The 2026 World Junior Hockey Championships are in the Twin Cities this year as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. Minnesota is going all out for the event with massive fan fests in Rice Park and the River
Centre in St. Paul with games taking place at both Grand Casino Arena and 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Game action in the preliminary rounds kicked off on Friday with two games in St. Paul including a 6-3 win by the US over Germany, and a pair of games in Minneapolis. Here is what you need to know about the rest of the tournament and the associated activities and how you can take in some of the action!
The Actual Tournament:
The IIHF World Junior Championship is a 10-nation tournament featuring the best men’s players in the world under 20 years of age competing for gold in 29 games over 10 days. The 10 participating teams are divided into two, five-team groups in the Preliminary Round:
Group A: USA, Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany
Group B: Canada, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, Denmark.
After a single round-robin series in each group, the top four teams from each group advance to the Playoff Round
while the fifth-placed team in each group moves to the Relegation Round. The two last-placed teams play one Relegation Round game. The top four placed teams from the Preliminary Round will play a cross-over Quarterfinal game: 1A vs. 4B, 1B vs. 4A, 2A vs. 3B and 2B vs. 3A. In the Semifinals, the best-ranked team will play against the lowest-ranked semifinalist. The second-best ranked semifinalist will play the third-best ranked semifinalist. The winner of each Semifinal will move to the Gold Medal Game, while the losers will play in the Bronze Medal Game.
The remaining schedule is below:
December 27th:
1:00 Slovakia Vs Germany—GCA
1:30 Latvia vs Canada- 3MM
5:00 USA vs Switzerland —GCA
7:30 Denmark vs Czechia—3MM
December 28th:
1:00 Sweden vs Switzerland—GCA
1:30 Latvia vs Finland- 3MM
December 29th:
12:00 Sweden Vs Germany—GCA
2:30 Finland vs Czechia- 3MM
5:00 USA vs Slovakia —GCA
7:30 Denmark vs Canada—3MM
December 30th:
1:00 Germany vs Switzerland—GCA
3:30 Latvia vs Denmark- 3MM
December 31st:
12:00 Switzerland vs Slovakia—GCA
2:30 Latvia vs Czechia- 3MM
5:00 USA vs Sweden —GCA
7:30 Finland vs Canada—3MM
January 2nd:
11:30 Relegation Game-3MM
1:00 Quarterfinal #1—GCA
3:30 Quarterfinal #2- 3MM
5:00 Quarterfinal #3 —GCA
7:30 Quarterfinal #4—3MM
January 4th:
3:30 Semifinal #1- GCA
7:30 Semifinal #2—GCA
January 5th:
3:30 Bronze Medal Game- GCA
7:30 Gold Medal Game—GCA
Tickets are still available to all of the remaining games. All the USA games will air on NHL Network and will also be heard on radio on KFAN and KFAN+
Who’s Playing I Should Know?
Team USA has a pair of Minnesota Golden Gophers and seven Minnesotans in total on the roster. Sophomore Brodie Ziemer is the Captain of the USA team and leads the Gophers in points and goals midway through the season. He is joined on the team by freshman LJ Mooney who has impressed in his first season with the Gophers.
Other Minnesotans include forward Will Zellers from Maple Grove who plays for North Dakota, Max Plante from Hermantown who plays for UMD, Brendan McMorrow from Lakeville who plays for Denver, Adam Kleber from Chaska who plays for UMD, Logan Hensler from Woodbury who plays for Wisconsin and goalie Caleb Heil from Victoria who plays for Madison in the USHL.
Canada has some players who will be in the NHL very soon incluuding a forward group if Michael Misa, Porter Martone and Gavin McKenna. Martone plays for Michigan State and McKenna Penn State, so Gophers fans will see both again in the second half of the season along with Michigan’s Michael Hage.
What About The Other Events?
The Bold North Breakaway Fan Fest takes place at Rice Park and the Saint Paul RiverCentre from generally 10:30-7:30 each day between now and the end of the tournament. Activities in Rice Park include:
Securian Financial Bumper Car Zone – Take a spin on the ice in Minnesota’s newest winter thrill, a
first-of-its-kind bumper car rink.
- Saint Paul Pioneer Press Trolley Ride with Storytellers and free horse-drawn carriage rides –
Experience downtown Saint Paul in true winter style, while learning about the history, architecture and charm
of the capital city. - TRIA® Skills Rink – Daily games and skills challenges including Red Bull’s “Light the Lamp” mini-golf,
CCM youth activations, and open skating. - Explore Minnesota “We Love Hockey” Sign – A lighted photo op by the Rice Park fountain, perfect for
fans showing off their State of Hockey pride. - Family New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show – A special fireworks display will light up the Saint Paul skyline
around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31, about 30 minutes after the USA vs. Sweden game, with live music
and the Red Bull DJ Truck keeping energy high before the show. Metro Transit will offer sponsored free
rides from 6 p.m. through end of service on New Year’s Eve. - World’s Largest Hockey Puck – Visit Saint Paul has commissioned the world’s largest hockey puck, a
5,000-pound puck that will be on display in Rice Park throughout the festival. - HealthPartners Breakaway Box – Grab snacks from Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub, warm up, play games
and test your reaction time. - PNC Bank Bonfire Zone – Cozy up with s’mores, hot chocolate, and photo moments.
- Red Bull® DJ Truck – Bringing the energy to Rice Park and Saint Paul RiverCentre throughout the festival,
with live sets and music to keep fans hyped all tournament long. - Xcel Energy® Tiny House – Learn ways you can save energy and money in your own home by exploring
the Tiny House while enjoying icy yard games
Activities inside River Centre include: - PNC Snow Globe – A can’t-miss winter photo moment
- Minnesota Wild Rink Activation Area – Open shoe skating and interactive hockey-themed games
- St. Paul Winter Carnival Day (Saturday, Dec. 27) – Featuring a visit from the Winter Carnival Royal Family
with activities in both Rice Park and RiverCentre. - NHL Stanley Cup Display (Sunday, Dec. 28) – On view inside the Wild Rink from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Mini Mite Hockey Zone presented by Cub (Dec. 26 – Jan. 1, 2 – 4 p.m.) – Kids can read to North Star
Therapy Animals - Hockey Mom Market, curated by Mich Berthiaume – Featuring local makers and vendors
- Waggle® Puck Drop – A vertical free-fall experience landing safely on a giant airbag
- Explore Minnesota Watch Party Room – Live World Juniors games, plus Minnesota-made and
hockey-themed family movies - Breakaway Lounge presented by ShineALigh7 – A calming space created in partnership with Paul
Martin, featuring hammocks, music, a nursing area, and the “Zen Zamboni” - Food and Beverage Offerings – Local and international flavors available throughout the festival, including
entrees representing each participating nation rotating daily.
All of these activities are FREE to participate in!
Take some time over the Holidays and enjoy one of the best hockey tournaments in the world right in our backyard!
