How to watch IIHF World Championship 2026: FREE live streams, schedule for ice hockey tournament

Watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams as the 16 best countries in men's ice hockey convene in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, to duke it out to become world champions.

You can watch IIHF World Championship 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE!

The emphatic shift in the balance of power from Canada towards the U.S. over the past 12 months means the IIHF World Championship needs little introduction. The Canucks took the 4 Nations Face-Off crown last year, but Mike Sullivan's men hit back by winning the World Championship for the first time in 65 years and a first Olympic gold since 1980's Miracle on Ice.

Although Canada got to the Winter Olympics final, they were arguably Milano-Cortina's biggest disappointment. Aside from Macklin Celebrini, who's been made captain for Switzerland 2026, nobody played to their potential, and they narrowly avoided an early exit not once but twice. At last year's World Championship, they suffered a quarter-final exit at the hands of Denmark in one of the biggest upsets of all time. Sidney Crosby is a surprise late call-up.

Tage Thompson’s overtime winner, meanwhile, secured a 1-0 victory in the final. The result condemned Switzerland to a second straight runner-up finish, following a 2-0 defeat by Czechia 12 months earlier. It was an especially disappointing outcome considering Die Nati were the tournament top-scorers in 2025. With home advantage, Jan Cadieux's men are dreaming of going one better this time around, despite coach Patrick Fishcher's recent April sacking over a fake COVID-19 vaccine certificate.

Thirteen-time winners Czechia are serious contenders too, as are 11-time champions Sweden, who are coming off two straight semi-final defeats, while the NHL Playoffs have been especially kind to Finland, whose roster is loaded with top-tier talent no longer in Stanley Cup contention.

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

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.

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:

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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., every game of 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.

IIHF World Championship 2026 is yet to pick up a broadcaster in the U.K.

Comprehensive coverage is being provided by IIHF.tv, where a tournament pass costs €30 (billed in Euros).

Past editions have been available to watch on Premier Sports in the U.K. and there could be a late deal done.

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

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 use a VPN like NordVPN to tune in on your account as if you were back home.

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