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Schedule Announced for 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota

By USA Hockey, 06/26/25, 12:00PM EDT

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The 29-game tournament will take place in Minnesota from Dec. 26, 2025-Jan. 5, 2026

World Juniors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The game schedule for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, set to take place in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Dec. 26, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026, was announced today.

The iconic IIHF World Junior Championship showcases the best men’s ice hockey players in the world under 20 years of age competing for the coveted gold medal. The 2026 World Juniors marks the 50th time the tournament will be held.

All-session and group play tickets are available here. Individual game tickets, if available, will be released at a later date.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Teams will be divided into two groups and each country will play the other four teams in its group during the preliminary round. The top four teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals on Jan. 2, with the winners playing in the semifinals on Jan. 4. The two semifinals winners will face off for gold on Jan. 5, with the two losing teams competing for bronze earlier that day.

Group A, which will play its preliminary round games Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul includes the U.S., Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany.

Group B, which includes Canada, Czechia, Finland, Latvia and Denmark will play preliminary contests at 3M Arena at Mariucci on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

TEAM USA SUCCESS

The U.S. will look to win its third straight gold medal in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. Bob Motzko (Austin, Minn.), who is the head men’s ice hockey coach at the University of Minnesota, will serve as head coach for Team USA in the event.

To follow Team USA throughout the tournament, click here.

IN THE UNITED STATES

The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship marks the seventh time the United States has hosted the tournament (1982, 1989, 1996, 2005, 2011, 2018).

Most recently, Team USA captured bronze in Buffalo, N.Y., at the 2018 World Juniors, led by Motzko as head coach. The U.S. also took home bronze at the 2011 tournament in Buffalo and Niagara, N.Y. The U.S. first hosted the World Juniors in Minneapolis and Saint Paul in 1982.

WORLD JUNIOR SUMMER SHOWCASE

USA Hockey will host the World Junior Summer Showcase at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis from July 25-Aug. 2. The event, which also includes Canada, Finland and Sweden, serves as an evaluation for athletes seeking to make their respective national teams for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. All total, 11 international games will be played and tickets are now on sale by clicking here.

2026 WJC Home

Ticket Information

Full WJC Schedule

2025 World Junior Summer Showcase

U.S. Tournament Schedule

DATE OPPONENT/ROUND TIME (LOCAL/ET) LOCATION BROADCAST
Fri., Dec. 26 Germany
Preliminary Round
5:08 p.m./6:08 p.m. Xcel Energy Center
Saint Paul, Minn.
NHL Network
Sat., Dec. 27 Switzerland
Preliminary Round
5:08 p.m./6:08 p.m. Xcel Energy Center
Saint Paul, Minn.
NHL Network
Mon., Dec. 29 Slovakia
Preliminary Round
5:08 p.m./6:08 p.m. Xcel Energy Center
Saint Paul, Minn.
NHL Network
Wed., Dec. 31 Sweden
Preliminary Round
5:08 p.m./6:08 p.m. Xcel Energy Center
Saint Paul, Minn.
NHL Network
Fri., Jan. 2 TBD
Quarterfinals
TBD Xcel Energy Center
Saint Paul, Minn.
NHL Network
Sun., Jan. 4 TBD
Semifinals
3:38 p.m./4:38 p.m. Xcel Energy Center
Saint Paul, Minn.
NHL Network
Mon., Jan. 5 TBD
Bronze Medal Game
3:38 p.m./4:38 p.m. Xcel Energy Center
Saint Paul, Minn.
NHL Network
TBD
Gold Medal Game
7:38 p.m./8:38 p.m. Xcel Energy Center
Saint Paul, Minn.
NHL Network

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