Loke Krantz, an 18-year-old from Sweden, is spending Christmas Day in a hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota. It's his first time in the Twin Cities. He's thousands of miles away from home and couldn't be happier. 

"It's huge, just to play here," Krantz said. 

He'll take to the ice at Grand Casino Arena on Friday, playing for his home nation against Slovakia to kick off the 2026 World Junior Championship. The ice hockey tournament, celebrating its 50th year, is returning to the United States for the seventh time. Minnesota has hosted just once before, and bringing the tournament back is anticipated to have an economic benefit. Visit Saint Paul President and CEO Jaimee Lucke Hendrikson wrote an Op-Ed in the Minnesota Star Tribune predicting a $75 million impact in the state.

That's because, according to Hendrikson, the talent on display will draw fans from across the world. 

Krantz is excited to play at the home of the Minnesota Wild, but he's hoping to make playing in National Hockey League stadiums his full-time job. Over the summer, he was drafted by the Seattle Kraken. 

At the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront hotel on Thursday, players and coaches alike were flowing in and out, making final preparations. Andy Boschetto, originally from Boston, is on the coaching staff for Slovakia. He was finalizing training plans while continuing to make Christmas magic for his children. 

"We make it work," Boschetto said. "My wife flew the kids out with her, woke up this morning and did presents, went right to meetings and practice. They were able to take part in some of that, so that's cool for me as a dad." 

The tournament will be played at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul and the 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, home of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team. Team USA is chasing a historic third-straight gold medal with Gophers coach Bob Motzko at the helm.

Boschetto has spent time in Minnesota before and knows what the sport means to those in the region. 

"It's a big hockey community, so it will be a big week," Boschetto said. "You have a bunch of kids who are under the age of 20 who get to play in front of the world for their country with their pride on the line."

While the tournament begins on Friday, teams have been in Minnesota for days with warm-up matches and training happening everywhere from Bemidji to Rochester. The tournament will conclude with the gold medal game on Jan. 5.