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| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  United States |
| City | Minneapolis–Saint Paul |
| Venue(s) | Xcel Energy Center and 3M Arena at Mariucci |
| Dates | December 26, 2025 – January 5, 2026 |
| Teams | 10 |
The 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (2026 WJC) will be the 50th Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. It will begin on December 26, 2025, and will end with the gold medal game being played on January 5, 2026.
The tournament will be returning to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region after last being hosted there in 1982. This will mark the seventh time that the United States will host the WJC and first time since 2018. [1] [2]
The tournament games will be played at the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild and the Minnesota Frost, and 3M Arena at Mariucci, located at the University of Minnesota. [3] [4] [5]
| Minneapolis–Saint Paul | ||
|---|---|---|
| Xcel Energy Center Capacity: 17,954 | 3M Arena at Mariucci Capacity: 10,257 | |
 |  | |
United States (1)
Sweden (4)
Canada (5)
Switzerland (8)
Germany (9)
China 
Croatia 
Great Britain 
Romania 
South Korea – relegated from Division I B
Spain – promoted from Division II B
Australia 
Iceland 
Israel 
Netherlands – relegated from Division II A
New Zealand – promoted from Division III A
Serbia 
Belgium – relegated from Division II B
Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Bulgaria 
Chinese Taipei 
Thailand – promoted from Division III B
Turkey 
Kyrgyzstan 
Luxembourg 
Mexico – relegated from Division III A
South Africa 
3M Arena at Mariucci is the home arena for the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team of the University of Minnesota. The arena is located on the Minneapolis campus and seats approximately 10,000 fans. The arena opened in 1993 and is named after John Mariucci, the longtime Gopher coach who is considered the "godfather of Minnesota hockey." Under the gate is a quote from Mariucci: "Through these gates walk the greatest fans in college hockey." The ice sheet was Olympic sized from 1993 to 2023, when construction began on reducing the rink floor size. The women's ice hockey team played at Mariucci from 1997 until 2002 when they moved to Ridder Arena, which is connected to Mariucci via a tunnel.
The 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 25, 2004, and January 4, 2005, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, United States. Canada won the gold medal. Jim Johannson oversaw administration of the event on behalf of USA Hockey.
Ridder Arena is an indoor ice rink at the University of Minnesota, and home to the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey team. The arena is adjacent to the men's 3M Arena at Mariucci. It was completed in 2002, and includes the connected Baseline Tennis Center for the men's and women's tennis teams. It was the first facility in the United States built specifically for college women's ice hockey, and has hosted the NCAA Women's Frozen Four on four occasions. The arena is named for benefactors Robert Ridder and Kathleen Ridder.
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The following is a list of the events taking place in ice hockey for the year 2025 throughout the world.
