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The U.S. National Junior Team plays Finland on Friday, January 2, in the quarterfinals of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the NHL Network. Fans looking to watch can do so for free by using DIRECTV or FuboTV, both of which offer a free trial for new users. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial, but promotional offers are available for streaming the game.
WATCH IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES FOR FREE WITH DIRECTV
The winner of tonight’s matchup advances to Sunday’s (January 4) semifinals, while the loser’s time in the tournament will end.
Team USA finished second in Group A, winning three of its four preliminary round games against Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia. The only loss the U.S. suffered came on New Year’s Eve, when Sweden gained a 6-3 win. Finland went 2-2 in the preliminary round and in its last game dropped a 7-4 decision to Canada on Wednesday.
The U.S. and Finland have met 40 previous times, with Team USA having a slight 20-19-1 advantage. Of the last 10 games in the series, eight have been decided by just a single goal.
The United States is hoping for a three-peat this year after defeating Finland 4-3 in overtime to win in 2025 and also winning 6-2 against Sweden in 2024.
Who: USA vs. Finland
When: Friday, January 2 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, MN
Stream: DIRECTV (free trial); FuboTV (free trial); SlingTV
DIRECTV is an internet TV service that offers your favorite entertainment, news and sports channels, as well as local TV stations and regional sports networks. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels, including HBO Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz.
FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment, including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial and up to $30 off the first month for new customers.
Sling TV offers a variety of live programming ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancellation.
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