Breaking news on Thursday for hockey fans.
Hockey Canada has announced the World Juniors will be co-hosted by Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick in 2023.
This comes just over a month after a bid was made by the two cities for the tournament, which will be played from December 26th to January 5th.
The 2023 tournament was originally set to be played in Russia, but the International Ice Hockey Federation has removed the country’s hosting rights amid its invasion of Ukraine.
“Hosting the World Juniors twice in less than six months is a unique opportunity for our organization and Canadian hockey fans, and with the IIHF’s need to find a host, we were in the position to entertain bids from passionate hockey communities across the country,” Hockey Canada President Scott Smith says in a news release. “We appreciate the hard work and efforts put forth by the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and we strongly believe in the plans they have in place to host a successful event in Halifax and Moncton.”
Hockey Canada has hosted the IIHF World Junior Championship 15 times since its official inception in 1977.
We go east!
The #WorldJuniors are staying in
– Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B., will co-host the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship this winter.@IIHFHockey
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) May 5, 2022
Atlantic Canada was last home to the event in 2003 when it was hosted in Halifax and Sydney.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says he’ll be cheering the teams on.
“Nova Scotia is thrilled to be selected to host the 2023 World Juniors, which will be the best tournament to date,” says Houston. “We are ready to roll out the welcome mat for the players, their families and visiting fans; I’ll be in the arena with thousands of Nova Scotians, cheering at each and every game.”
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says he looks forward to welcoming the players to the province.
“We are excited to have partnered with Nova Scotia to win the bid to serve as hosts,” said New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs. “This world-class event will showcase our province and our region, and we will provide an unforgettable experience for both New Brunswickers and those visiting. We look forward to hosting the players and their families.”
If you can’t wait to get your hands on some tickets, you can enter the 2023 World Juniors Priority Draw.
Further details on tickets will be announced at a later date.
