Referees and Linespersons Named for Today’s IIHF World Juniors Event
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced the officiating crew for the 2026 World Juniors Championship. Today, on December 31, 2025, several key matchups will take place featuring teams from Switzerland, Slovakia, Czechia, Latvia, the USA, Sweden, Canada, and Finland.
Match Officials for December 31, 2025
- Switzerland vs. Slovakia – 1:00 PM ET
- Referees: Richard Magnusson (#24, Sweden), Hayden Verbeek (#48, Canada)
- Linespersons: Luke Pye (#56, Canada), Rasmus Stromberg (#88, Sweden)
- Standby Officials: Alexander Osterberg (#23, Sweden), Bryan Gorcoff (#79, USA)
- Czechia vs. Latvia – 3:30 PM ET
- Referees: Cedric Borga (#33, Switzerland), Adam Tobias (#16, USA)
- Linespersons: Albert Ankerstjerne (#98, Denmark), Luka Makinen (#67, Finland)
- Standby Officials: Andreas Huber (#14, Austria), Scott Allan (#96, USA)
- USA vs. Sweden – 6:00 PM ET
- Referees: TBD
- Linespersons: TBD
- Standby Officials: TBD
- Canada vs. Finland – 8:30 PM ET
- Referees: TBD
- Linespersons: TBD
- Standby Officials: TBD
Overview of World Juniors Officiating
The World Junior Championship is a prestigious event showcasing top young hockey talents. The IIHF’s selection of referees and linespersons aims to ensure fair and professional officiating throughout the tournament. As today’s matches unfold, the focus will be on maintaining high officiating standards.
Fans eagerly anticipate the outcomes of the matches while officials prepare to uphold the spirit of the game. The remaining officiating assignments for the matches between the USA and Sweden, as well as Canada and Finland, are yet to be confirmed.
