The 2026 IIHF Congress concluded today in Zürich, Switzerland, with a number of major announcements made, the main one being the surprising reversal on the status of Russia and Belarus’ team participation following the original extension of their competition ban, which has been in place since 2022.
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Category Archives: World Junior Championship
🇨🇦 Claude Lemieux: 1965-2026
Claude Lemieux, the pesky forward with a penchant for clutch performances, a multitude of trophies and medals, and one of a handful of players to win the Stanley Cup with three different clubs, sadly passed away today at the age of 60, just days after appearing in Montréal during the Canadiens’ current playoff run.
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🇷🇺 Sergei Shirokov Retires From Hockey At KHL Awards
Russian winger Sergei Shirokov, a mainstay of both the KHL and Russian national team, announced his retirement at the 2026 KHL Awards ceremony in Moscow during his acceptance speech for the Gimayev Prize, leaving the game after nearly two decades in pro hockey, capped with a Gagarin Cup, two World Championships and an Olympic Gold medal.
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🇨🇿 Jakub Klepiš Retires At 41 After Playoff Elimination
Czech journeyman forward Jakub Klepiš, a veteran of nearly a quarter century across multiple clubs in Czechia, Russia, Sweden and the United States, confirmed his retirement from hockey at the age of 41, following Sparta Prague’s elimination from the 2026 Czech Extraliga playoffs.
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🇸🇪 Linus Omark Confirms Retirement Following Luleå Elimination
Swedish winger Linus Omark, a mainstay on the Swedish national team for over a decade with a World Championship Gold, Swedish and Swiss League title to his name, confirmed his retirement from the game at the age of 39, following his club, Luleå, being eliminated in the semifinals of the Swedish Hockey League playoffs.
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🇨🇦 🇨🇿 Edmonton, Calgary & Prague Named As 2028 World Cup Hosts
Making its return for the first time in twelve years, the NHL today announced the host cities for the World Cup of Hockey, with group play to be split between Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Prague, Czechia, with the semifinal and final to be hosted in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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🇷🇺 🇧🇾 IIHF Continues Russia, Belarus Ban Into 2026-27 Season
Following an IIHF Council meeting, the International Ice Hockey Federation today confirmed that their ban on Russian and Belarusian teams, dating back to their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, was extended through the 2026-27 hockey season.
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IHLC Results – 🇸🇪 Sweden 4-2 Czechia 🇨🇿 – 05 Jan 2026
🇸🇪 Sweden 4-2 Czechia 🇨🇿
World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game
Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul 🇺🇸
Monday, 05 January 2026
Sweden slowly and surely built a 3-0 lead by the early part of the third period and barely withstood a wild Czech rally in the dying minutes to win World Junior Championship Gold with a thrilling 4-2 win.
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🇷🇺 Sergei Andronov Retires From Hockey At 36
Russian forward Sergei Andronov, a KHL veteran with two Gagarin Cups and an Olympic title under his belt, today confirmed his retirement from hockey at the age of 36 after his release from Salavat Yulaev Ufa this past August, following a fifteen-year pro career.
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IHLC Results – 🇸🇪 Sweden 4-3 Finland 🇫🇮 (SO) – 04 Jan 2026
🇸🇪 Sweden 4-3 Finland 🇫🇮 (SO)
World Junior Championship Quarterfinal
Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul 🇺🇸
Sunday, 04 January 2026
Anton Frondell scored the shootout winner as Sweden beat Finland 4-3 in the early 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship semi-final.
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IHLC Results – 🇸🇪 Sweden 6-3 Latvia 🇱🇻 – 02 Jan 2026
🇸🇪 Sweden 6-3 Latvia 🇱🇻
World Junior Championship Quarterfinal
Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul 🇺🇸
Friday, 02 January 2026
It was business as usual. Undefeated Sweden employed a balanced attack to down Latvia 6-3 in the first quarter-final of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship on Friday.
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🇩🇰 Denmark Relegated From World Junior Championship
For the third straight year, Germany once again avoided relegation at the World Junior Championship, this time eliminating Denmark in an 8-4 victory to send the Lions back down to Division IA in 2027 in their relegation match-up in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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IHLC 2025 In Review – Junior
The 2025 international junior calendar saw the United States capture their first back-to-back world title in 2025, followed by the emergence of Sweden dominating across three tournaments, capping the calendar year off with a commanding performance at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
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IHLC Results – 🇸🇪 Sweden 6-3 United States 🇺🇸 – 31 Dec 2025
🇸🇪 Sweden 6-3 United States 🇺🇸
World Junior Championship Preliminary Round
Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul 🇺🇸
Wednesday, 31 December 2025
Sweden scored four goals in a wild second period to race away to a 6-3 win over the United States tonight at Grand Casino Arena.
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IHLC Results – 🇸🇪 Sweden 8-1 Germany 🇩🇪 – 29 Dec 2025
🇸🇪 Sweden 8-1 Germany 🇩🇪
World Junior Championship Preliminary Round
Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul 🇺🇸
Monday, 29 December 2025
Captain Jack Berglund, Anton Frondell, and Viggo Björck scored two goals apiece to pace Sweden to a 8-1 thumping of Germany in Monday’s early Group A action.
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IHLC Results – 🇸🇪 Sweden 4-2 Switzerland 🇨🇭 – 28 Dec 2025
🇸🇪 Sweden 4-2 Switzerland 🇨🇭
World Junior Championship Preliminary Round
Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul 🇺🇸
Sunday, 28 December 2025
Sweden scored two goals early in the third period to erase a 2-1 Switzerland lead en route to a 4-2 win this afternoon at Grand Casino Arena.
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IHLC Results – 🇸🇪 Sweden 3-2 Slovakia 🇸🇰 – 26 Dec 2025
🇸🇪 Sweden 3-2 Slovakia 🇸🇰
World Junior Championship Preliminary Round
Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul 🇺🇸
Friday, 26 December 2025
Ivar Stenberg scored the winner with 3:57 left and added an assist as Sweden defeated Slovakia 3-2 at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The hard-working, youthful Slovaks rallied from a two-goal second-period deficit, but fell short.
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IHLC Preview – 2026 World Junior Championship
The eyes of the hockey world are looking just beyond the holiday season, with Boxing Day marking the kickoff of the fiftieth annual IIHF World Junior Championship, this time being hosted by the defending champion Americans in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, with the home team looking to “three-peat” for the first time in history.
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🇫🇮 IIHF Names Tampere & Turku As 2028 World Junior Championship Host
Today the International Ice Hockey Federation announced that hosting rights for the 2028 World Juniors have been awarded to Tampere and Turku, Finland, with the tournament set to begin on 26 December 2027.
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🇳🇴 Norway Promoted To World Junior Top Division In 2027
After a two-year stint in Division IA, Norway will be returning to the World Junior Championship Top Division, thanks to a late Kazakh comeback victory over Austria, locking up their spot in the Top Division even before their final match against hosts Slovenia at the Division IA tournament in Bled.
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International Hockey Lineal Championship 