The 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships will continue on Wednesday in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The United States faces Sweden in its final preliminary game on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
The United States’ games in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships will air on the NHL Network and can be streamed live on DirecTV Stream (free trial), fuboTV and other live TV streaming services.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: The 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships
Who: USA vs. Sweden
When: 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
Where: Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul, Minneapolis
TV: NHL Network
Tickets: Starting at $32.75
Full U.S. schedule
Friday, Dec. 26: U.S. 6, Germany 3
Saturday, Dec. 27: U.S. 2, Switzerland 1
Monday, Dec. 29: U.S. 6, Slovakia 5
Wednesday, Dec. 31: U.S. vs. Sweden, 6 p.m. ET
Here’s a preview of Wednesday’s game from the Star Tribune via the Tribune News Service:
The last time the United States played Sweden in the World Junior Championship was in the 2024 tournament that matched the top under-20 men’s hockey players in the world.
Team USA battled the Swedes in the championship game in Gothenburg, Sweden, and skated away with gold after a dominant 6-2 victory.
They meet again on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Grand Casino Arena with the Group A title on the line. Both teams have 3-0 records and nine points in the standings, and the winner will secure one of the two top seeds for the quarterfinals.
For Sweden, the quarterfinal offers an opportunity to turn the tables on Team USA for the 2024 gold medal game.
“One hundred percent,” Sweden defenseman Sascha Boumedienne said after Sweden’s 8-1 romp over Germany on Monday, Dec. 29. “We’re on their home soil now and looking to beat them here. That makes it even more fun.”
The Swedes have had all sorts of fun so far in group play, outscoring Slovakia, Switzerland and Germany by a combined 15-5. Against Germany, Jack Berglund, Anton Frondell and Viggo Bjorck each scored two goals for Sweden.
”Sweden has been a great team in the world juniors in the past couple years,” said U.S. forward Will Zellers of Maple Grove. “The 2024 gold medal game, I mean, they played hard. It’s going to be a really intense atmosphere.”
With their 6-5 win over Slovakia on Dec. 29, Team USA has outscored opponents 14-9 in the tournament. Coach Bob Motzko emphasizes staying with the process to produce the results they desire.
“I’d like [the No. 1 seed], but the importance is how we’re playing,” Motzko said. “And who knows who you’ll play? I’d like to get the No. 1 seed, but more important, I want to know how well we’re playing.”
Top U.S. defenseman Cole Hutson, who left Saturday’s game on a stretcher after being hit up high with a shot, is still day-to-day. Max Plante left Monday’s game after a high hit and is also day-to-day, Motzko said.
Canada did not medal in the past two World Junior Championships, and when the Canadians needed overtime to beat Latvia 2-1 in their second Group B game in this tournament, concern arose over the border.
The Canadians answered Monday, Dec. 29, with a 9-1 rout of Denmark in which Penn State’s Gavin McKenna, the possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft, notched a hat trick. Canada leads Group B with eight points, one ahead of Finland.
The Canadians and Finns square off in their group finale at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 31, at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The game’s winner claims the Group B title and one of the two top seeds in the quarterfinals.
“It’s New Year’s Eve, and everyone dreams of playing a game that night,” Canada goalie Carter George told reporters at 3M Arena at Mariucci. “All of us are going to get up for it, and we know the importance of the game, for first place. We’re looking forward to it.”
The United States, Sweden and Canada have clinched top-two finishes in their respective pools, and therefore their quarterfinal time assignments have been set for games on Friday, Jan. 2. The assignments are:
Quarterfinal 1, Sweden vs. TBD, 1 p.m. Jan. 2, Grand Casino Arena
Quarterfinal 2, TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m. Jan. 2, 3M Arena at Mariucci
Quarterfinal 3, USA vs. TBD, 5 p.m. Jan. 2, Grand Casino Arena
Quarterfinal 4, Canada vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 2, 3M Arena at Mariucci
Kimi Koerbler scored a pair of goals and Christian Kirsch had 20 saves as Switzerland shut out Germany 4-0 at Grand Casino Arena.
The Germans (0-4 in Group A) will go to the relegation game on Friday against Denmark.
The Danes (0-4) lost 6-3 to Latvia in the Group B game at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Kristers Anson had a goal and three assists for Latvia.
Pool play concludes Wednesday with Switzerland-Slovakia at noon and USA-Sweden at 5 p.m. at Grand Casino Arena in Group A; and Czechia-Latvia at 2:30 p.m. and Canada-Finland at 7:30 p.m. at Mariucci in Group B.
New Year’s Day is an off-day.
Where to watch the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey tournament live and on demand for free
Viewers without cable can watch games live and on demand for free by signing up for the trial offer from DIRECTV or Fubo.
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