World Junior Hockey Championship will host pre-tournament games in 4 Minnesota cities

Originally posted on Bring Me The News | By Dustin Nelson | Last updated May 30, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The World Junior Hockey Championship, an annual international hockey tournament featuring some of the best prospects in the world, is coming to the Twin Cities in December. However, its events won't be limited to Minneapolis and St. Paul.

This week, the IIHF announced that it will host a series of pre-tournament series around the state, with games slated to take place in Bemidji, Duluth, Mankato, and Rochester.

Dates for the pre-tournament series haven't yet been announced but will take place prior to the Dec. 26 kickoff for the 2026 World Juniors. All 10 of the national teams that have qualified for the tournament — the U.S., Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, and Latvia — will participate in the pre-tournament games, bringing future NHL stars to arenas around the state.

Those rinks will include the Sanford Center in Bemidji, the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Duluth, the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, and the Rochester Recreation Center in Rochester.

“We are thrilled to showcase Minnesota’s rich hockey heritage that runs deep throughout our entire state,” says Wendy Williams Blackshaw, president and CEO of Minnesota Sports and Events, which is co-hosting the tournament.

“These pre-tournament games will give hockey fans throughout greater Minnesota an incredible opportunity to experience world-class international hockey in their backyards and to join in the excitement of hosting this once-in-a-generation event in Minnesota.”

The tournament, which will take place at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and the 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, will feature the U.S. national team looking to defend its back-to-back tournament wins from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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