Ottawa to host World Jr.

[Triton]

World juniors comes to Ottawa


OTTAWA (CP) -- Ottawa won the bid to host the world junior hockey championship on its fourth try.

A source confirmed the Canadian capital was chosen as the host city for the 2009 world under-20 men's hockey championship.

Hockey Canada has scheduled a news conference in Ottawa for Wednesday afternoon.

Ottawa had been unsuccessful in three previous attempts when the tournament was awarded to Vancouver in 2006, Halifax in 2003 and Winnipeg in 1999.

The Ottawa bid was led by Ottawa 67's owner Jeff Hunt and the NHL's Senators and was chosen ahead of finalists Montreal, Toronto, a joint bid from Calgary and Edmonton and another joint effort from Saskatoon and Regina.

Red Deer (1995), Saskatoon (1991) and Montreal (1978) have also hosted the tournament.

Canada will host the event again in 2012.

Montreal's bid was led by Canadiens' management and Toronto's was spearheaded by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the NHL's Leafs and NBA's Raptors.

The tournament has become bigger and more profitable each time it has been held in Canada and thus highly coveted.

Vancouver was the largest Canadian city to host a world junior championship and one of the reasons it gained the tournament was by guaranteeing a profit of at least $5.2 million in its bid. It actually reached about $9 million at the tournament's end.

Vancouver held games at both Pacific Coliseum and GM Place and pool games were also held in Kelowna and Kamloops, B.C. The tournament set an attendance record at 325,138 and ticket sales were more than 400,000.

Hockey Canada gets 50 per cent of the profits from the tournament in Canada, the Canadian Hockey League 35 per cent and the provincial amateur hockey association of the host city or cities receive the remaining 15 per cent.

The site selection committee includes Hockey Canada president Bob Nicholson, chairman Rene Marcil, vice-president of business operations Scott Smith and Canadian Hockey League president David Branch.

[RunTheGoalie]

Not at all surprising.

Now that they have lost, I wonder if Calgary/Edmonton - assuming they bid again - would become the favorites for 2012?

[Jimmy]

Great, I hope the folk in Ottawa enjoy it as much as we did in BC

[Beaner]

Not at all surprising.

Now that they have lost, I wonder if Calgary/Edmonton - assuming they bid again - would become the favorites for 2012?

More than likely. Depends how much of a Financial guarentee Calgary Edmonton is willing to make.

That may be the only thing holding them back especially if a market like Toronto goes for it.

[RunTheGoalie]

I suspect that being a perennial leader in attendance in the WHL would be enough of a guarantee for Hockey Canada. As well as playing in one of the most populated and richest regions of Canada.

If it comes down to Calgary/Edmonton vs Toronto, I would think the Alberta bid would be favored. Partly because Ottawa is hosting in 09, and the East-West-East-West format Hockey Canada has going.

[Toswammi]

If Calgary/Edmonton got the next one sign me up for tickets. As it is i am already considering going to Ottawa.

[Swando]

I thot I read or heard some where that they wanted the hosts from now on to be in 1 city meaning Vancouver would have had to host it alone and not go to Kelowna Kamloops etc. Therefore (if I heard correctly )- a combo bid like Calgary and Edmonton would be out. Maybe I'm out to lunch but I think I heard this announcement a month or two ago...any help?

[RunTheGoalie]

I don't see how that would work though.

Not many cities have multiple arenas that could handle so many games without significantly adding to the length of the tournament.

Really, your only options would be:
Vancouver - GM Place/PNE
Calgary - Saddledome/Corral
Toronto - ACC/Ricoh.
Perhaps Halifax with the Metro Centre/Forum

The current format is probably the best. Lets face it, Hockey Canada wants these tournaments in the biggest markets and biggest arenas possible. It's all about money. The only way smaller markets are ever going to see a tournament like this again is to be the secondary city.

I think, perhaps, that what Hockey Canada would prefer is to avoid having two major markets sharing the host. I suspect that Hockey Canada would probably rather see Calgary/Lethbridge and/or Edmonton/Red Deer than Calgary/Edmonton.

[rinkrat]

I don't see how that would work though.

Not many cities have multiple arenas that could handle so many games without significantly adding to the length of the tournament.

