Multiple sources are reporting that the Twin Cities will host one of hockey's most prestigious events when the 2026 World Junior Championships comes to Minnesota.
The Rink Live and writer Jess Meyers broke the story midday Wednesday, with other outlets quickly following. The Athletic cited multiple NHL and international hockey sources as confirming that Minneapolis and St. Paul were awarded the event, which brings the top Under-20 male hockey players from around the world together in one place.
Sources say St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center will host the championship and highest-profile games, with the smaller U of M Mariucci Arena also being used as a game site. Preliminary games could be played in greater Minnesota cities like Duluth, Bemidji, St. Cloud and Mankato.
The event could make a significant economic impact with teams from up to a dozen countries and their fans spending on lodging, food, shopping and tourist activities.
An official announcement on the event and venue details is expected Friday as members of Minnesota's organizing committee are in Gothenburg, Sweden for the 2024 World Junior Championships.
The U.S. is bracing to play Finland in the tournament semi-finals Thursday while Sweden takes on Czechia, with the winners meeting in the championship game.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more coverage of Minnesota sports:
Watch the latest reports from the KARE 11 sports team in our YouTube playlist: