2026 IIHF World Junior Championship: Tournament preview 

MONTREAL – Carlos Handel, LJ Mooney, Michael Hage, Aatos Koivu and Mikus Vecvanags will represent the Canadiens at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, scheduled for December 26 to January 5 in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Handel (Germany) and Mooney (USA) will face off in Group A round-robin play, while Hage (Canada), Koivu (Finland) and Vecvanags (Latvia) are slated to meet in Group B action.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the tournament:

TOURNAMENT FACTS

HANDEL WITH CARE

Already with one World Juniors experience under his belt after competing as a 17-year-old in 2025, Handel returns to the international stage for another run with Germany. Selected by Montreal in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the 18-year-old defenseman has recorded 12 points in 25 games with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads this season.

See below for Team Germany's full schedule:

SHOW ME THE MOONEY

Mooney will feel right at home in Minnesota. A freshman at the University of Minnesota, the 5-foot-8 forward has posted 15 points in 19 games with the Golden Gophers this season. A graduate of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Mooney, 18, has previously won silver and bronze medals at the 2024 and 2025 IIHF U-18 World Championships.

See below for Team USA's full schedule:

HOLIDAY HAGE

Sophomore slump? Not for Michael Hage. After capturing last year’s Big Ten Rookie of the Year honors with 34 points in 33 games as a freshman at Michigan, the 19-year-old heads into the World Juniors tied for second in NCAA Division 1 scoring this year, with 28 points in 20 games.

Drafted 21^st overall in 2024, Hage is expected to play a key role in Canada’s top six in Minnesota.

See below for Team Canada’s full schedule:

DÉJA (KOI)VU

Thirty-three years after his father, Saku, did the same, Aatos Koivu is set to make his World Junior Championship debut with the Leijonat. The 19-year-old led this summer’s showcase with six goals in five games and is poised to play an important role as Finland looks to build on last year’s silver-medal finish.

See below for Team Finland's full schedule:

LAT-VIA EST BELLE

Vecvanags, a 19-year-old netminder from Riga, Latvia, is headed to his first World Junior Championship. Drafted in the fifth round in 2024, the 6-foot-3 goalie has posted a 2-2-1 record in six games with the QMJHL’s Newfoundland Regiment this season.

See below for Team Latvia’s full schedule:

For more information on the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, click here.