Despite the Blades and the Pats battling it out on the ice, Saskatoon and Regina have come together to prepare a joint bid to host the 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Saskatchewan’s two largest cities co-hosted the international hockey tournament in 2010.
“I’m happy to report that after 15 years we’re ready to do it again,” John Howden, SaskTel Centre, CEO told members of Saskatoon’s Standing Policy Committee on Planning, Development and Community Services last Wednesday.
“In order to be prepared for event opportunities like the World Junior Hockey Championships, we continually invest in our facility to ensure we are ready for the big, big shows.”
Howden says Saskatoon would host 21 games including all Team Canada games and the playoff rounds.
Regina would host all Pool B games and Team Canada’s pre-tournament games. Other cities and communities in Saskatchewan could have the opportunity to host pre-tournament games as well.
Howden, along with representatives from Discover Saskatoon and Saskatoon’s Chamber of Commerce, requested that the City of Saskatoon provide $500,000 in funding to help with the tournament’s costs.
The committee voted unanimously to approve the funding and it will come from the city’s reserve for major special events, if the bid is approved by Hockey Canada.
On Wednesday, city staff in Regina will ask for $400,000 in funding from the city for the tournament.
What are the next steps?
The 2025 tournament is already set to take place in Canada. A business plan needs to be submitted to Hockey Canada by April 24 to be considered as a potential host.
Howden says Hockey Canada approached Saskatoon to consider hosting the tournament about a month ago.
“We are very confident that this event will be a success just like in 2010. At that time, the most successful world juniors that was ever produced,” Howden said.
“The Blades games over this last month are proof that fans in Saskatchewan go crazy for hockey and that Saskatchewan is one of the best places to support junior hockey in the world.”
Howden added that there will be two other Canadian bids, but says that Saskatoon is a serious contender because Hockey Canada approached them.
How would the tournament benefit Saskatoon?
Hockey Canada states that hosting the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships brings in an expected $50 million in economic impact including 300,000 plus fans over 31 games with 15,000 room nights and more than 20,000 out of town visitors.
“The World Juniors bring the world to our front doors,” Stephanie Clovechok, CEO of Discover Saskatoon, said. “This is an incredible opportunity and it can’t be accomplished after our own.”
The Saskatoon group’s request for funding from the city was $150,000 more than its previous request of $350,000 in funding to host the 2023 tournament — which city council approved.
That money was never used because Halifax and Moncton won the rights to host the tournament.
Clovechok said increased funding is needed to meet inflationary pressures and to ensure the bid is competitive enough to secure the tournament. She added that over $6 million was presented in Halifax and Moncton’s bid.
“Our bid that we were presenting in 2021 was much less. We know that the revenues need to be competitive to secure this bid,” Clovechok said.
Clovechok added that there will be increased funding requests for the City of Regina, the provincial government and the private sector as well.
Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce CEO Jason Aebig says that hosting the World Juniors would be an amazing opportunity to show what Saskatchewan has to offer to the millions of people who will watch the hockey tournament.
“Literally millions of dollars in profile and advertising that won’t cost us a penny,” Aebig said.
Aebig added that the tournament would bring big boosts to many players in the business community including retail, restaurants, hotels and taxi companies.
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