2026 World Junior Championship schedule

The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship will be played in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

The United States will play Germany at 6 p.m. ET in one of four games on the tournament's opening day. The U.S. defeated Finland 4-3 in overtime to win the 2025 World Junior Championship after also winning the tournament in 2024. It has won the WJC seven times, including three times in the past five years.

Canada, led by Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, also will play Dec. 26, against Czechia at 8:30 p.m. ET. Canada lost in the quarterfinal round in 2024 and 2025.

The United States is in Group A with Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany, and will play its preliminary-round games at Grand Casino Arena, home of the Minnesota Wild, in St. Paul. Canada is in Group B with Finland, Czechia, Latvia and Denmark, with preliminary-round games at 3M Arena at Mariucci, on the campus of the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis.

2026 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

All times ET

Dec. 26

Sweden vs. Slovakia; 1 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Denmark vs. Finland; 3:30 p.m. NHLN, TSN
Germany vs. United States; 6 p.m. ET, NHLN, TSN
Canada vs. Czechia; 8:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN

Dec. 27

Slovakia vs. Germany; 2 p.m., NHLN, TSN3
Latvia vs. Canada; 4:30 p.m., TSN
United States vs. Switzerland; 6 p.m., NHLN, TSN3
Denmark vs. Czechia; 8:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN

Dec. 28

Sweden vs. Switzerland; 2 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Finland vs. Latvia; 4:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN

Dec. 29

Germany vs. Sweden; 1 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Finland vs. Czechia; 3:30 p.m. ET, NHLN, TSN
Slovakia vs. United States; 6 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Canada vs. Denmark; 8:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN

Dec. 30

Switzerland vs. Germany; 2 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Latvia vs. Denmark; 4:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN

Dec. 31

Switzerland vs. Slovakia; 1 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Czechia vs. Latvia; 3:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN
United States vs. Sweden; 6 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Canada vs. Finland; 8:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN

Jan. 2

Relegation game, 3M Arena; 12:30 p.m.
Quarterfinal 1, Grand Casino Arena; 2 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Quarterfinal 2, 3M Arena; 4:30 p.m., TSN
Quarterfinal 3, Grand Casino Arena; 6 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Quarterfinal 4, 3M Arena; 8:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN

Jan. 4 (Grand Casino Arena)

Semifinal 1; 4:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Semifinal 2; 8:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN

Jan. 5 (Grand Casino Arena)

Third-place game; 4:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN
Championship game; 8:30 p.m., NHLN, TSN