WCH U18 IIIB (Bulgaria) 2026/27

The IIHF World U18 Championship Division IIIB operates as the sixth tier within the international under-18 hockey structure. The International Ice Hockey Federation, established in 1908, governs the competition. The specific label "Division IIIB" replaced the previous "Division III Group B" nomenclature in 2017, although the tier has existed in various forms since the U18 championship's inception in 1999. It serves as the lowest active division for men's under-18 ice hockey, sitting below Division III Group A.

The tournament typically features six teams competing in a single round-robin format. The winner is promoted to Division III Group A, while the last-place team is relegated to Division IV. Recent champions include Thailand (2023, hosted in Cape Town, South Africa), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2022, hosted in Sarajevo), and Hong Kong, China (2024, hosted in Sarajevo). The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The competition is distinct from the senior IIHF World Championship Division IIIB in that it focuses on player development for under-18 athletes, often featuring emerging hockey nations such as South Africa, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Luxembourg.