The 2026 World Junior Championship kicks off on Thursday, Dec. 26, and it’s bound to be a good one.
The United States are hoping to win the tournament for the third consecutive year for the first time in the team’s history. Canada, meanwhile, is hoping to get revenge after two straight quarterfinal exits.
Ten teams are set to do battle for gold from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, with games taking place at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul and the 3M Arena in Minneapolis. Here’s what you need to know heading into the tournament, with a little look at every team and much more:
Team Previews
Roster Breakdowns
Pre-Tournament Game Analysis
Features
Round-Robin Schedule
| Date |
Matchup |
Time (Eastern Time) |
| Friday, Dec. 26 |
Sweden vs. Slovakia |
1:00 PM |
|
Denmark vs. Finland |
3:30 PM |
|
Germany vs. United States |
6:00 PM |
|
Czechia vs. Canada |
8:30 PM |
| Saturday, Dec. 27 |
Slovakia vs. Germany |
2:00 PM |
|
Latvia vs. Canada |
4:30 PM |
|
USA vs. Switzerland |
6:00 PM |
|
Denmark vs. Czechia |
8:30 PM |
| Sunday, Dec. 28 |
Sweden vs. Switzerland |
2:00 PM |
|
Finland vs. Latvia |
4:30 PM |
| Monday, Dec. 29 |
Germany vs. Sweden |
1:00 PM |
|
Finland vs. Czechia |
3:30 PM |
|
Slovakia vs. United States |
6:00 PM |
|
Canada vs. Denmark |
8:30 PM |
| Tuesday, Dec. 30 |
Switzerland vs. Germany |
2:00 PM |
|
Latvia vs. Denmark |
4:30 PM |
| Wednesday, Dec. 31 |
Switzerland vs. Slovakia |
1:00 PM |
|
Czechia vs. Latvia |
3:30 PM |
|
United States vs. Sweden |
6:00 PM |
|
Canada vs. Finland |
8:30 PM |
Medal Round Schedule
| Date |
Round |
Time (Eastern Time) |
| Friday, Jan. 2 |
Quarterfinal 1 |
2:00 PM |
|
Quarterfinal 2 |
4:30 PM |
|
Quarterfinal 3 |
6:00 PM |
|
Quarterfinal 4 |
8:30 PM |
| Sunday, Jan. 4 |
Semifinal 1 |
4:30 PM |
|
Semifinal 2 |
8:30 PM |
| Monday, Jan. 5 |
Bronze Medal Game |
4:30 PM |
|
Gold Medal Game |
8:30 PM |
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