- IIHF World Championship 2026: Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 31
- FREE stream: ORF To (Austria, selected games)
- US stream: NHL Network via Sling TV
- Access your usual streaming services with NordVPN
Watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streamsas newly crowned Olympic champions, the United States looks to defend its world championship in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. The USA joins 15 of the world’s best sides, including a Canada side intent on revenge, for a festival on ice.
Canada may even start as slight favourites, with San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini, supreme at the Olympics, captaining a side desperate for revenge. Heck, Sidney Crosby has even accepted a call-up to the Canucks roster for this tournament after Olympic and World quarterfinal losses in the last 12 months.
Elsewhere, Switzerland have plenty of the squad that finished second in the last two tournaments, but a new coach (Jan Cadieux) after Patrick Fischer was sacked over a fake COVID-19 vaccination pass.
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.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 Ice Hockey from anywhere, including worldwide TV channels, TV stations and possibly free live streams below.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 for FREE
Ice hockey fans living in Austria are in luck – there are some FREE options to live stream the IIHF World Championship 2026.
Selected games, including those with Austria, will be on free-to-air television and streaming service ORF To. Sign up with a free account to start watching.
In the United States, NHL Network is the exclusive home of the 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.
Use a VPN to watch any IIHF World Championship 2026 stream
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the IIHF World Championship 2026 on your usual subscription?
You can still watch the IIHF World Championship 2026 live thanks to the wonders of a 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:
It’s really straightforward to use a VPN to watch the IIHF World Championship 2026.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, 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.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in the US
In the United States, the IIHF World Championship 2026 will be shown on the NHL Network.
NHL Network is available on various cable packages, and could well be included in yours, but what if 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 add-on. This add-on is $11 per month, which can be added to the $19.99/month Essentials plan, which already includes ESPN and ESPN2
DirecTV MySports Genre Pack features NHL Network and costs $64.99/month after the 5-day FREE trial we mentioned earlier. New customers also get $20 off each of their first two months.
Fubo also hosts the NHL Network. After the aforementioned 7-day trial, its Pro level starts at $73.99 per month, though there are often some early bird discounts available.
Outside the US for this tournament? Use NordVPN to unlock your IIHF World Championship 2026 stream.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in Canada
Ice hockey fans in Canada can live stream the IIHF World Championship 2026 on the TSN network of channels.
If you don’t have cable, the TSN Plus streaming service costs $8 a month or $80 each year.
Outside of Canada while the 2026 IIHF World Championship is underway? Just use one VPN to see from abroad.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in the UK
Unfortunately, there is no confirmed broadcaster for IIHF World Championship 2026 in Great Britain right now.
This means that ice hockey fans in Blighty will have to enjoy the extensive coverage from IIHF.tvwhere a tournament pass costs €30.
Premier Sports have had rights in previous years, but that doesn’t seem to be the case this time around. However, we will continue to check and update this page if a delayed trade is made.
In the UK on holiday right now? Use NordVPN to access your usual ice hockey streams.
How to watch Italian Open 2026 live streams in Australia
It is the same in Australia, where there is no IIHF World Championship 2026 broadcaster.
Don’t worry, for comprehensive IIHF World Championship coverage is provided by 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.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in New Zealand and RoW
In New Zealand and many other countries around the world, IIHF.tvwhere 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
The Czech Republic
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 – Finland vs Germany
14:20 – USA vs Switzerland
14:20 — Czech Republic vs Denmark
Saturday 16 May
06:20 — GBR v Austria
06:20 — Slovakia vs Norway
10:20 — Hungary vs. Finland
10:20 – Italy vs Canada
14:20 — Switzerland vs Latvia
14:20 — Slovenia vs Czech Republic
Sunday, May 17
6:20 – GBR v USA
06:20 – Italy vs Slovakia
10:20 a.m. — Austria vs. Hungary
10:20 — Denmark vs Sweden
14:20 — Germany vs Latvia
14:20 – Norway vs Slovenia
Monday, May 18
10:20 – Finland vs USA
10:20 — Canada vs. Denmark
14:20 – Germany vs Switzerland
14:20 — Sweden vs Czech Republic
Tuesday 19 May
10:20 — Latvia vs Austria
10:20 — Italy vs Norway
14:20 — Hungary vs GBR
14:20 — Slovenia vs Slovakia
Wednesday 20 May
10:20 a.m. — Austria vs. Switzerland
10:20 a.m. — Czech Republic vs. Italy
14:20 – USA vs Germany
14:20 — Sweden vs Slovenia
Thursday 21 May
10:20 — Latvia vs. Finland
10:20 a.m. — Canada vs. Norway
14:20 — Switzerland vs GBR
14:20 — Denmark vs Slovakia
Friday, May 22
10:20 a.m. — Germany vs. Hungary
10:20 a.m. — Canada vs. Slovenia
14:20 — Finland vs GBR
14:20 — Sweden vs Italy
Saturday 23 May
06:20 – Latvia vs USA
6:20 — Denmark vs Slovenia
10:20 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Hungary
10:20 a.m. — Slovakia vs Czech Republic
14:20 — Austria vs Germany
14:20 — Norway vs Sweden
Sunday, May 24
10:20 — GBR v Latvia
10:20 — Denmark vs Italy
14:20 — Finland vs Austria
2:20 p.m. — Slovakia vs. Canada
Monday, May 25
10:20 – USA vs Hungary
10:20 — Czech Republic vs. Norway
14:20 — Germany vs GBR
14:20 — Slovenia vs Italy
Tuesday 26 May
06:20 — Hungary vs Latvia
06:20 – Norway vs Denmark
10:20 – USA vs Austria
10:20 a.m. — Sweden vs. Slovakia
14:20 — Switzerland vs Finland
14:20 – Czech Republic vs Canada
PLAYOFFS
Quarterfinals
Thursday 28 May
10:20 — Quarter-final 1
10:20 — Quarterfinal 2
14.20 — Quarter-final 3
14.20 — Quarter-final 4
Semifinals
Saturday 30 May
9:20 — Semifinal 1
14.00 – Semi-final 2
Finals
Sunday, May 31
9:30 – Third-place playoff
14:20 – IIHF World Championship Final 2026
(All times ET)
Who are the most recent IIHF World Championship Champions?
2025 – United States
2024 – Czech Republic
2023 – Canada
2022 – Finland
2021 – Canada
2020 – N/A
2019 – Finland
2018 – Sweden
2017 – Sweden
2016 – Canada
Who has won the most IIHF World Championship gold medals?
Schedule
- Canada – 28
- Soviet Union / Russia – 27
- Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic – 13
- Sweden – 11
We test and review VPN services for legitimate recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a Service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that Service). 2. Protecting your online security and enhancing your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or condone illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consumption of paid-for pirated content is neither endorsed nor endorsed by Future Publishing.
