad bolstered by the 1994–95 NHL lockout, resulting in a perfect record en route to winning gold.

[35] At the 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Canada won silver as hosts in Winnipeg, dropping a 3–2 final in overtime to a powerful, deep Russian team.

[38] After an investigation by the London police, former team members Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael McLeod were charged with sexual assault in late January 2024.