EDMONTON — The United States opens the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship against Germany on Dec. 26, the opening night of a tournament that brings junior hockey back to Alberta.
Edmonton’s Rogers Place and the Marchant Crane Centrium in Red Deer will host the 10-team event from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. The U.S. preliminary-round slate will be based in Red Deer, while Canada plays its round-robin schedule in Edmonton.
Quick facts
- The United States faces Germany in its opener at 9:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 26 in Red Deer.
- Canada begins against Switzerland at 7 p.m. ET on opening night at Rogers Place.
- Quarterfinals and the relegation matchup are scheduled for Jan. 2.
- Both semifinals, the bronze-medal game and the final will be played at Rogers Place.
- Russia remains excluded from international competition following its invasion of Ukraine.
The Americans are trying to climb back onto the podium after placing fifth at the 2026 tournament. The program had taken consecutive gold medals in 2024 and 2025 and owns seven World Junior titles overall, including championships in 2021, 2024 and 2025.
Forward Wyatt Cullen, Nashville’s No. 10 selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, is positioned to be a key piece for the U.S. So is defenseman Chase Reid, taken seventh overall by the Seattle Kraken in the same draft.
Group A also includes Finland, Slovakia and Sweden. Sweden arrives as defending champion after beating Czechia 4-2 for gold at the 2026 World Juniors in Minnesota, securing its third title.
The Swedish group could feature four 2026 first-round picks: New Jersey Devils forward Alexander Command (No. 12), Los Angeles Kings forward Elton Hermansson (No. 19), Anaheim Ducks forward Marcus Nordmark (No. 28), and New York Islanders defenseman Malte Gustafsson (No. 13).
Canada’s Group B opponents are Czechia, Latvia, Norway and Switzerland. Canada earned bronze in 2026 and could ice a roster loaded with recent top-10 draft talent.
On the blue line, Calgary Flames pick Carson Carels (No. 6 in 2026), Buffalo Sabres pick Daxon Rudolph (No. 4 in 2026) and San Jose Sharks pick Keaton Verhoeff (No. 9 in 2026) are among the available options. Up front, Utah Mammoth forward Caleb Desnoyers (No. 4 in 2025), Vancouver Canucks forward Caleb Malhotra (No. 3 in 2026) and Nashville Predators forward Brady Martin (No. 5 in 2025) could be in the mix.
Gavin McKenna, selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft, is eligible for Canada but is expected to be in the NHL. Defenseman Landon DuPont, projected as the top choice in the 2027 NHL Draft, is expected to join Canada after beginning his season at the University of Michigan.
The top four finishers from each pool advance to the Jan. 2 quarterfinals. The same day includes the relegation game, with the semifinals set for Jan. 4 and the medal games two nights later.
2027 World Junior Championship schedule
| Date | Game | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 26 | Czechia vs. Norway | Rogers Place | 2 p.m. |
| Dec. 26 | Sweden vs. Finland | Marchant Crane Centrium | 4:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 26 | Canada vs. Switzerland | Rogers Place | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 26 | United States vs. Germany | Marchant Crane Centrium | 9:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 27 | Latvia vs. Czechia | Rogers Place | 2 p.m. |
| Dec. 27 | Slovakia vs. Sweden | Marchant Crane Centrium | 4:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 27 | Switzerland vs. Norway | Rogers Place | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 27 | Germany vs. Finland | Marchant Crane Centrium | 9:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 28 | Slovakia vs. United States | Marchant Crane Centrium | 4:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 28 | Canada vs. Latvia | Rogers Place | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 29 | Switzerland vs. Czechia | Rogers Place | 2 p.m. |
| Dec. 29 | Finland vs. United States | Marchant Crane Centrium | 4:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 29 | Norway vs. Canada | Rogers Place | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 29 | Sweden vs. Germany | Marchant Crane Centrium | 9:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 30 | Norway vs. Latvia | Rogers Place | 3 p.m. |
| Dec. 30 | Germany vs. Slovakia | Marchant Crane Centrium | 6:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 31 | Latvia vs. Switzerland | Rogers Place | 2 p.m. |
| Dec. 31 | Finland vs. Slovakia | Marchant Crane Centrium | 4:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 31 | Czechia vs. Canada | Rogers Place | 7 p.m. |
| Dec. 31 | United States vs. Sweden | Marchant Crane Centrium | 9:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 2 | Relegation game | Rogers Place | Noon |
| Jan. 2 | Quarterfinal 1 | Marchant Crane Centrium | 2 p.m. |
| Jan. 2 | Quarterfinal 2 | Rogers Place | 4:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 2 | Quarterfinal 3 | Marchant Crane Centrium | 7 p.m. |
| Jan. 2 | Quarterfinal 4 | Rogers Place | 9:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 4 | Semifinal 1 | Rogers Place | 5:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 4 | Semifinal 2 | Rogers Place | 9:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 5 | Third-place game | Rogers Place | 5:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 5 | Championship game | Rogers Place | 9:30 p.m. |
