EDMONTON | Year after year, the World Junior Hockey Championship generates tremendous excitement across Canada. Not this year.
• Also read: Hockey Canada: Andrea Skinner replaces Michael Brind’Amour
Granted, unlike the traditional Christmas tournament, the event takes place in August when the sun is setting in Edmonton, but that’s not all. That’s because there’s an elephant in the room, even a huge one.
The event takes place on Canadian soil in the wake of the scandal that has plagued Hockey Canada for several months after several cases of misconduct and sexual assault by its members were uncovered, which were settled by the organization at a cost of millions of dollars through an eventual fund to pay uninsured liabilities, including sexual assault.
Upon entering Rogers Place, you quickly realize that this tournament is not a “normal” tournament. Aside from “Tissot”, a longtime partner of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IHFH), there is no other advertising on the boards or on the rink, as many Hockey Canada partners and sponsors decided to suspend their association with the organization following the revelations .
Within a few weeks, big players like Telus, Scotiabank, Tim Hortons and Esso have all withdrawn in recent weeks.
COUNTERACTION?
So far, the tournament appears to be a hard sell for the people of Alberta as well. From Tuesday, tickets for all games, including all of Canada’s games, could be purchased in almost all areas of the amphitheater. Even for the gold medal game.
About a hundred people attended the first match of the tournament on Tuesday afternoon between Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
At the moment, the upper passage of Rogers Center is not open and has been covered by large black curtains.
A member of Hockey Canada told us Tuesday that he didn’t know if they would open them during the tournament.
If the turmoil that Hockey Canada has plunged into certainly plays a role in people’s reluctance to travel to encourage them, it also has to be recognized that these summer version World Juniors lost something of theirs with the many departures of key players has lost its shine. .
Junior Team Canada, for example, saw nine of its representatives abandon the event to focus on their next professional camp, including Owen Power, Cole Perfetti, Shane Wright and Kaiden Guhle.
NO DISTRACTION
On the Junior Team Canada side, we make sure everything surrounding the organization hasn’t become an internal distraction.
“Because we had a very short eight-day training camp, the players were busier than usual. We usually try to give them a little rest at Christmas as they come from their youth team, but that hasn’t been the case lately. That was key,” said Canada head coach Dave Cameron.
“I’m just grateful to the International Hockey Federation for hosting this tournament. They didn’t have to do it and they’re doing it for us,” added Canada captain Mason McTavish.
A NEW PRESIDENT
Hockey Canada announced Tuesday that it had promoted Andrea Skinner to interim chair of the organization’s board of directors following the resignation of Michael Brind’Amour on August 6.
Ms. Skinner has served on the Board since 2020.
In addition, the Hockey Canada scandal does not appear to calm the IIHF, which confirmed on Tuesday that the 2023 Women’s Ice Hockey World Championship will be held in Canada. The city or cities that will present the event have not yet been announced.
Tuesday’s results
Czech Republic 5 | Slovakia 4th
Latvia 1 | Finland 6