The United States will play Germany in one of four games Dec. 26, the first day of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The tournament will run Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 2026. Games will be played at Grand Casino Arena, home of the Minnesota Wild, in St. Paul, and at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
The United States is the two-time defending World Juniors champion. The U.S. won 4-3 in overtime against Finland in the gold-medal game at the 2025 WJC at Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa. At the 2024 WJC, the U.S. defeated Sweden 6-2 in the gold-medal game at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The U.S. has won the WJC seven times, including three times in the past five years.
Canada, which has lost in the quarterfinal round in back-to-back years, will play its first preliminary-round game against Czechia on Dec. 26.
Ten teams will play in the WJC. The United States is in Group A with Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany, and will play its preliminary-round games at Grand Casino Arena. Canada is in Group B with Finland, Czechia, Latvia and Denmark, with preliminary-round games at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Russia remains banned from international play because of its invasion of Ukraine.
The top four teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, which will be held Jan. 2, along with the relegation game. The semifinals are Jan. 4 at Grand Casino Arena, and the championship and third-place games will be Jan. 5, also at Grand Casino Arena.
2026 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Dec. 26
Sweden vs. Slovakia, Grand Casino Arena, 1 p.m. ET
Denmark vs. Finland, 3M Arena, 3:30 p.m. ET
Germany vs. United States, Grand Casino Arena, 6 p.m. ET
Canada vs. Czechia, 3M Arena, 8:30 p.m. ET
Dec. 27
Slovakia vs. Germany, Grand Casino Arena, 2 p.m. ET
Latvia vs. Canada, 3M Arena, 4:30 p.m. ET
USA vs. Switzerland, Grand Casino Arena, 6 p.m. ET
Denmark vs. Czechia, 3M Arena, 8:30 p.m. ET
Dec. 28
Sweden vs. Switzerland, Grand Casino Arena, 2 p.m. ET
Finland vs. Latvia, 3M Arena, 4:30 p.m. ET
Dec. 29
Germany vs. Sweden, Grand Casino Arena, 1 p.m. ET
Finland vs. Czechia, 3M Arena, 3:30 p.m. ET
Slovakia vs. USA, Grand Casino Arena, 6 p.m. ET
Canada vs. Denmark, 3M Arena, 8:30 p.m. ET
Dec. 30
Switzerland vs. Germany, Grand Casino Arena, 2 p.m. ET
Latvia vs. Denmark, 3M Arena, 4:30 p.m. ET
Dec. 31
Switzerland vs. Slovakia, Grand Casino Arena, 1 p.m. ET
Czechia vs. Latvia, 3M Arena, 3:30 p.m. ET
USA vs. Sweden, Grand Casino Arena, 6 p.m. ET
Canada vs. Finland, 3M Arena, 8:30 p.m. ET
Jan. 2
Relegation game, 3M Arena, 12:30 p.m. ET
Quarterfinal 1, Grand Casino Arena, 2 p.m. ET
Quarterfinal 2, 3M Arena, 4:30 p.m. ET
Quarterfinal 3, Grand Casino Arena, 6 p.m. ET
Quarterfinal 4, 3M Arena, 8:30 p.m. ET
Jan. 4 (Grand Casino Arena)
Semifinal 1, 4:30 p.m. ET
Semifinal 2, 8:30 p.m. ET
Jan. 5 (Grand Casino Arena)
Third-place game, 4:30 p.m. ET
Championship game, 7:30 p.m. ET
