The spotlight of global ice hockey turns to the United States today as the IIHF World Junior Championship officially gets underway. The prestigious youth tournament will be staged in Minneapolis and St. Paul from December 26 to January 5, delivering its traditional festive atmosphere during the holiday season.

Ten national teams will compete in the preliminary round, split into two groups of five. Each team faces its group rivals once, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. From there, the tournament moves into a straight knockout phase featuring the quarter-finals, semi-finals, the bronze medal game and the much-anticipated final.

This year’s edition carries special significance, as it marks the 50th anniversary of the World Junior Championship. The United States is hosting the tournament for the eighth time, underlining its growing influence and infrastructure in international ice hockey.

Historically, Canada remains the most successful nation at this level, having lifted the World Junior title on 20 occasions. However, the pressure will be on the hosts this winter, with Team USA entering the tournament as the reigning world champions.