Halifax to co-host World Juniors this December

Halifax last hosted the World Juniors in 2003 with Sydney

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

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Exciting news for Halifax hockey fans.

Hockey Canada has confirmed Halifax has been chosen to co-host the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship this December, along with Moncton.

“Halifax is a hockey town and so is Moncton,” said Mayor Mike Savage in a news release. “Hosting the World Juniors will help our region rebound from the pandemic, celebrate our passion for the game and inspire the next generation of hockey players in our region.”

Premier Tim Houston added Nova Scotia is ready to welcome teams, their families and visiting fans.

“And I’ll be in the arena with thousands of Nova Scotians, cheering at each and every game,” Houston added.

The tournament — which opens Boxing Day and runs until Jan. 5 — was originally scheduled to be played in Russia, however that country was stripped of its hosting rights following its invasion of Ukraine.

Halifax last hosted the World Juniors in 2003 with Sydney.

The winner of the 2022 World Juniors has not yet been crowned. The tournament started as scheduled last December, but was quickly cancelled due to COVID-19. It will restart from the beginning in Alberta this August.

“Hosting the World Juniors twice in less than six months is a unique opportunity for our organization and Canadian hockey fans, and with the IIHF’s need to find a host, we were in the position to entertain bids from passionate hockey communities across the country,” said Hockey Canada president and chief operating officer, Scott Smith.

“We appreciate the hard work and efforts put forth by the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and we strongly believe in the plans they have in place to host a successful event in Halifax and Moncton.”

Ticket information will be announced at a later date.

We go east! ➡️

The #WorldJuniors are staying in 🇨🇦 – Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B., will co-host the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship this winter.@IIHFHockey

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 5, 2022