THE MAGIC IS IN THE MARKETS
Hockey Canada sees Edmonton-Red Deer as a winning combo for 2021 world juniors
So what took so long ? And how did it happen that Edmonton divorced Calgary and took up with Red Deer?
Expectations of an announcement confirming the 2021 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship will be played in Edmonton go back months, even years.
When Edmonton and Calgary combined to play host to the most ballistic world junior in history in 2012, the idea was that it would be done in reverse as soon as Rogers Place and the Ice District was completed and up and running.
On Thursday the location of the 2021 tournament was confirmed at a news conference at Rogers Place that included Hockey Canada heads Scott Smith and Tom Renney, Alberta Minister of Culture and Tourism Ricardo Miranda (with a commitment for $2.25 million) and Economic Development Edmonton CEO Derek Hudson among the participants.
Replete with the announcement were divorce papers from Calgary and a wedding ceremony with Red Deer, and a decree preceding the exchanging of vows that explained nothing until individual interviews explained everything.
Prior to the announcement of the Edmonton-Red Deer 2021 world junior tournament, Hockey Canada president Scott Smith opened with a bigger picture announcement.
He announced Hockey Canada had just secured the rights to play host to the 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2031 world juniors as well as the 2023 and 2027 world women’s championships.
On Sunday, IIHF vice-president and Oilers Entertainment Group vice-chairman and CEO Bob Nicholson flew to Zurich and returned with the signed documents.
Smith said Edmonton didn’t dump Calgary so much as Hockey Canada ditched the concept of the ultra-successful EdmontonCalgary hosting of 2012 after the followup Montreal-Toronto combination turned into a disaster.
“I don’t know that it switched with them. It switched with us,” said Smith in a one-on-one interview following the formal news conference.
“We went through 2015 with Toronto and Montreal and had a good event, but not the same level it was with 2012 here in Alberta, but recognized that we pushed the envelope by going back to Toronto and Montreal in 2017.
“But in going forward with Vancouver-Victoria, we really came to the conclusion that the combination of an NHL building and a CHL building was probably better for us in the long run. Vancouver-Victoria is trending very well,” he said of this year’s holiday tournament beginning Dec. 26. “We’re very close to selling out every game, as we speak.”
The idea is that Calgary could follow up by hosting its own event, perhaps partnering with Lethbridge or Medicine Hat.
As for Edmonton-Red Deer, Red Deer Rebels owner Brent Sutter and Red Deer Mayor Tara Veer sat on the bride’s side as Smith said he figures, with the Rebels’ WHL building being about 3,000 seats larger than Victoria’s, prospects are good for the event to meet or beat Vancouver-Victoria.
It will be tough, however, to compete with the financials of Edmonton-Calgary in 2012.
“That was the high water mark. I think that was $21 million,” said Smith.
He said Hockey Canada and the IIHF couldn’t wait to hold a world junior tourney in Rogers Place, but the fact is, they did.
“In many ways, we wanted to be holding this coming world junior tournament here, but we recognized the benefits of waiting until the downtown and Ice District was complete. We’re really looking forward to it.”
Nicholson said it’s going to take the world juniors where it’s never gone before.
Nicholson envisions an Edmonton-Red Deer success that could inspire the combination of the two cities doing it again in either 2028 or 2031.
“And maybe the women’s worlds,” he said of the Edmonton-Red Deer partnership that’s already in place for the HlinkaGretzky U-18 every second summer.
There was the feeling that there might be an excellent chance of Edmonton anchoring the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship as well.
With the final USA-Canada pre- Olympic contest filling Rogers Place at this time last year, that idea took hold immediately after the game.
“I’d like to see an opportunity in a big venue like this. I think we’d like to have the big games in a building like Rogers Place, and distribute the other games to nearby locations. There are a lot of great facilities not far from the City of Edmonton,” said Smith.
“With that great crowd for Canada-USA just before the Olympics, I think it’s something we should seriously look at for the future,” said Nicholson.
The Oilers boss said Edmonton-Red Deer works better because all the Canada pool games and all medal-round games would be in Rogers Place.
“But an equally big thing is that Ford Hall and the Plaza are going to be open. With the activities in the Plaza and into the J.W. Marriott, we should be able to do something that nobody else in this county should be able to do, and that’s take this championship to another level.”
We really came to the conclusion that the combination of an NHL building and a CHL building was probably better for us in the long run.