GOTHENBURG, Sweden – It has been sad that nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m., but for the folks who love hockey in Minnesota, the news that dropped in the wee hours of Friday morning was good – really, really good.
As was
first reported by The Rink Live
on Wednesday, representatives from the International Ice Hockey Federation and USA Hockey made it official, announcing that the 2026 World Junior Championship will be played in St. Paul and Minneapolis between Dec. 26, 2025 and Jan. 5, 2026.
The 50th anniversary event will include 29 games played over 10 days, with Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis serving as the primary venues. Other arenas throughout the state may be utilized for early-round games, with a full schedule to be released at a later date.
“We’re excited to bring this 50th anniversary edition of the World Juniors to the state of hockey,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey, in a statement. “We know the teams and fans are in for a first-class experience at world-class venues. I’d also like to publicly thank the other finalists for the significant time they spent in putting together proposals. In the end, it was an extremely difficult decision.”
Reportedly, the other bidders were Seattle and Las Vegas, with Minnesota earning the right to host.
“It’s really an honor to be selected,” said Wendy Blackshaw,…
