WJC: Future World Jr Locations

[Rob]

I was in Prague for the first time this year. Loved it

If they are the host city in 2029 I would seriously consider going.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Always wondered why Michigan doesn't get more consideration to host a World Junior.

1 NHL rink, 1 AHL, several NCAA rinks, 2 OHL, 1 USHL, USA Hockey. Plenty of hockey fans, borders Ontario so Canadians would help fill it like they do in Buffalo.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Controversial opinion but the tournament should be in Canada every other year purely from a profitability perspective.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Controversial opinion but the tournament should be in Canada every other year purely from a profitability perspective.

It is. Through 2031.

 

[Barrie22]

It is. Through 2031.

That will not change going forward either. Watching the less known games this past week has been dissapointing seeing the likes of Latvia and Norway play in front of less then what looked like 300 fans.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Can't wait for it to come back to NA. Such a joke you have quarterfinal games in an almost empty arena.

 

[novisor]

Can't wait for it to come back to NA. Such a joke you have quarterfinal games in an almost empty arena.

Ah. How soon we forget Buffalo 2018.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Ah. How soon we forget Buffalo 2018.

Yes, terrible NA location.

 

[barilko05]

I wonder if Thunder Bay could host. Big enough city I think but it’s kind of a bad location. As far as I know it’s a huge hockey town.
Surprised no OHL team.

Or bring it to Saskatchewan. Saskatoon or Regina would be great places to host. Wonder if they’ve ever hosted?

I lived in TB for 15 years, and there are a couple of major drawbacks. One, it's really in the middle of nowhere, TBH. 7-8 hours to Winnipeg to the west, The Sault to the east, and Minneapolis to the south. That's kind of why there's no Junior Team. The University team draws well, but its too far for most OHL teams and way too far for WHL. Secondly, the arena is over 70 years old and woefully inadequate to host a tourney of this magnitude. Plus, as mentioned above, there's nothing else of comparable size even close for hosting secondary games. Maybe Duluth but even that's
almost 4 hours south, and across the border. Big hassle. Its a great hockey town but you're right...its just in a bad location.

 

[Brodeur]

Always wondered why Michigan doesn't get more consideration to host a World Junior.

1 NHL rink, 1 AHL, several NCAA rinks, 2 OHL, 1 USHL, USA Hockey. Plenty of hockey fans, borders Ontario so Canadians would help fill it like they do in Buffalo.

I had a wonderful Detroit sports trip in 2014. Caught NHL/MLB/NCAAF/USHL/OHL over a long weekend. I wonder if arena availability is tougher since the Wings share with the Pistons as well?

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I had a wonderful Detroit sports trip in 2014. Caught NHL/MLB/NCAAF/USHL/OHL over a long weekend. I wonder if arena availability is tougher since the Wings share with the Pistons as well?

I guess if you had round robin in Grand Rapids, and then East Lansing or Ann Arbor, then you could have the elimination round games at Little Caesar's. You'd just have to book the arena years in advance to force the Red Wings and Pistons to go on extended road trips at that time.

 

[Brodeur]

Bummer if not Vegas, although I was curious about hotel availability around NYE possibly being an issue. If it's Seattle, I can use the tournament as a crutch to visit college friends. Seattle Thunderbirds arena is ~30 minutes south of downtown Seattle. The Everett Silvertips are a little further north, but traffic isn't as bad going in that direction.

 

[MuckOG]

Minnesota is the logical pick. Has everything you need to host this tourney. Games would be well-attended

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Official announcement coming Friday before the 3rd place game.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Minnesota is the logical pick. Has everything you need to host this tourney. Games would be well-attended

Would Minnesotans care that much? Thought most were HS/NCAA focused with some Wild first types. The perception is that Minnesotans don't care much about junior hockey.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

I typically trust this guy....

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

f*** yeah!!

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Would Minnesotans care that much? Thought most were HS/NCAA focused with some Wild first types. The perception is that Minnesotans don't care much about junior hockey.

Yes, this tourney has a major following here, we routinely populate the US team and also love our amateur hockey. It’s been a dream of my father and I to go for most of my life, I get to add my daughter into that mix too. Extremely excited to say the least!

 

[MNRube]

Would Minnesotans care that much? Thought most were HS/NCAA focused with some Wild first types. The perception is that Minnesotans don't care much about junior hockey.

Still the heartbeat of American hockey. Produce more NHLers than any other metro and it’s not even close

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Still the heartbeat of American hockey. Produce more NHLers than any other metro and it’s not even close

Yes but that doesn't mean attendance will be high from locals.

 

[MuckOG]

Would Minnesotans care that much? Thought most were HS/NCAA focused with some Wild first types. The perception is that Minnesotans don't care much about junior hockey.

Minnesotans may not care about CHL hockey as much as Canadians do, but definitely more so than places like Seattle, Vegas and Tampa Bay. If you broaden out "junior" hockey to U-20 hockey, then yes because that also covers USHL and NCAA. Also, there is a large population within Minnesota with Scandinavian backgrounds, so there would also be interest in watching the Swedes, Norwegians and Finns come over.

Minnesotans like to follow all levels of hockey, from youth to high school to junior to NCAA to NHL. On top of that, they are also interested to see the next group of future NHLers. They also have the infrastructure and corporate dollars to host this tournament.

If Grand Forks, ND could pull it off, Minneapolis/St Paul could as well.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Minnesotans may not care about CHL hockey as much as Canadians do, but definitely more so than places like Seattle, Vegas and Tampa Bay. If you broaden out "junior" hockey to U-20 hockey, then yes because that also covers USHL and NCAA. Also, there is a large population within Minnesota with Scandinavian backgrounds, so there would also be interest in watching the Swedes, Norwegians and Finns come over.

Minnesotans like to follow all levels of hockey, from youth to high school to junior to NCAA to NHL. They also have the infrastructure and corporate dollars to host this tournament.

If Grand Forks, ND could pull it off, Minneapolis/St Paul could as well.

Grand Forks' attendance was propped up by Canadians invading, as they do in Buffalo when World Junior is there. My question is more, will the average Wild fan, Gophers fan, or HS hockey fan want to go, for the States games, but for the other games as well?

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Bummer if not Vegas, although I was curious about hotel availability around NYE possibly being an issue. If it's Seattle, I can use the tournament as a crutch to visit college friends. Seattle Thunderbirds arena is ~30 minutes south of downtown Seattle. The Everett Silvertips are a little further north, but traffic isn't as bad going in that direction.

Vegas would have been terrible. Empty arenas.

 

[waitin425]

If London ever gets one, it will be as a secondary site to Toronto, with probably no Canadian games and certainly not the medal games.

We will take it though!

 

[MuckOG]

Grand Forks' attendance was propped up by Canadians invading, as they do in Buffalo when World Junior is there. My question is more, will the average Wild fan, Gophers fan, or HS hockey fan want to go, for the States games, but for the other games as well?

Yes, i think so. Definitely more so than Seattle, Tampa Bay, Vegas, and even countries like Sweden when it come to foreign attendance.