How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026: Free Live Streams & TV Channels

IIHF World Championship 2026: Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 31
FREE stream: ORF On (Austria, select games)
US stream: NHL Network via Sling TV
Access your usual streaming services with NordVPN

Watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams, as newly crowned Olympic champions the USA look to defend their world title in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. The US join 15 of the world’s top sides, include a Canada side intent on revenge, for a festival on ice.

Canada may even start as slight favorites, with San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini, superb at the Olympics, captaining a side desperate for revenge. Heck, Sidney Crosby has even accpted a call-up to the Canucks roster for this tournament after Olympic and world quarterfinal losses in the past 12 months.

Elsewhere, Switzerland have plenty of the squad that has finished runners-up in the past two tournaments, but a new coach (Jan Cadieux) after Patrick Fischer was sacked over a fake COVID-19 vaccine passport.

Finland will also feature prominently, with Anton Lundell of the Florida Panthers among their star players. But it’s the hits, fights and intrigue that make this the greatest show on ice.

Here’s how to watch the IIHF World Championship 2026 ice hockey from anywhere, including worldwide TV channels, broadcasters and any free live streams below.

ORF On. Sign up with a free account to start watching.

In the United States, NHL Network is the exclusive home of IIHF World Championsjo[, which can be accessed directly or via ‘over the top’ streaming providers that offer free trials, our favorites are:

Traveling outside your home country for the tournament? Use NordVPN to get past geo-blockers and tune in to your regular ice hockey live streams.

VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country, regardless of where in the world you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It’s the best on the market:

NordVPN is one of our favorites.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For example, if you want to watch the ORF On stream, select ‘Austria’ from the listed countries.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to ORF On’s website and tune into IIHF World Championship 2026.

you’re looking for a cable alternative that carries hundreds of other channels?

NHL Network is also available on our favorite Sling TV via its Sports Extra addon. That supplement is $11 a month, which can be tacked onto the $19.99/month Essentials plan, which already includes ESPN and ESPN2

DirecTV MySports Genre Pack has NHL Network, and costs $64.99/month after the 5-day FREE trial we mentioned earlier. Also, new customers get $20 off each of their first two months.

Fubo also carries NHL Network. After the aforementioned 7-day trial, its Pro tier costs from $73.99 a month, though there are often some early discounts available.

Outside the US for this tournament? Use NordVPN to unlock your stream of IIHF World Championship 2026.

TSN Plus streaming service costs CA$8 a month or $80 each year.

Outside Canada while the IIHF World Championship 2026 is on? Simply use a VPN to watch from abroad.

IIHF.tv, where a tournament pass costs €30.

Premier Sports have had rights in previous years, but it doesn’t look like that’s the case this time around. We’ll keep checking, though, and update this page should a late deal be done.

In the UK on vacation right now? Use NordVPN to access your usual ice hockey streams.

IIHF.tv in Australia, where a tournament pass costs €30 (~AU$49).

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch all the action on beIN Sports as if you were back home.

IIHF.tv, where a tournament pass costs €30, is the place to go.

Missing a game due to work commitments abroad? NordVPN will give you access to your home streaming service.

IIHF World Championship 2026 Q&A

What are the IIHF World Championship 2026 groups?

Group A
USA
Switzerland
Finland
Germany
Latvia
Austria
Hungary
Great Britain

Group B
Canada
Sweden
Czechia
Denmark
Slovakia
Norway
Slovenia
Italy

What is. the IIHF World Championship schedule?

GROUP PHASE

Friday, May 15
10:20 a.m. — Canada vs Sweden
10:20 a.m. — Finland vs Germany
2:20 p.m. — USA vs Switzerland
2:20 p.m. — Czechia vs Denmark

Saturday, May 16
6:20 a.m. — GBR vs Austria
6:20 a.m. — Slovakia vs Norway
10:20 a.m. — Hungary vs Finland
10:20 a.m. — Italy vs Canada
2:20 p.m. — Switzerland vs Latvia
2:20 p.m. — Slovenia vs Czechia

Sunday, May 17
6:20 a.m. — GBR vs USA
6:20 a.m. — Italy vs Slovakia
10:20 a.m. — Austria vs Hungary
10:20 a.m. — Denmark vs Sweden
2:20 p.m. — Germany vs Latvia
2:20 p.m. — Norway vs Slovenia

Monday, May 18
10:20 a.m. — Finland vs USA
10:20 a.m. — Canada vs Denmark
2:20 p.m. — Germany vs Switzerland
2:20 p.m. — Sweden vs Czechia

Tuesday, May 19
10:20 a.m. — Latvia vs Austria
10:20 a.m. — Italy vs Norway
2:20 p.m. — Hungary vs GBR
2:20 p.m. — Slovenia vs Slovakia

Wednesday, May 20
10:20 a.m. — Austria vs Switzerland
10:20 a.m. — Czechia vs Italy
2:20 p.m. — USA vs Germany
2:20 p.m. — Sweden vs Slovenia

Thursday, May 21
10:20 a.m. — Latvia vs Finland
10:20 a.m. — Canada vs Norway
2:20 p.m. — Switzerland vs GBR
2:20 p.m. — Denmark vs Slovakia

Friday, May 22
10:20 a.m. — Germany vs Hungary
10:20 a.m. — Canada vs Slovenia
2:20 p.m. — Finland vs GBR
2:20 p.m. — Sweden vs Italy

Saturday, May 23
6:20 a.m. — Latvia vs USA
6:20 a.m. — Denmark vs Slovenia
10:20 a.m. — Switzerland vs Hungary
10:20 a.m. — Slovakia vs Czechia
2:20 p.m. — Austria vs Germany
2:20 p.m. — Norway vs Sweden

Sunday, May 24
10:20 a.m. — GBR vs Latvia
10:20 a.m. — Denmark vs Italy
2:20 p.m. — Finland vs Austria
2:20 p.m. — Slovakia vs Canada

Monday, May 25
10:20 a.m. — USA vs Hungary
10:20 a.m. — Czechia vs Norway
2:20 p.m. — Germany vs GBR
2:20 p.m. — Slovenia vs Italy

Tuesday, May 26
6:20 a.m. — Hungary vs Latvia
6:20 a.m. — Norway vs Denmark
10:20 a.m. — USA vs Austria
10:20 a.m. — Sweden vs Slovakia
2:20 p.m. — Switzerland vs Finland
2:20 p.m. — Czechia vs Canada

PLAYOFFS

Quarter-finals
Thursday, May 28
10:20 a.m. — Quarter-final 1
10:20 a.m. — Quarter-final 2
2:20 p.m. — Quarter-final 3
2:20 p.m. — Quarter-final 4

Semi-finals
Saturday, May 30
9:20 a.m. — Semi-final 1
2 p.m. — Semi-final 2

Finals
Sunday, May 31
9:30 a.m. — Third-place playoff
2:20 p.m. — IIHF World Championship final 2026

(All times ET)

Who are the recent IIHF World Championship champions?

2025 – United States
2024 – Czechia
2023 – Canada
2022 – Finland
2021 – Canada
2020 – N/A
2019 – Finland
2018 – Sweden
2017 – Sweden
2016 – Canada

Who have won the most IIHF World Championship gold medals?

Schedule

Canada – 28
Soviet Union / Russia – 27
Czechoslovakia / Czechia – 13
Sweden – 11

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