The end of December brings with it Christmas and soon thereafter New Year’s Eve. However, it also brings around one of the most-watched hockey tournaments of the year. The 2026 World Junior Championships are slated to kick off Friday. Read about the 2026 edition of the tournament below.
Structure and Schedule
This year’s tournament will take place in the United States in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The tournament will last from December 26 through January 5.
Below are the 10 teams taking part in the festivities:
| Group A | Group B |
| United States | Canada |
| Germany | Czechia |
| Slovakia | Denmark |
| Sweden | Finland |
| Switzerland | Latvia |
The preliminary-round games between Group A teams will take place at Grand Casino Arena, home of the Minnesota Wild, in St. Paul. Meanwhile, the Group B teams will play at 3M Arena at Mariucci, on the campus of the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis.
Four of the top five teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals phase of the tournament. Meanwhile, the bottom team in each group will face-off in a relegation battle.
All games can be watched on NHL Network. The quarterfinals will take place on January 2, the semifinals on January 4, and the bronze and gold medal games on January 5.
Below are the schedules of Team USA as well as Team Finland, which features the lone New Jersey Devils representative.
Team USA Schedule
- Fri., Dec. 26 versus Germany (6:00 pm ET)
- Sat., Dec. 27 versus Switzerland (6:00 pm ET)
- Mon. Dec. 29 versus Slovakia (6:00 pm ET)
- Wed. Dec. 31 versus Sweden (6:00 pm ET)
Team Finland Schedule
- Fri., Dec. 26 versus Denmark (3:30 pm ET)
- Sat., Dec. 28 versus Latvia (4:30 pm ET)
- Mon. Dec. 29 versus Czechia (3:30 pm ET)
- Wed. Dec. 31 versus Canada (8:30 pm ET)
Devils Representation
It is a down year in terms of representation at the tournament for the New Jersey Devils. As mentioned above, the Devils are projected to only have one prospect at the tournament. That will be forward Kasper Pikkarainen for Team Finland.
Pikkarainen, a third-round pick in 2024, has spent the entirety of the season in the Liiga (top Finnish professional league) where he has three points in 25 games while playing a mere 10:57 of ice time per night. Encouragingly, the 25 games he has played is the most he has played since 2023-24 as he missed a majority of the 2024-25 season due to injury.
Of course, if Russia was eligible to participate in the tournament, defenseman Anton Silayev would be a likely participant. However, Russia is still not apart of the tournament.
Other Representation
As it stands, 30 of the 32 NHL teams project to have at least one prospect at the 2026 tournament. Right now, the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets are projected to be without representation.
Leading the way in terms of volume of players at the tournament are the Los Angeles Kings (seven), Nashville Predators (seven), Utah Mammoth (seven), New York Islanders (six), Philadelphia Flyers (six), Washington Capitals (six), Anaheim Ducks (five), Detroit Red Wings (five), Montreal Canadiens (five), and Seattle Kraken (five).
Brief Team-By-Team Breakdowns
Canada
Odds To Win Tournament: +105 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
As always, Canada is coming to the tournament with loads of firepower. On paper, they are once again the most talented roster at the event. Canada, whose 20 titles is the most in the event’s history, has not won the event since 2023. They have failed to medal in the last two tournaments as well.
They are headlined by top draft selections in Michael Misa (SJ), Porter Martone (PHI), Tig Iginla (UTA), Zayne Parekh (CGY), and Kashawn Aitcheson (NYI). Not to mention, forward Gavin McKenna is projected to be the first-overall pick in next year’s draft. In net, they will be led by a strong duo of Carter George (LAK) and Jack Ivankovic (NSH).
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
As mentioned, McKenna is the projected first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He has 18 points in 14 games for Penn State this season. Other draft eligible players to keep an eye on are all defensemen:Keaton Verhoeff, Carson Carels, and Ethan MacKenzie.
Verhoeff, 17, currently plays for the University of North Dakota where he has 11 points in 16 games. He is a projected top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Carels, another defenseman, is a projected top-15 pick and has 29 points in 28 WHL games this season. Lastly, MacKenzie, who is an over-ager if drafted in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft (19 years old), has 31 points in 30 WHL games this season. He is set to join the University of North Dakota next season.
