The 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships are still underway, but the cities that will host the popular annual tournament in 2026 were announced Wednesday.
According to multiple sources, including The Athletic, St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota were actually the big winners. An official announcement will follow on Friday, at the end of the current issue.
• Also read: World Juniors: Here are the eight times Canada missed the medal round
• Also read: World Juniors: Canada eliminated in quarterfinals
Therefore, the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Wild, and the 3M Arena at the University of Minnesota will be the two arenas used for the occasion.
The United States had been chosen to host the event and cities such as Tampa and Las Vegas were considered, but Seattle was reportedly the other finalist in the selection process. This is the third time the competition has been held in Minnesota, following 1982 and 2005.
As a reminder, the 2024 edition will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden. The 2025 event will take place in Ottawa.