Overview
- The 10-team tournament runs Dec. 26–Jan. 5 at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul and 3M Arena in Minneapolis.
- Team USA enters as the two-time defending champion and opens against Germany in Group A, with headliners including James Hagens and Cole Eiserman.
- Canada targets a reset under GM Alan Millar and coach Dale Hunter, returns Carter George in goal, and opens against Czechia in Group B.
- Draft-watch storylines center on Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff and Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg, with other notables including Carson Carels, Viggo Björck and Finland’s Oliver Suvanto.
- Round-robin play runs through Dec. 30, the quarterfinals are Jan. 2, and the gold-medal game is Jan. 5, with U.S. coverage on NHL Network and ESPN+.