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WJC: IIHF Reportedly Chooses u20 Host Countries Up To 2032

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BarDownBobo said:


Personally I'm a little disappointed there's only 6 hosts in the next 14 years, would have been nice to see Switzerland, Slovakia or someone like Denmark(if they can maintain their run in the top group).
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I think the reasoning against that would be those teams aren't known hockey powers, how much attention would the event receive in those places if their home team can't make it out of round robin play?
 
Up until the Montreal-Toronto debacle with poor marketing and way overpriced tickets, Canadian hosts got like 3-4 times the attendance of European ones although the recent Finland-Sweden ones did better. If they go back to mid-size Canadian cities with big junior hockey cultures and more reasonable ticket prices they would get 400,000 attendees, then ontop of that the TV audience considerations (giant Canadian/American viewership/sponsorship vs small European). I'm sure the IIHF would love to see every European host bringing in comparable #s, but until then, money talks.
 
Ah yes, our Canadian plan to rig the WJC is working!

I mean, I would like to see the the Canadian market breathe a little. I particularly don't like the Canada-USA-Canada run. Perhaps two fewer tournaments in Canada would be better spacing, like putting 2021 and 2026 in Europe.
 
BAM said:
I think the reasoning against that would be those teams aren't known hockey powers, how much attention would the event receive in those places if their home team can't make it out of round robin play?
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Slovakia has made it out of round robin consistently for 18 years straight.
 
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Jussi said:
I prefer the ones hosted by Finland since 1998.
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Helsinki was good. I did enjoy 2016.

But the attendance numbers, in general, are better with Canadian tournaments. No other nation besides USA (Buffalo 2011) has cracked the "300,000" mark in attendance since 2003.

Canada has done it 5 times in the same timespan. Even hit 450,000+ in 2009.

Just the atmosphere, style of hockey (smaller rink), and EST times makes it a better watch. The committee seems to agree too.
 
Eternal Leaf said:
Helsinki was good. I did enjoy 2016.

But the attendance numbers, in general, are better with Canadian tournaments. No other nation besides USA (Buffalo 2011) has cracked the "300,000" mark in attendance since 2003.

Canada has done it 5 times in the same timespan. Even hit 450,000+ in 2009.

Just the atmosphere, style of hockey (smaller rink), and EST times makes it a better watch. The committee seems to agree too.
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Right now, I would mind it being in Canada 3 times out of 4. With a new country from Top 8 taking on it every 4 years.
 
Yeah, would have been cool to see a new country get a crack at it. Fans would probably be excited to have an international tournament in their hometown - if the destination was right I could see turnout being good.
 
Its about more than just in stadium attendence. Having it in Canada or the USA where it can be aired in prime-time for those markets is a big deal. How many countries draw viewers and advertisers anywhere close to TSN for this event.
 
It's good to see a prospect that the Sault Ste.Marie Greyhounds sent the Erie Otters knows which country he'll be competing in for the 2032 World Junior Hockey Championship. #zing
 
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From IIHF's point of view it does make sense.
It's the only way they can make a proper profit in the world's biggest hockeymarket. As their influence and power is nowhere as diminutive as in NA (see OG), building bridges and connections surely doesn't do harm. And as already mentioned before the attendance numbers do speak for themselves. Even if Finland was a success lately.

The numbers in Central Europe haven't been impressive traditionally. And that Switzerland withdrew from organizing the tournament in 2010 surely didn't help either. (I was so pissed at that time, they kept me off from witnessing the U20 live for the first time.)

So milk the NA market with the U20 WC and then the EU market with the WHC.


On the other side Central Europe does provide the 10 team pool with 3-4 teams. Not shabby.

The attendance numbers should go up as well, as people and media are more and more aware of the existence of this tournament with all its excitement. (At least here in Switzerland it seems to be that way.)
And let's be honest: once you start watching the U20s, there's just no way back!

And all 4 teams CZE, SVK, GER and SUI have hosted WHCs as well as U18 WCs in the last 10 years, but IIRC you go back to 2008 in CZE with a U-20 WHC in this area.
 
It always gets complaints but in addition to the greater revenue reason I've always felt it's 'fair' to alternate Canada or USA then Europe simply because of regionalism. Hockey in Canada/US is vastly more spread out than any European country (Russia aside, not sure how well junior hockey is spread out to the larger eastern region), so if you look at it in terms of market regions then from a fan perpsective alternating between NA/Europe spreads it out fairly evenly.
 
Wouldn't the fact that the Spengler Cup would be in direct conflict with the WJC make it pretty close to impossible to host it in Switzerland?
 
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