NHL Live co-host Steve Mears, longtime NCAA hockey analyst Dave Starman and veteran reporterJill Savage will provide commentary for every Team USA game, starting with its tournament-opening contest against Canada on Saturday, December 26 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The tournament's popularity stems from its reputation as a showcase for the game's best up-and-coming young players from around the world. Three current American-born NHL rookies, includingJack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres), Noah Hanifin (Carolina Hurricanes) and Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), played for Team USA in the tournament last year. Additionally, many current American-born NHL stars have played in the tournament, including Seth Jones (2013/Nashville Predators), Patrick Kane (2007/Chicago Blackhawks), Zach Parise (2003-04/Minnesota Wild) and Ryan Suter (2003-05/Minnesota Wild).

The full NHL Network broadcast schedule for the preliminary round is below:

Notes: For complete coverage of Team USA during the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship, click here ... Team USA's pre-tournament training camp will be staged in two phases: Dec. 14-18 in Boston and Dec. 19-23 in Vierumaki, Finland. The U.S. will play two exhibition games in preparation for the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship -- at the University of Massachusetts on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. ET and vs. Finland in Vierumaki on Dec. 22 at 12 p.m. ET ... The final U.S. National Junior Team roster is expected to be announced on Dec. 24 ... Follow @USAHockeyScores on Twitter for live scoring updates throughout the tournament.