United States
Odds To Win Tournament: +200 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Team USA will enter the tournament looking for a three-peat, something that has not been done since Team Canada won five in a row spanning from 2005 through 2009. Their seven gold medals rank third in tournament history behind Canada and Russia.
On paper, Team USA’s roster is not as strong as season’s past. It is led by a trio consisting of F James Hagens (BOS), F Cole Eiserman (NYI), and D Cole Huston (WSH). Other players with strong pedigree are F Will Horcoff (PIT), F Teddy Stiga (NSH), F Ryker Lee (NSH), and D Logan Hensler (OTT). Defenseman Chase Reid will lead draft-eligible players.
In net, the likely starter is Nicholas Kempf (WSH), a former fourth-round pick, who has struggled at Notre Dame this season (.893 save percentage). Caleh Heil, a seventh-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2025, is another option.
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
As mentioned, Team USA’s top draft-eligible prospect is defenseman Chase Reid. Reid, 17, is a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He has 35 points in 31 OHL games so far this year.
Defenseman Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen and goalie Brady Knowling are the two other notable draft-eligible on the roster. Rhéaume-Mullen is an over-ager, if drafted, as he is already 19 years old. He is in his second season at the University of Michigan and has 13 points in 20 games. Meanwhile, Knowling, 17, has a .887 save percentage across 15 National Team Development Program games this season. He will likely be a middle-round pick in 2026.
Sweden
Odds To Win Tournament: +460 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Team Sweden is looking for their first gold medal since 2012. They are now six years removed from their legendary 54-game winning streak in the preliminary rounds of the tournament.
Sweden has a lot of firepower in their forward group. They are led by 2025 third-overall pick Anton Frondell (CHI), Viktor Eklund (NYI), Milton Gästrin (WSH), and Lucas Pettersson (ANA). Ivar Stenberg, a top 2026 draft-eligible forward, should also be an elite presence for them up front.
On the back end, Sweden features a pair of top-two round pick defensemen in Sascha Boumedienne and Alfons Freij, each Winnipeg Jets prospects. In net, Herman Liv (undrafted) leads the group with draftees Måns Goos (DAL) and Love Härenstam (STL).
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
As mentioned, forward Ivar Stenberg leads the group. He is a projected top-three pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He has 24 points in 25 SHL (top Swedish professional league) games this season, which is extremely impressive.
Elsewhere, forward Viggo Björck is a projected top-20 pick. He has eight points in 24 SHL games this season. Defenseman William Håkansson is a projected first-or-second-round pick, as he has skated in 22 SHL games this season.
Meanwhile, F Casper Juustovaara Karlsson, D Felix Carrell, D Felix Öhrqvist, and G Herman Liv have all gone undrafted and are over-agers.
Czechia
Odds To Win Tournament: +1600 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Czechia has quietly emerged themselves as a strong presence at this tournament the past several seasons. The country has netted a medal in the last three tournaments including a silver in 2023. They may be bringing their best team yet in 2026.
The forward group has some explosiveness. The unit is led by two Adams in Novotný and Benák. Adam Benák was a fourth-round pick by Minnesota in 2025 and Adam Novotný is a top-15 prospect in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Czechia then has a number of NHL draft picks joining the two Adams including 2025 first-round pick Václav Nestrašil (CHI), Petr Sikora (WSH), Vojtěch Čihař (LAK), and Adam Jecho (STL).
The Czechs also have a strong foundation defensively. A first-round duo of Adam Jiříček (STL) and Radim Mrtka (BUF) anchor the defensive core. Seventh-round pick Jakub Fibigr (SEA) and undrafted Tomáš Galvas will also bring a ton of experience. In net, Nashville draftee (fourth round in 2024), Jakub Milota, who just returned from injury is projected to be the team’s No. 1 option. Michal Oršulák is another option in net as the 18-year-old has started out well for his WHL club.
