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

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!

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

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:

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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., 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.

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