The U.S. National Junior Team will host the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Dec. 26, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026, in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Team USA will compete alongside Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland in Group A preliminary round play at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul.

Group B preliminary round competition will take place at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis and include Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland and Latvia.

Two quarterfinals will be played at the Xcel Energy Center and two at 3M Arena at Mariucci with the semifinals, bronze and gold-medal games all being staged at Xcel Energy Center.

The U.S. has won the last two gold medals in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and in total has earned 16 podium finishes, including seven gold medals, two silver medals and seven bronze medals.