Players to watch: 18 NHL draftees take the ice at Sanford Center World Juniors exhibitions

BEMIDJI — Ahead of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships in the Twin Cities, three teams are taking the ice at the Sanford Center in Bemidji for exhibition games. Czechia, Slovakia and Latvia will scrimmage against each other before the tournament’s preliminary rounds begin on Dec. 26 at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul and 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. On Friday, Dec. 19, Czechia will play against Latvia. On Sunday, Dec. 21, Latvia takes on Slovakia. Czechia and Slovakia will round out the exhibition games at the Sanford Center on Monday, Dec. 22. All games start at 7 p.m. Notably, 18 NHL draft picks will hit the ice for exhibitions this weekend and early next week, including...