2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship
The premier annual international hockey tournament returns May 15-31, hosted by Zurich and Fribourg. Sixteen national teams, 64 games, single-elimination knockouts after the group stage. Team USA enters as the defending champion — first American gold since 1960 — and is grouped against host Switzerland for an early signature matchup.
USA returns to defend its 2025 gold
Team USA's 1-0 overtime win in Stockholm last May was the country's first IIHF World Championship gold since 1960 — a 65-year drought broken on Tage Thompson's overtime goal at 2:02, with Jeremy Swayman stopping all 25 shots he faced. The Swiss roster will look to avenge a fourth straight final loss in front of a home crowd in Zurich.
Outright winner consensus
Consensus across major US-licensed sportsbooks (DraftKings, FanDuel, bet365, BetMGM). Lines move daily as NHL playoff series end and stars become available. Use this as a starting reference; check live operator boards before placing.
| # | Country | Odds | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Canada | +275 | Default favorite. Roster depth from NHL playoff casualties is annually decisive. |
| 02 | Sweden | +325 | Defending 2024 champion line nearly intact; deep NHL pool. |
| 03 | United States | +400 | Defending champion. Group A draw against Switzerland is the early test. |
| 04 | Finland | +550 | Always tactically sound + battle-hardened goaltending. |
| 05 | Czechia | +700 | Pastrnak available if Bruins are out (they are — eliminated 4-2 by Buffalo in Round 1). |
| 06 | Switzerland | +900 | Home ice + four straight final losses creates real motivation. Real contender at +900. |
| 07 | Germany | +2500 | Last two tournaments produced silver + a near-medal. Under-priced longshot. |
| 08 | Slovakia | +5000 | Slafkovsky alone makes them dangerous, but roster depth is light. |
| 09 | Latvia | +8000 | Hometown-energy 2023 bronze run will be hard to repeat away from Riga. |
| 10 | Field (any other) | +15000 | Denmark, Norway, Slovenia all in contention for QFs but realistic medal odds are low. |
Lines from May 4, 2026. NHL playoff state changes will move lines, especially for Sweden, Czechia, and Slovakia as roster availability firms up.
Group A teams
Eight teams playing round-robin in Zurich. Top 4 advance to quarterfinals. USA vs Switzerland is the marquee group matchup; Finland and Germany are the realistic competition for the top 2 seeds.
United States
USADefending champion. Likely roster mix of NHL players whose teams missed playoffs plus AHL standouts.
Switzerland
SUICo-host. Lost the 2025 final 1-0 OT — fourth straight final loss without a gold. Hometown energy + healthy roster.
Finland
FINPerennial top-4 program. 2022 + 2019 gold medalists; 2024 silver. Always dangerous in elimination format.
Germany
GER2023 silver medalist. Has improved steadily under coach Harold Kreis.
Latvia
LAT2023 bronze medalist (the country went mad). Plays high-tempo, opportunistic hockey.
Austria
AUTReturning to top division. Dark horse to make QFs at minimum.
Hungary
HUNPromoted from Division I in 2025. Realistic goal: avoid relegation.
Great Britain
GBRPromotion-relegation regular. Will fight to stay up.
Group B teams
Eight teams playing round-robin in Fribourg. Top 4 advance to quarterfinals. Canada vs Sweden is the headline matchup; Czechia (defending 2024 champion) and Slovakia are the dark-horse picks.
Canada
CANMost decorated program in tournament history. 2023 + 2021 gold. Annual roster reshuffle as NHL playoffs eliminate stars.
Sweden
SWEThree Crowns. Always loaded with NHL talent. 2024 gold medalists.
Czechia
CZE2024 gold medalist. Won 2024 in front of home crowd in Prague; David Pastrnak scored five goals.
Denmark
DENQuietly ascending program. Made 2025 quarterfinals. Frans Nielsen-era talent depth growing.
Slovakia
SVK2022 Olympic bronze and 2025 quarterfinalist. Juraj Slafkovsky if NHL season is over.
Norway
NORMats Zuccarello-era veterans + younger NHL prospects. Outside QF candidate.
Slovenia
SVNAnze Kopitar likely available with LA Kings swept by Colorado in Round 1. Boost to Slovenian hopes.
Italy
ITAPromotion-relegation regular. Looking to avoid drop back to Division I.
