The 2026 IIHF World Championship is set to showcase a new generation of talent, with the last three Hobey Baker Award recipients — Max Plante, Isaac Howard and Macklin Celebrini — among the standout players set to take the ice.
A clash of experience and youth
Team USA and Team Canada find themselves in separate preliminary groups, but the tournament format means they could meet in the knockout rounds, pitting a roster that spans from 19‑year‑old Rykar Lee to 34‑year‑old veteran Justin Faulk against a similarly mixed Canadian side.
The competition will feature athletes from 42 Division I programs and two Division III schools, reflecting a broad college‑hockey pipeline that feeds into the world stage. With eight teams per group, the top four from each advance to cross‑group quarterfinals, setting up a schedule that culminates in the gold‑medal game on May 31, 2026.
Beyond the on‑ice storylines, the event underscores the growing visibility of women’s professional hockey, as leagues such as the PWHL continue to expand, while the International Ice Hockey Federation, USA Hockey and the National Team Development Program coordinate the logistics across venues in Switzerland and partner nations.