Really, your only options would be:
Vancouver - GM Place/PNE
Calgary - Saddledome/Corral
Toronto - ACC/Ricoh.
Perhaps Halifax with the Metro Centre/Forum

The current format is probably the best. Lets face it, Hockey Canada wants these tournaments in the biggest markets and biggest arenas possible. It's all about money. The only way smaller markets are ever going to see a tournament like this again is to be the secondary city.

I think, perhaps, that what Hockey Canada would prefer is to avoid having two major markets sharing the host. I suspect that Hockey Canada would probably rather see Calgary/Lethbridge and/or Edmonton/Red Deer than Calgary/Edmonton.

Actually its quite the opposite.The league said they would no longer have two cities host it anymore.

[RunTheGoalie]

Actually, I think it is essentially the same thing.

Vancouver was the host city last year, not Vancouver/Kelowna/Kamloops, even though games were played at the latter cities.

As I said, Hockey Canada's problem is that it is Calgary/Edmonton, not that it is two cities. I suspect that when one city takes the backseat to the other, there wont be problems.

[wango tango]

i will be pleasantly surprised if the wjhc's are ever held in a city smaller than 500,000 again, or in any arena where the canadian and medal round games could be played with a capacity less than 12,000. i believe this for a few reasons.

profit guarantees. small buildings and cities would have to have astronomical ticket prices and price themselves out of affordability to be competitive.

logistics. little has been said publicly, however while group b teams enjoyed playing in kelowna and kamloops they did not appreciate the travel. travel and logistics are becoming a bigger issue in bids. it's a strike against any joint city bids, one that could be overcome with a bigger profit guarantee (see calgary/edmonton).

accessibility. individual federations are starting to stress more and more a desire to fly into one location without several connections.

cities i have enjoyed the wjhc's in that would probably no longer qualify for one or both of the reason above: saskatoon, halifax, winnipeg, and red deer.

[RunTheGoalie]

I think your arena size argument has far more merit than the population argument does.

Limiting yourself to cities of 500k leaves you only a little over a half dozen possible markets: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, GTA, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa/Gatineau.

I'd say that 10k+ arenas would be the more realistic threshold.

Travel is an understandable concern, however, but where is the logical breakpoint? It's something like 7 hours from Vancouver to Kelowna, which might have been too much.

Maybe next time you go with Victoria as the secondary host? Calgary or Edmonton with Red Deer hosting the B pool would be only a 90 minute separation from the host city.

Though really, the problem here is Hockey Canada is getting greedy. There is no reason why Kelowna and Kamloops shouldnt be able to host this tournament themselves. Or Saskatoon/Prince Albert (presuming a larger arena in the latter). Just because Canada is the only country that turns a profit with the WJHCs doesnt mean that profit needs to be the overriding factor.

[dondo]

Well then Calgary/Red Deer would be a better kind of fit.. closer and there's a good road (very straight, except for that slight jog coming into RD :thumb: . You have a major city and smaller market one.

The Vancouver bid, was presented as a BC bid and the fact that they were using Kelowna and Kamloops was part of the package from the get-go - it was one of the selling features as I recall.

I think it worked well and considering that the small markets won't get a bid on their own due to revenue concerns it might be the only way the smaller market crowds get a chance to see the World Junior games. And profit will always be a major factor (unfortunately)

[Beaner]

Though really, the problem here is Hockey Canada is getting greedy.

Ding Ding Ding.

Ottawa guarenteed 12.5M profit for Hockey Canada.

Vancouver this year guarenteed 5M, and made 9M.

How is a small market supposed to compete with that?

Smaller markets could and can host, but they have no chance if the bigger markets are making guarantees like that.

Hockey Canada may have to look at their formula for awarding the host city duties.

Maybe its time to say an alternating formula, Big Market, then Small market.

[dondo]

which is why I was saying something like a big market/small market share thing like Vancouver did is the way to appease both sides (just maybe not the players boo hoo - :p ). Calgary/Red Deer seems a natural to me.

But you're right - by needing to guarantee profit, the smaller market teams just won't able to compete. So some sort of compromise is necessary. Or Hockey Canada has to be ready to take less profit, but i don't think that'll happen.