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
Adam Novotný is by far the best draft-eligible prospect playing in the tournament for Czechia. The 18-year-old is expected to go in the middle of the first-round in 2026. He has 35 points through 29 games for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL.
Other notable draft-eligible prospects are Jakub Vanecek and Vladimír Dravecký. Both Vanecek and Dravecký are defensemen and are likely early-round picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Vanecek, 17, has 17 points in 27 WHL games this season. Dravecký, 18, has 18 points in 28 OHL games.
Tomáš Galvas, another defenseman, is an interesting case as he has gone undrafted the last couple years, however, the 19-year-old has 11 points in 19 Czechia (top Czechia professional league) games this season.
Czechia also has several other older, more experienced players who have gone undrafted in previous seasons such as F Maxmilian Curran, F Adam Titlbach, F Richard Žemlička, D Matyáš Man, among others.
Finland
Odds To Win Tournament: +1900 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Finland has finished in the top-four of the tournament in five of the last six editions. However, this year projects to be a down year for the Finns. Their pre-tournament championship odds, according to FanDuel, puts them tied for fifth.
Lacking Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius, the Finns will rely on draftees Aatos Koivu (MTL), Emil Hemming (DAL), Atte Joki (DAL), Julius Miettinen (SEA), and Max Westergård (PHI) up front. The draft-eligible Oliver Suvanto should also play a key role. Of course, the previously mentioned Kasper Pikkarainen is the lone Devils representative at the tournament and will also factor into the Finland forward group.
Defensively, Finland is returning a lot of experience. Aron Kiviharju (MIN), Veeti Väisänen (UTA), Daniel Nieminen (NSH), and Lasse Boelius (ANA) are all draftees. Additionally, another draft-eligible prospect, Juho Piiparinen, should also play a key role on the back end.
The strongest part of their team is in net in the form of Los Angeles Kings prospect Petteri Rimpinen. Rimpinen, a fifth-round pick in 2025, was the top goaltender in the event last season leading the Finns to a silver medal in 2025.
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
The top two draft-eligible prospects projected to play for Finland this season are Oliver Suvanto and Juho Piiparinen. Forward Suvanto is a projected first-round pick and has seven points in 30 Liiga (top Finnish professional league) games. Defenseman Piiparinen, who may also be a first-round pick, has played in 26 Liiga games this season.
Like the other teams, Finland also has a plethora of players that have gone undrafted. Forward Matias Vanhanen, 18, who is having a really strong season in the WHL (44 points in 31 games), is the most notable of the group. Others, are all on the back end, include Arttu Välilä, Niklas Nykyri, and Mitja Jokinen.
Switzerland
Odds To Win Tournament: +10000 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Switzerland, who are always seemingly a fixture in the tournament, is looking for the country’s first medal since 1998 and second overall. They got close in 2019, finishing fourth in the tournament and losing to Russia in the bronze medal game.
Up front, Switzerland does not have much experience at all. The unit does not feature a single draftee. The group will be led by draft-eligibles in Lars Steiner, Jamiro Reber, Paul Mottard, and Jonah Neuenshwander, who is only 16 years old.
The defensive and goaltending group is much more established. The unit features draftees in defensemen Leon Muggli (WSH) and Ludvig Johnson (UTA). Each will be playing several minutes each night. Basile Sansonnens (VAN) is also another defenseman that has been drafted. In net, a duo of drafted players who are forecasted to be quite busy in Christian Kirsch (SJ) and Elijah Neuenshwander (ANA).
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
Switzerland has a number of draft-eligible prospects given how young they are. Forward Lars Steiner leads the way as the 18-year-old is a projected second-round pick. He has 14 points in 15 QMJHL games this season, as he did miss some time due to injury. Meanwhile, forward Jonah Neuenschwander, only 16 years old, is a 2027 draft-eligible player who is playing in the top Swiss professional league this season (six points in 18 games).
Elsewhere, forward Jamiro Reber and defenseman Niklas Blessing each are entering their third seasons being draft eligible. Reber, 19, has played in 69 career SHL (top Swedish professional league) games already. Lastly, Daniil Ustinkov was once viewed as a top prospect in the 2024 draft, but has gone undrafted the last few seasons as well.
