Minnesota lands 2026 world junior hockey event with plans to 'knock this out of the park'

The official word came before dawn Friday from Sweden: The State of Hockey is the host for the 2026 IIHF world junior hockey championship.

"I cannot tell you how excited we are to be sitting up here. I'm literally pinching myself," Minnesota Sports and Events (MNSE) President and CEO Wendy Blackshaw said from the dais with hockey officials and Visit St. Paul President Jaimee Hendrikson. "This is such a big deal to us."

The dates for the tournament are always the same, with the first game played Dec. 26 and the final on Jan. 5. The games in Minnesota are expected to be played at Xcel Energy Center and 3M Arena at Mariucci.

International Ice Hockey Federation President Luc Tardif, a French Canadian, said the event is returning to where hockey started. "The 50th anniversary, that's a lot of pressure on your shoulders," he said with a smile to the Minnesotans.

Blackshaw noted that MNSE staff members Sandy Sweetser and Andrea Graham would be leading the effort. "We are going to knock this out of the park."

The production is estimated to cost about $6 million in public and private money, Blackshaw said. USA Hockey estimates a $75 million economic boost to the host community.

USA Hockey Executive Director Pat Kelleher cited the "passion of the governor" as a big reason the state won the bid to host. That's Gov. Tim Walz, who is not known for hockey prowess as former Govs. Mark Dayton, Tim Pawlenty and the late Wendell Anderson were.

"We couldn't not say yes to them," Kelleher said of the Minnesota pitch.

Blackshaw expects exhibition games to be played in other venues but those locations are still to be determined. Officials did say, however, that none of the games will be played outdoors.

The world juniors feature elite players from around the globe, including many college standouts. Jimmy Snuggerud and Ryan Chesley are among the four Gophers and six Minnesotans playing for Team USA this year.

The U.S. team defeated Sweden in this year's championship on Friday. The tournament features 10 international teams playing 29 games over two weeks. The teams generally arrive a couple weeks in advance and play exhibition games.

Blackshaw said it was a full-circle moment for her as she was a hockey cheerleader for the Gophers and rode in a victory parade car with Coach Herb Brooks after the 1980 Olympics victory.

For Hendrikson, it was similar. Her parents helped organize the 2005 championships in Grand Forks, N.D., and some of those games were played in Thief River Falls.

The United States generally plays host to the event every few years. Buffalo, N.Y., held the 2018 event. Minnesota played host to the sixth version of the tournament in 1982 with games across the state and in two Canadian provinces: Manitoba and Ontario.