It’s finally official – the Twin Cities have been chosen to host the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship, the most prestigious hockey tournament for junior-aged players in the world.

The event will be called the 2026 World Junior Tournament, but the games begin on Dec. 26 and run through Jan. 5.

Although KSTP Sports confirmed through a source earlier this week the event was going to be held in Minnesota, a formal announcement was made at 6 a.m. CT on Friday during a Facebook livestream, making the event official.

Games will be held at the Xcel Energy Center as well as 3M Arena at Mariucci at the University of Minnesota.

The only other time the tournament has been played in Minnesota was in 1982, but it was played across the state. This is the seventh time the United States has hosted the event.

The annual post-Christmas tournament features 10 teams from around the world, including some top prospects for the NHL.

This year’s semifinal is currently underway in Sweden, where the host country will take on Team USA for the gold medal.