Slovakia
Odds To Win Tournament: +10000 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Slovakia last medaled in 2015. Since then they have been fighting to stay afloat and dodge relegation, especially after losing a key fixture in forwards Dalibor Dvorsky.
On offense, Slovakia only has two draftees in Ján Chovan (LAK) and Michal Svrček (DET). Additionally, the Slovaks have a group of intriguing draft-eligible players in Adam Nemec, Tomas Chrenko and Tobias Tomik. Nemec is the younger brother of current Devils defenseman Simon.
Defenseman Luka Radivojevič, who went undrafted last season, will anchor a defensive core that is otherwise new for Slovakia. Adam Goljer is a 2026 draft-eligible that should play a key role as well.
In net, Red Wings draftee Michal Prádel may be the team’s first option. All three of the Slovak goalies are actually currently apart of USHL teams with Alan Lenďák and Roberto Leonardo Henriquez joining Prádel in that league.
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
Defenseman Adam Goljer is a projected second-round pick. The 17-year-old has played in 26 games in the Slovakia top professional league totaling nine points.
As mentioned, Adam Nemec, Tomas Chrenko, and Tobias Tomik are all 2026 draft-eligibles who have first-to-third-round pedigrees. Nemec has 15 points in 28 games played in the top Slovakian professional league while Cherenkov has 17 points in 27 games. Lastly, Tomik has 16 points in 33 WHL games which has tanked his stock considerably.
Defenseman Luka Radivojevič, 18, who is playing college hockey at Boston College was passed over in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Forward Andreas Straka was another surprise undrafted player as well.
Denmark
Odds To Win Tournament: +25000 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Denmark is making their return to the top tournament in 2026. It is likely they will find themselves in a fierce relegation battle when the tournament concludes.
The Danes lone draftee is Mads Kongsbak Klyvø, who was a fourth-round pick in 2025 by the Florida Panthers. The other most notable forward is William Bundgaard who stands at a hulking 6-foot-4. Oliver Dejbjerg Larsen, Anton Linde, and Tristan Petersen are some of the other players up front that will be key for the Danish attack.
Jeppe Kramer will likely lead the Denmark defensive core. He will be joined by the likes of Jesper Bank Olesen, Markus Jakobsen, and Emil Saaby Jakobsen. In net, Anton Emil Wilde Larsen expects to be the team’s No. 1.
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
With only one draftee, the Danish roster is built upon undrafted players. There is a small chance any skaters from this year’s edition of Team Denmark will be drafted.
Germany
Odds To Win Tournament: +25000 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Given how tough Group A is, Germany may be bound for a relegation game battle when it is all said and done. The country is making their 31st appearance in the top tournament but have never brought home a medal.
The Germans have a duo of NHL draftees up front in David Lewandowski (EDM) and Maxim Schäfer (WSH). Their most exciting forward is 16-year-old, and 2027 draft-eligible, Max Penkin. QMJHL forward Elias Schneider should also play a key role as well.
Germany features one draftee on the back end in Carlos Händel, a Montreal Canadiens sixth-round pick in 2025. The unit, which has a ton of size, may otherwise struggle which will pose a tall task for a duo of strong goaltenders in Linus Vieillard and Lukas Stuhrmann.
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
As mentioned, 2027 draft-eligible Max Penkin projects to be Germany’s next big prospect. He is already playing in the top German professional league at 16 years old.
Outside of that there is not much draft-eligible pedigree on Germany. Elias Schneider, 18, is having a nice QMJHL season with 23 points in 25 games. Though, outside of that, not many more notables.
Latvia
Odds To Win Tournament: +25000 (per FanDuel)
Preview:
Latvia is coming off a 2025 tournament that saw them upset Team Canada. Like Germany, playing in Group A may force the Latvians into a relegation battle.
Up front, Latvia does not have a NHL draftee. They will likely rely on forwards Bruno Osmanis and Olivers Mūrnieks. Rūdolfs Bērzkalns joins Mūrnieks as a notable 2026 draft-eligible up front.
