2026 World Juniors Playoff Bracket

The 2026 World Juniors U20 Ice Hockey Championship playoff bracket is officially set! The top four teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals, bronze medal game, and the gold medal game. The tournament takes place from December 26, 2025, to January 5, 2026, in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, United States, at Xcel Energy Center and 3M Arena at Mariucci.

Key Dates

Quarterfinals: Friday, January 2, 2026
Semifinals: Sunday, January 4, 2026
Bronze & Gold Medal Games: Monday, January 5, 2026

Tournament Venues

Xcel Energy Center – Capacity: 17,954
3M Arena at Mariucci – Capacity: 10,257

How the Playoffs Work

Quarterfinals:

The top 4 teams from each group qualify.

Matchups are as follows:

Game 1: 1A vs 4B – SWE vs LAT
Game 2: 2A vs 3B – USA vs CZE
Game 3: 3A vs 2B – SVK vs FIN
Game 4: 4A vs 1B – SUI vs CAN

Quarterfinal Matchups (TBD)

1A vs 4B = Winner advances to Semifinal 1 = SWE vs LAT
2A vs 3B = Winner advances to Semifinal 2 = USA vs FIN
3A vs 2B = Winner advances to Semifinal 1 = SUI vs CZE
4A vs 1B = Winner advances to Semifinal 2 = CAN vs SVK

Semifinals:

Winner of Game 1 vs Winner of Game 3 = SWE vs FIN
Winner of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 4 = CAN vs CZE

Medal Games:

Bronze Medal Game: Losers of the semifinals = CAN vs FIN
Gold Medal Game: Winners of the semifinals = CZE vs SWE

All medal games will be held on Monday, January 5, 2026, at Xcel Energy Center and 3M Arena at Mariucci.

Quarterfinals, semifinals, and the gold medal showdown – all the action, all the future NHL stars, all in one bracket! Who will rise to claim the gold? Check out the full playoff bracket now!