2018 World Junior tourney in the US
- Thread starter clevelandcane
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According to Wikipedia, potential hosts include Tampa, Florida and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_World_Junior_Ice_Hockey_Championships
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_World_Junior_Ice_Hockey_Championships
habsrule4eva3089
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I will go with a 99% chance. I doubt Tampa gets it. It will be a Northern US city that should receive a good influx of Canadians that will buy the tickets. Pittsburgh, PA makes sense for that reason.
I'd bet that you're right and Pittsburgh gets it, but I'd love to see Boston/Worcester get another crack at it. Much has changed since 96; I actually hear people talk about the Juniors now....not so much back then.
1Gold Standard
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If you like to see tons of empty seats- go right ahead. The smart decision would be to have it in an Northern city near the Canadian border. It would sell flies in a Southern US market.
1Gold Standard
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I didn't word it correctly...
If USAH can't organize and host a successful and profitable event without Canadian fans streaming over the border, then perhaps they shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts. That's what I meant.
Nobody can organize a World Junior that will sell better than Canadian ones, but you know that. The IIHF moves the U20s around as a token effort to make it seem like a true international tournament when we know that Canada basically owns and drives the entire enterprise.
It'd be odd to say the least for USA Hockey to intentionally try to avoid the loonie coming it's way.
Well said. That is why i do not see Tampa getting it, and Pittsburgh, PA a more sure thing. Detroit would be another good location. Basically any Northeastern US city would be good, since nobody is going to turn a blind eye to the Canadian money that will cross the border in droves supporting this tournament.
1Gold Standard
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I know all that....but if USAH has it all figured it, development, organization etc etc...then sooner or later USAH needs to cut the cord...and lets really see where the game is at in the U.S. without 20,000 Canadians making life difficult at the Ambassador Bridge or Peace Bridge or wherever USAH decides to plant it. provided they win the bid of course.
It's not the end of the world if the tournament sells only 50% of it's inventory. It will look something like a European tournament.
It will be too tempting. USAH will think...
We can put it in Florida, be lucky to sell half the packages at a reduced price OR we can hold it near the Canadian border, sell at a much higher price and know 90%+ of the tickets will sell.
Not much of a choice at all and they will follow the loonie... er, um, money.
1Gold Standard
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I just don't think you'll ever grow the tournament in the U.S. if you just slap it down in a border town where all the tickets are gobbled up by Canadians. It's just too easy.. let USAH officials get out and do the work...work for your dinner, goddammit.
or maybe try something which got our attention in 1987 and really turned Canadians on to this tournament. The Punch up in Piestany.
I agree but if you are in charge of USAH and you could lose your job / you are on a contract / you are trying to get renewed, would you really be concerned with long term growth or do you want an impact now?
It's like CEO's with stock options. Do they cut jobs and (iffy) R&D projects in the hope of sending the stock soaring in the next year or do they worry about what the company will look like 10 years from now when they will likely no longer be in change.
Again, it's not much of a choice at all.
1Gold Standard
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Come on..that's a major overreach. I think a USAH officials mandate goes way beyond the success/failure from a profitability standpoint a U20 tournament...
I don't think it's much of a reach. Look at it this way...
You are in charge of USAH, you choose to put it in Florida and the tournament flops, you can't tell me that doesn't hurt your standings and chance for keeping the top job.
On the other hand, you hold it on the Canadian border, the tournament makes a ton of money for USA Hockey and everyone is telling you what a great job you did.
What door would you choose?
1Gold Standard
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I know there's some talk of Tampa hosting...but I'm not convinced the tournament would flop there; minus the Canadian contingent it wouldn't be a sellout, but I don't think it would flop. T.Bay is where I winter BTW.
For me the obvious far away from the border destination would be Denver. The tournament would fly there..that's where I'd love to see it.
It's always about you, isn't buddy???
You travel too much, my friend. Time to settle down. 
1Gold Standard
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It's always about you, isn't buddy???
there's no such thing as too much travel....
but a Denver tournament would be new and interesting...Denver gets my vote.
On the contray I think seeing the passion Canadian hockey fans have for the tournament is a major way to drive the tournament.
I think of European soccer and how the fan passion and history drives much of the interest here.
Woodhouse
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Buffalo will bid no doubt, as they've hosted before -- goes both for and against them -- while HarborCenter construction will be long finished. From the last USAH presser in Buffalo:
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=729708
clevelandcane
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So nobody knows.
Pittsburgh and Buffalo sound good to me. If I could travel, Denver would be great but that's not in the cards.
I vote Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh and Buffalo sound good to me. If I could travel, Denver would be great but that's not in the cards.
I vote Pittsburgh.
1Gold Standard
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sure, take the easy way out. Then in that case, USAH shares 30% of whatever profit they make with Hockey Canada.