Defenseman Darels Uljanskis (ANA) is one of two draftees on the Latvia roster. Alberts Šmits, a top 2026 draft-eligble, will join Uljanskis on the top pair likely. Harijs Cjunskis and Krišjānis Sārts are the other two notables on the back end. In net, Mikus Vecanags is the other draft-eligible on the roster, taken by Montreal in the fifth round in 2024.
Draft-Eligible Prospects:
Defenseman Alberts Šmits projects to be Latvia’s highest draft pick since Zemgus Girgensons. Šmits, 18, is a projected first-round selection. He has 12 points in 29 Liiga (top Finnish professional league) this season.
Other notables are Olivers Mūrnieks, 17, who is a projected early-round pick. He has 13 points in 22 WMJHL games this season. Forward Rūdolfs Bērzkalns and goaltender Martins Klaucāns are also 2026 draft-eligible prospects.
Lastly, Bruno Osmanis was passed over last season, but the 19-year-old has put up decent numbers in the Swedish professional minor league.
Predictions
What is a preview article without making some predictions? Below are our predictions for this year’s World Junior Championships:
Group A Order:
- United States
- Sweden
- Slovakia
- Switzerland
- Germany
Group B Order:
- Canada
- Czechia
- Finland
- Latvia
- Denmark
Playoffs:
- Quarterfinals: USA defeat Latvia, Canada defeats Switzerland, Sweden defeats Finland, Czechia defeats Slovakia
- Semifinals: Canada defeats Czechia, USA defeats Sweden
- Relegation: Germany defeats Denmark
Medals:
- Gold: Canada
- Silver: United States
- Bronze: Czechia
Prospect Summary
For your benefit, below are the top draft-eligible prospects playing in this year’s tournament that we discussed above.
2026 Draft
- Gavin McKenna, F (Canada)
- Ivar Stenberg, F (Sweden)
- Keaton Verhoeff, D (Canada)
- Chase Reid, D (USA)
- Adam Novotný, F (Czechia)
- Viggo Björck, D (Sweden)
- Alberts Šmits, D (Latvia)
- Carson Carels, D (Canada)
- Oliver Suvanto, F (Finland)
- Juho Piiparinen, D (Finland)
- Adam Goljer, D (Slovakia)
- Tomas Chrenko, F (Slovakia)
- Adam Nemec, F (Slovakia)
- Lars Steiner, F (Switzerland)
- William Håkansson, D (Sweden)
- Jakub Vanecek, D (Czechia)
- Tobias Tomik, F (Slovakia)
- Vladimír Dravecký, D (Czechia)
- Olivers Mūrnieks, F (Latvia)
- Brady Knowling, G (United States)
- Rūdolfs Bērzkalns, F (Latvia)
- Martins Klaucāns, G (Latvia)
Notable Over-Agers:
- Ethan MacKenzie, D (Canada)
- Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen, D (United States)
- Casper Juustovaara Karlsson, F (Sweden)
- Felix Carrell, D (Sweden)
- Felix Öhrqvist, D (Sweden)
- Herman Liv, G (Sweden)
- Maxmilian Curran, F (Czechia)
- Adam Titlbach, F (Czechia)
- Richard Žemlička, F (Czechia)
- Tomáš Galvas, D (Czechia)
- Matyáš Man, D (Czechia)
- Matias Vanhanen, F (Finland)
- Arttu Välilä, D (Finland)
- Niklas Nykyri, D (Finland)
- Mitja Jokinen, D (Finland)
- Jamiro Reber, F (Switzerland)
- Niklas Blessing, D (Switzerland)
- Daniil Ustinkov, D (Switzerland)
- Andreas Straka, F (Slovakia)
- Luka Radivojevič, D (Sloviaka)
- Elias Schneider, F (Germany)
- Bruno Osmanis, F (Latvia)
2027 Draft
- Jonah Neuenschwander, F (Switzerland, 2027)
- Max Penkin, F (Germany, 2027)
Final Thoughts
As always, the World Junior Championships should be a terrific watch. This despite the New Jersey Devils having only one representative. We will have all updates concerning Pikkarainen and Team USA on our social media pages.