IIHF U18 World Championship 2023: Schedule, results, TV channel to watch international hockey tournament

Bryan Murphy

IIHF U18 World Championship 2023: Schedule, results, TV channel to watch international hockey tournament image

NHL draft prospects get their final crack at showcasing their skills ahead of this summer's draft, as the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship begins this week. 

The international competition features the best U18 players from around the world. A number of these skaters will have their name called at the 2023 NHL Draft or are considered top prospects for 2024 or 2025 drafts. 

Sweden enters this year's tournament as the defending gold medalist. The Swedes defeated the USA in the gold-medal game last year, claiming the country's second gold medal at the event. 

MORE: Watch the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship on NHL Network with Fubo

The Sporting News has everything you need to know about the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship. 

2023 IIHF U18 World Championship schedule, results

Thursday, April 20

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Sweden 8, Canada 0
FINAL USA 7, Latvia 1
FINAL Slovakia 3, Czechia 2 (SO)
FINAL Finland 4, Switzerland 2

Friday, April 21

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Canada 8, Germany 0
FINAL Finland 5, Latvia 2
FINAL Sweden 5. Slovakia 3
FINAL Switzerland 5, Norway 0

Saturday, April 22

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Czechia 7, Germany 1
FINAL USA 12, Norway 1

Sunday, April 23

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Canada 4, Slovakia 3
FINAL Switzerland 5, Latvia 1
FINAL Sweden 2, Czechia 0
FINAL USA 8, Finland 4

Monday, April 24

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Slovakia 6, Germany 4
FINAL Latvia 1, Norway 0

Tuesday, April 25

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Sweden 3, Germany 0
FINAL USA 10, Switzerland 0
FINAL Canada 8, Czechia 3
FINAL Finland 10, Norway 2

Thursday, April 27

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Norway 6, Germany 1 (Placement Game)
FINAL USA 4, Czechia 1 (Quarterfinal)
FINAL Slovakia 3, Finland 2 (Quarterfinal)
FINAL Canada 7, Switzerland 3 (Quarterfinal)
FINAL Sweden 6, Latvia 1 (Quarterfinal)

Saturday, April 29

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Norway 3, Germany 2 (Placement Game)
FINAL USA 7, Slovakia 1 (Semifinal)
FINAL Sweden 7, Canada 2 (Semifinal)

Sunday, April 30

Time (ET) Matchup
FINAL Canada 4, Slovakia 3 (OT) (Bronze-Medal Game)
FINAL USA 3, Sweden 2 (OT) (Gold-Medal Game)

2023 IIHF U18 World Championship pool standings

GROUP A
Team Games  W-OTW-OTL-L PTS
Sweden*  4 4-0-0-0 12
Canada*  4 3-0-0-1 9
Slovakia* 4 1-1-0-2 5
Czechia* 4 1-0-1-2 4
Germany** 4 0-0-0-4 0

GROUP B
Team Games W-OTW-OTL-L PTS
USA* 4 4-0-0-0 12
Finland* 4 3-0-0-1 9
Switzerland* 4 2-0-0-2 6
Latvia* 4 1-0-0-3 3
Norway** 4 0-0-0-4 0

* = advance to playoffs
** = play in relegation round

There are 10 teams at the 2023 U18 World Championship. Those participants are split into two groups of five for the preliminary round. 

Teams will play four preliminary games in a round-robin format within their group, followed by a three-round playoff.

In the group stage, teams earn three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win, one point for an overtime loss and no points for a regulation loss.

The top four teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, where the matchups are determined by seeding. They will cross over between groups for these games: 1A vs. 4B, 1B vs. 4A, 2A vs. 3B and 2B vs. 3A. The teams that advance to the semifinals will be reseeded. 

The winners of the semifinals will face off in the gold medal game. The losers will play for bronze. 

When is the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship?

  • Start: Thursday, April 20
  • End: Sunday, April 30

The 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship begins on Thursday, April 20. The preliminary round begins that day and will run until Tuesday, April 25. 

The playoff portion of the tournament begins on Thursday, April 27 with the quarterfinals. The teams have an off day before the semifinals on Saturday, April 29 and the medal matches on Sunday, April 30. 

How to watch the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship

  • TV Channel (U.S.): NHL Network
  • Live stream (U.S.): Fubo
  • TV Channel (Canada): TSN, RDS
  • Live stream (U.S.): TSN.ca, TSN app

In the United States, all games involving Team USA and other select pool play games will be broadcast on NHL Network. The network will have both semifinal games and medal games.

Cord cutters can stream NHL Network through Fubo, which offers a free trial

Canadians can view games on TSN (English language) or RDS (French language). The network will carry every game with Canada involved at the tournament and select other games, including all of the playoff contests.

TSN can be streamed on TSN.ca, through the TSN App and TSN+.

Where is the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship?

  • Cities: Basel/Porrentruy, Switzerland
  • Venues: St. Jakob Arena/Raiffeisen Arena

This year's IIHF World Championship is taking place in Switzerland which is the site for the annual international competition. 

Group A will play its pool play games at Raiffeisen Arena in Porrentruy. Group B has its preliminary round at St. Jakob Arena in Basel. All of the playoff and relegation games will take place in Basel. 

It is the first time that either Basel or Porrentruy is hosting the U18 tournament. This is the third time the competition has been played in Switzerland, previously being held in Kloten and Weinfelden in 2000, and then in Zug and Lucerne in 2015. 

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.