Tournament format
Group stage (May 15-26)
Each team plays 7 round-robin games within its group of 8. Standings ranked by points (3 for regulation win, 2 for OT/SO win, 1 for OT/SO loss). Top 4 from each group advance to the quarterfinals; bottom 2 from each face relegation to Division I.
Quarterfinals (May 28)
Cross-group bracket. A1 plays B4, A2 plays B3, A3 plays B2, A4 plays B1. Two QFs in Zurich, two in Fribourg. Single-elimination from this point.
Semifinals (May 30)
Both semifinals played at the Hallenstadion in Zurich. Winners advance to the gold medal game, losers to the bronze medal game.
Bronze + gold (May 31)
Both medal games at the Hallenstadion in Zurich. Bronze medal game first, gold medal game in the evening. The gold medalist is crowned IIHF World Champion.
Where to bet on the IIHF Worlds in the US
Most major US-licensed sportsbooks offer Worlds markets including outright winner, group winners, and per-game lines. Coverage depth varies — bet365 (international hockey heritage) and DraftKings tend to ship the deepest prop menus.
Heritage international hockey book. Deep live in-play markets. 18 US states.
DraftKingsBroadest market depth. Per-period totals and goalscorer props on marquee matchups. 30 US states.
FanDuelSharpest puck-line pricing in our testing. Live betting interface is the smoothest. 26 US states.
BetMGMSolid Worlds coverage with one-game parlay builder. 26 US states.
Common questions
When is the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship?
The tournament runs May 15-31, 2026, hosted by Switzerland. Group A games are at the Hallenstadion in Zurich; Group B games are at BCF Arena in Fribourg. The bronze and gold medal games are both in Zurich on May 31. There are 64 total games across the 17-day schedule.
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 IIHF Worlds?
Consensus across major US-licensed sportsbooks puts Canada at the top of the board (+275), with Sweden (+325) and defending champion United States (+400) right behind. Finland (+550) and Czechia (+700) round out the realistic medal-contender tier. Host Switzerland at +900 carries hometown-narrative value after losing four straight finals.
Can I legally bet on the IIHF World Championship in the US?
Yes, in any US state with legal online sports betting (38 states + DC as of May 2026). DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, bet365, and Fanatics all offer Worlds markets including outright winner, group winner, gold-medal-game props, and per-game lines (moneyline, puck line, totals). Live in-play betting is available during games. Live betting handle on the tournament has grown each year with more US bettors discovering international hockey.
Why are some NHL stars not playing for their country at Worlds?
The IIHF tournament overlaps the back end of the NHL playoffs. Players whose teams are still alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs are unavailable. By contrast, players whose teams are eliminated in Round 1 or Round 2 of the NHL playoffs typically join their national teams within a few days — this is why rosters change throughout the group stage. After the 2026 NHL Round 1 results, expect Pastrnak (Czechia), Slafkovsky (Slovakia), Kopitar (Slovenia), and many Swedish/Finnish/Canadian/American NHL veterans to join their national teams once their NHL series ends.
What betting markets are most popular for the IIHF Worlds?
The five most-bet markets: (1) tournament outright winner (gold medal), (2) group winner per group, (3) per-game moneyline (live during the puck-drop), (4) puck line (1.5-goal spread, the standard hockey spread), (5) totals (over/under, typically 5.5 goals for top matchups). Same-game parlays combining moneyline + total are popular for marquee matchups (USA vs Finland, Canada vs Sweden). Goalscorer props are available for top players but limited compared to NHL markets.
How does the IIHF Worlds tournament format work?
16 teams split into two groups of 8 (Group A in Zurich, Group B in Fribourg). Each team plays 7 group-stage games (round robin within group). Top 4 from each group (8 teams total) advance to single-elimination quarterfinals. QF winners go to semifinals; SF losers play for bronze; SF winners play for gold. Bottom 2 from each group (4 teams) face relegation to Division I for next year.
Where can I watch the 2026 IIHF Worlds in the US?
NHL Network broadcasts most tournament games in the US. Selected matchups (typically USA games + medal-round games) air on NHL Network or its streaming counterpart. The IIHF.com tournament site provides scoreline updates plus archived game highlights. ESPN+ has international hockey rights for some markets but Worlds-specific coverage is limited.