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.
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 | 5:08 p.m./6:08 p.m. | 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 |
Source: usahockey.com