How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026: FREE Live Streams & TV Channels for ice hockey

(Image credit: Getty Images / Michael Campanella) IIHF World Championship 2026: Friday, May 15 to Sunday, May 31FREE stream: ORF On (Austria, select games)US stream: NHL Network via Sling TVAccess 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. How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 for FREE Ice hockey fans who live in Austria are in luck – there are some FREE options to live stream IIHF World Championship 2026.Select games, including those featuring Austria, will be on free-to-air broadcaster and streaming service 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: DirecTV (5 days free) - USFubo (7 days) - US 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 US, IIHF World Championship 2026 is being shown on 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 addon. That supplement is $11 a month, which can be tacked onto the $19.99/month Essentials plan, which already includes ESPN and ESPN2DirecTV 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. How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in Canada (Image credit: Other) 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 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. How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams in the UK Unfortunately, there is no confirmed broadcaster for the IIHF World Championship 2026 in the UK right now. That means ice hockey fans in Blighty will need to enjoy the comprehensive coverage provided by 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. How to watch Italian Open 2026 live streams in Australia (Image credit: free) It's the same in Australia, where there is no IIHF World Championship 2026 broadcaster.Don't worry, though, as comprehensive IIHF World Championship coverage is being 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.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 AUSASwitzerlandFinlandGermanyLatviaAustriaHungaryGreat BritainGroup BCanadaSwedenCzechiaDenmarkSlovakiaNorwaySloveniaItaly What is. the IIHF World Championship schedule?GROUP PHASEFriday, May 1510:20 a.m. — Canada vs Sweden10:20 a.m. — Finland vs Germany2:20 p.m. — USA vs Switzerland2:20 p.m. — Czechia vs DenmarkSaturday, May 166:20 a.m. — GBR vs Austria6:20 a.m. — Slovakia vs Norway10:20 a.m. — Hungary vs Finland10:20 a.m. — Italy vs Canada2:20 p.m. — Switzerland vs Latvia2:20 p.m. — Slovenia vs CzechiaSunday, May 176:20 a.m. — GBR vs USA6:20 a.m. — Italy vs Slovakia10:20 a.m. — Austria vs Hungary10:20 a.m. — Denmark vs Sweden2:20 p.m. — Germany vs Latvia2:20 p.m. — Norway vs SloveniaMonday, May 1810:20 a.m. — Finland vs USA10:20 a.m. — Canada vs Denmark2:20 p.m. — Germany vs Switzerland2:20 p.m. — Sweden vs CzechiaTuesday, May 1910:20 a.m. — Latvia vs Austria10:20 a.m. — Italy vs Norway2:20 p.m. — Hungary vs GBR2:20 p.m. — Slovenia vs SlovakiaWednesday, May 2010:20 a.m. — Austria vs Switzerland10:20 a.m. — Czechia vs Italy2:20 p.m. — USA vs Germany2:20 p.m. — Sweden vs SloveniaThursday, May 2110:20 a.m. — Latvia vs Finland10:20 a.m. — Canada vs Norway2:20 p.m. — Switzerland vs GBR2:20 p.m. — Denmark vs SlovakiaFriday, May 2210:20 a.m. — Germany vs Hungary10:20 a.m. — Canada vs Slovenia2:20 p.m. — Finland vs GBR2:20 p.m. — Sweden vs ItalySaturday, May 236:20 a.m. — Latvia vs USA6:20 a.m. — Denmark vs Slovenia10:20 a.m. — Switzerland vs Hungary10:20 a.m. — Slovakia vs Czechia2:20 p.m. — Austria vs Germany2:20 p.m. — Norway vs SwedenSunday, May 2410:20 a.m. — GBR vs Latvia10:20 a.m. — Denmark vs Italy2:20 p.m. — Finland vs Austria2:20 p.m. — Slovakia vs CanadaMonday, May 2510:20 a.m. — USA vs Hungary10:20 a.m. — Czechia vs Norway2:20 p.m. — Germany vs GBR2:20 p.m. — Slovenia vs ItalyTuesday, May 266:20 a.m. — Hungary vs Latvia6:20 a.m. — Norway vs Denmark10:20 a.m. — USA vs Austria10:20 a.m. — Sweden vs Slovakia2:20 p.m. — Switzerland vs Finland2:20 p.m. — Czechia vs CanadaPLAYOFFSQuarter-finalsThursday, May 2810:20 a.m. — Quarter-final 110:20 a.m. — Quarter-final 22:20 p.m. — Quarter-final 32:20 p.m. — Quarter-final 4Semi-finalsSaturday, May 309:20 a.m. — Semi-final 12 p.m. — Semi-final 2FinalsSunday, May 319:30 a.m. — Third-place playoff2:20 p.m. — IIHF World Championship final 2026(All times ET) Who are the recent IIHF World Championship champions?2025 – United States2024 – Czechia2023 – Canada2022 – Finland2021 – Canada2020 – N/A2019 – Finland2018 – Sweden2017 – Sweden2016 – Canada Who have won the most IIHF World Championship gold medals?ScheduleCanada – 28Soviet Union / Russia – 27Czechoslovakia / Czechia – 13Sweden – 11 We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Andy Murray is an award-winning writer and columnist, voted the Consumer Journalist of the Year at the 2015 PPA New Talent Awards. A fluent Spanish speaker and former semi-professional footballer, he was senior staff writer of world-leading football magazine FourFourTwo from 2012 to 2019 and continues to write and edit for them, national newspapers, websites, the Olympic Games and Premier League clubs. 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