Overview
- The 50th IIHF World Junior Championship runs Dec. 26–Jan. 5 across Saint Paul’s Grand Casino Arena and Minneapolis’ 3M Arena.
- Team USA, the two-time defending champion, begins group play against Germany with James Hagens and Cole Hutson headlining a deep roster.
- Canada debuts versus Czechia with a lineup boosted by NHL loans Michael Misa, Zayne Parekh and Harrison Brunicke, plus top 2026 prospect Gavin McKenna.
- The preliminary field is split into Group A (USA, Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany) and Group B (Finland, Czechia, Canada, Latvia, Denmark).
- Quarterfinals are set for Jan. 2, semifinals Jan. 4 and medal games Jan. 5, with U.S. coverage featuring E.J. Hradek, Tony Granato and Jon Morosi on NHL Network.