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Even more so than usual, Minnesota is the center of the hockey universe for the next couple of weeks. 

The puck drops Friday on the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship, taking place in the Twin Cities. Ten countries have sent teams to Minnesota, including some of the best under-20 men’s hockey players in the world. 

Organizers are expecting more than 200,000 hockey fans in town for the event. It’s the 50th time the tournament has been played, and the first time it’s been in Minnesota since 1982.

The 10 teams include the U.S. — the two-time defending champion in this tournament, so the other nine teams have some extra motivation to try to knock them off that perch on their home ice.

 — including four who are back from last winter’s winning team. They include Logan Hensler from Woodbury, Max Plante from Hermantown, and Adam Kleber and Brodie Ziemer, both from Chaska.

Other Minnesotans on this year’s team are Brendan McMorrow of Lakeville, Caleb Heil of Victoria and Will Zellers from Maple Grove.

And there are plenty of Minnesotans on the coaching staff, too — led by Minnesota Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko.

Also in the tournament is Finland, who the U.S. beat in overtime last winter to win the title. 

Other teams include Canada, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, Czechia, Latvia and Denmark. 

They’re spread across two locations — Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, and 3M Arena at Mariucci on the U of M campus.

It’s a round-robin tournament to start, with two groups of five. Group A includes the U.S., Sweden, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland. Group B includes Canada, Finland, Czechia, Latvia and Denmark.

The first game starts at noon Friday. And the U.S. hits the ice for the first time at 5 p.m. Friday in St. Paul, facing Germany.

The preliminary round goes through New Year’s Eve. After the opening game against Germany, the U.S. schedule is: 

The round-robin games will be followed by quarterfinals and semifinals. The bronze and gold medal games are on Jan. 5. 

Because the U.S. and Canada are in different groups for the preliminary round, that highly anticipated matchup — if it happens — won’t be until later in the tournament.

 to most games. Demand is higher for the U.S. games, but there were tickets available for Friday’s opener against Germany, starting at around $35.

Sandy Sweetser is one of the executive directors of the tournament. She gave a pitch for Minnesotans to show their support for the U.S. team and the home-state athletes.

“Come out and be a part of that and cheer these guys on,” she said. “They’ve won two gold medals in a row. This would be their third in a row. They’ve never done that — the American team has never done that. And it would be the first World Juniors gold medal for Team USA on American soil.”

And some of the players in the tournament will likely go on to the NHL — lots of top players who are in the league now, competed in the World Juniors tournament at some point. So it’s a chance to see some of those rising stars.

What other events are part of the tournament?

There’s an outdoor festival in Rice Park — it’s free and open to the public. It includes a bumper car ice rink, bonfires, music — even the world’s largest hockey puck. 

And there are indoor activities at Saint Paul River Centre — with a snow globe photo op, a Stanley Cup display, and screenings of hockey movies. Sweetser said it’s a good chance to get some of the spirit of the tournament even if you’re not attending a game.

“It’s going to be definitely a celebration of hockey, but also a celebration of Minnesota and our love of winter and our love of hockey,” she said.

Find more details on fan activities, including a schedule of events, here

Organizers said the tournament is a chance to show off the Twin Cities, with thousands of fans from around the world coming in to watch. And it’s also expected to bring an economic boost to the region.

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Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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The puck drops Friday on the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship, taking place in the Twin Cities. Ten countries have sent teams to Minnesota, including some of the best under-20 men’s hockey players in the world. 


Minas Panagiotakis | Getty Images

A hockey player skates down the rink during a game

Minnesota is center of the hockey universe as World Juniors tournament begins

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