‘A way to highlight the game:’ Hockey Sask. rues missed opportunity with world juniors

Saskatchewan isn’t going to get a chance to welcome the best junior hockey players in the world this year.

Hockey Canada elected to give the 2023 world junior tournament to Halifax and Moncton. Regina and Saskatoon had put in a joint bid to host the tournament as well.

“It’s always disappointing when the event people put some time and effort into submitting a bid for (and) you’re not successful, you’re always disappointed in that because it’s a way to highlight the game and elevate our game,” said Hockey Saskatchewan’s Kelly McClintock.

“It’s just an opportunity to highlight the game. What I liked about the events in Regina and Saskatoon is there were a lot of Hall of Fame-type events around the game. It’s an opportunity to highlight the history of the game in the province.”

And hosting the event also comes with a financial impact – and not just on the tourism industry in the province.

McClintock said Hockey Canada gets 50 per cent of the profits from the tournament, the Canadian Hockey League gets 35 per cent, and the other 15 per cent is split between the provinces — but the host province gets the biggest chunk of that.

“You get a greater share if you’re the host but every province shares in it because there is a lot of provinces who are unable to ever host the world juniors just because of their facilities,” McClintock said.

“There was money that went towards our Hockey Hall of Fame in Swift Current (and) there was money that went to the Merlis Belsher Arena (in Saskatoon) to make it sledge-adaptable. There was money that was used to create a scholarship fund.

“We’ve probably paid out $140,000 to kids in thousand-dollar scholarships to help people with their post-secondary education.”

He also added the impact of the tournament can be felt for years afterwards following a successful bid, especially in the facilities the games are held in.

“The legacy that is left is if you look at the last world juniors (to be held in Saskatchewan in 2010), the Brandt Centre got a facelift (and) SaskTel Centre got a facelift,” McClintock said. “It’s similar to if you have a Canada Games. What’s the legacy that’s left behind? Generally it’s facilities that it helps out.”