Expand / Collapse search
☰

2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship brings thousands to Twin Cities

By
Published  December 26, 2025 3:51pm CST
St. Paul
FOX 9

The Brief

    • The 10-day tournament involves 10 countries and 29 games, with matchups in both St. Paul and Minneapolis.
    • Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub said it expects to see an uptick in business during the tournament.
    • Rice Park has several activities for families, including photo opportunities, games and the largest hockey puck in the world.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The 2026 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship started its 10-day stretch on Friday, bringing spectators from all over the world and boosting local businesses.

Hockey tournament brings crowds to Twin Cities

Business impact:

Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub said it expects big crowds over the nearly two-week period. Bar stools and tables started to fill rapidly after opening Friday morning, the first day of the tournament.

Things to do:

Rice Park in St. Paul has several family-friendly activities, including games, photo opportunities and the largest hockey puck in the world.

What they're saying:

"Good crowds all around," said Justin Christensen, manager at Tom Reid’s. "It’s a big uptick. We usually go – the Wild bring us along nicely, but when this full 10 days happens, we see a lot."

The games are bringing spectators from around the world. The Novotny family flew in from the Czech Republic. They have a personal connection to the tournament.

"We are so excited because my brother [unintelligible] plays here," said Tereza Novotny.

St. PaulSports