The chances of getting a brand-new name on the trophy just went up. Neither Switzerland nor Norway have ever won the Ice Hockey World Championship, but with the two sides set to meet in the semi-finals on Saturday (9:20 a.m. ET), one is guaranteed a place in the final. The clash between Canada and Finland (2 p.m. ET) will follow.
You can watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE!
IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams: TV schedule, dates
The 2026 IIHF World Championship runs from Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 31.
• Free Streams: Austria — ORF On (select games) / SRF (Switzerland)
• U.S. — NHL Network via Sling TV
• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free
Hosts Switzerland were by far the tournament's best team through the group stage. Not only were they the only side to win all seven of their group games in regulation time, but reigning IIHF Player of the Year Sven Andrighetto leads the scoring charts and goaltender Leonardo Genoni has the best save percentage.
However, with four silver medals since 2013, they're perennial underachievers — and that wright showed in their nervy 3-1 victory over Sweden. Norway, meanwhile, have exceeded all expectations. Few imagined they'd get out of their group, let alone reach the final four, and they've got here off the back of excellent keeping from Henrik Haukeland and fearless attacking play.
The past 12 months have been harrowing from a Canadian perspective, but after cruising through the group stage they've found their groove with a statement 4-0 beatdown of arch-rivals and reigning champions USA. Macklin Celebrini has been outstanding, but Finland will be a tough nut to crack. Led by Aleksander Barkov, they have the best defense at the tournament bar Switzerland, and arguably the most stacked roster at the IIHF World Championship.
Check out all of the TV and streaming details below to find out how to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 from anywhere, including free options.
IIHF World Championship schedule 2026
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GROUP PHASE
Friday, May 15
Canada 5-3 Sweden
Finland 3-1 Germany
USA 1-3 Switzerland
Czechia 4-1 Denmark
Saturday, May 16
GBR 2-5 Austria
Slovakia 2-1 Norway
Hungary 1-4 Finland
Italy 0-6 Canada
Switzerland 4-2 Latvia
Slovenia 3-2 Czechia (OT)
Sunday, May 17
GBR 1-5 USA
Italy 1-4 Slovakia
Austria 4-2 Hungary
Denmark 2-6 Sweden
Germany 0-2 Latvia
Norway 4-0 Slovenia
Monday, May 18
Finland 6-2 USA
Canada 5-1 Denmark
Germany 1-6 Switzerland
Sweden 3-4 Czechia
Tuesday, May 19
Latvia 1-3 Austria
Italy 0-4 Norway
Hungary 5-0 GBR
Slovenia 4-5 Slovakia (GWS)
Wednesday, May 20
Austria 0-9 Switzerland
Czechia 3-1 Italy
USA 4-3 Germany (GWS)
Sweden 6-0 Slovenia
Thursday, May 21
Latvia 1-7 Finland
Canada 6-5 Norway (OT)
Switzerland 4-1 GBR
Denmark 1-5 Slovakia
Friday, May 22
Germany 6-2 Hungary
Canada 3-1 Slovenia
Finland 4-0 GBR
Sweden 3-0 Italy
Saturday, May 23
Latvia 4-2 USA
Denmark 4-0 Slovenia
Switzerland 9-0 Hungary
Slovakia 2-3 Czechia
Austria 2-6 Germany
Norway 3-2 Sweden
Sunday, May 24
GBR 0-6 Latvia
Denmark 3-2 Italy )GWS)
Finland 5-2 Austria
Slovakia 1-5 Canada
Monday, May 25
USA 7-3 Hungary
Czechia 1-4 Norway
Germany 6-3 GBR
Slovenia 5-1 Italy
Tuesday, May 26
Hungary 1-8 Latvia
Norway 4-3 Denmark (OT)
USA 4-1 Austria
Sweden 4-2 Slovakia
Switzerland 4-2 Finland
Czechia 2-3 Canada
PLAYOFFS
Quarter-finals
Thursday, May 28
Finland 4-1 Czechia
Canada 4-0 USA
Switzerland 3-1 Sweden
Norway 2-0 Latvia
Semi-finals
Saturday, May 30
9:20 a.m. — Switzerland vs Norway
2 p.m. — Canada vs Finland
Finals
Sunday, May 31
9:30 a.m. — Third-place playoff
2:20 p.m. — IIHF World Championship final 2026
(All times ET)
Watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams for FREE
You can watch select IIHF World Championship games free-of-charge on ORF On in Austria.
SRF in Switzerland is also showing select games for free.
Away from home? You may not be able to watch the action like you normally would due to regional restrictions. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution — you can use a VPN to to unblock that free ice hockey coverage. Details below...
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 from anywhere
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the ice hockey on your usual subscription?
You can still watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear as if they're back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you want to watch the free IIHF World Championship coverage on ORF On, choose 'Austria' from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to ORF On and watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in the U.S.
In the U.S., the IIHF World Championship is being shown on NHL Network.
If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package, you can get the channel through an OTT cable TV alternative.
Sling will give you the most bang for your buck. NHL Network is included in the $11/month Sports Extra addon, which can be tacked onto the $19.99/month Essentials plan, which itself includes ESPN and ESPN2.
The DirecTV Stream MySports Genre Pack carries NHL Network as standard, and costs $64.99/month after a 7-day FREE trial, plus new customers get $20 off each of their first two months.
If you have a subscription but you're not in the U.S. right now, try using NordVPN to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 as if you were back at home.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in the U.K.
In the U.K., comprehensive IIHF World Championship coverage is being provided by IIHF.tv.
A tournament pass costs €30 (~£26).
If you're not in the U.K., you can still follow your usual IIHF World Championship live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in Canada
In Canada, TSN is showing IIHF World Championship 2026.
The TSN+ streaming service grants access to everything TSN has to offer for CA$8/month or CA$80/year.
If you live in Canada but aren't at home right now, you can still watch the IIHF World Championship by using a quality VPN like NordVPN to unlock your usual service.
How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in Australia
The IIHF World Championship coverage is available to watch on IIHF.tv in Australia.
A tournament pass costs €30 (~AU$49).
Not in Australia right now? You can use a VPN like NordVPN to tune in on your account as if you were back home.
What are the IIHF World Championship 2026 groups?
Group A
USA
Switzerland
Finland
Germany
Latvia
Austria
Hungary
GBR
Group B
Canada
Sweden
Czechia
Denmark
Slovakia
Norway
Slovenia
Italy
Who has won the most IIHF World Championship titles?
Canada leads the all-time medal table with 28 IIHF World Championship titles, including two from the last five editions of the tournament.
Who are the 2026 IIHF World Championship favorites?
USA enter the 2026 IIHF World Championship as the holders, the reigning Olympic champions and world No.1 team in the world rankings. Switzerland, Canada, Sweden and Czechia round out the top five.
Where is the 2026 IIHF World Championship taking place?
IIHF World Championship 2026 is being held in Switzerland, at the Swiss Life Arena in Zurich and the BCF Arena in Fribourg.
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