The tournament was created in 2006 through a proposal by the
Canadian Junior A Hockey League (CJHL prior to 2008) to
Hockey Canada. The idea behind the tournament was to showcase players from Canadian Junior "A" to
Canadian Hockey League,
National Collegiate Athletic Association, and
National Hockey League scouts, while also exposing them to an international level and style of play. The inaugural 2006 tournament was hosted in
Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and featured six teams – Canada West, Canada East,
Russia,
Slovakia,
Germany and
Belarus. Both Canadian teams met in the final with Canada West defeating Slovakia 7-1 and Canada East defeating Russia 5–1 in their respective semifinals. Led by
Kyle Turris, Canada West ran up a 4-0 tally against Canada East early in the game and held on for a 4–3 victory to win the first-ever WJAC championship. The 2007 tournament was held in
Trail, British Columbia. The
United States joined the tournament for the first time, replacing Slovakia. For the second straight year, Canada West defeated the East in the final. Beginning in 2008, the United States began a string of dominance at the tournament. They defeated Canada West in the 2008 (
Camrose, Alberta) and 2009 (
Summerside, Prince Edward Island) finals before winning their third consecutive title against Canada East in 2010 (
Penticton, British Columbia). The 2009 tournament featured newcomers
Sweden, who sent a team in place of Germany. That year also marked the first time in tournament history that Canada East failed to medal. At the 2010 WJAC,
Switzerland competed in place of
Belarus. The 2013 tournament was won by the United States, 4–1, over Russia. This instance marked the first time in tournament history that both Canada East and Canada West were shut out of the gold medal game. In 2014, the tournament started being played in December as opposed to it usually taking place in early November. The 2014 tournament marked the first time in tournament history that neither Canadian team earned a medal, with Canada East losing the bronze to Russia. In 2025, the tournament will be hosted in
Trois-Rivières, the first time in the province of Quebec. ==Champions==