WJC: US Cities in Running to Host 2026 WJC - St. Paul/Minneapolis, Seattle/Everett and Vegas/Henderson

[red devil]

Gord Miller (@gordmillertsn) on Threads

Hearing that @usahockey will announce the host city for the 2026 World Junior Championship during the upcoming tournament in Sweden. The three finalists are St. Paul/Minneapolis, Seattle/Everett and Vegas/Henderson. The local NHL teams are behind each bid, and while Seattle and Vegas were...

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Gord Miller (@gordmillertsn) on Threads

What makes the Minnesota bid appealing is that the second venue is Mariucci Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota. @usahockey is a strong proponent of college hockey and even though the tournament takes place during the holidays, having games in an NCAA arena is a major selling point.

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[Antiillafire]

Hopefully they do it better than they did in Buffalo. Even the games with US playing, the rinks were empty.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I mean they put the tourney in Vegas I might be spending my Christmas in Vegas watching hockey that year lol

 

[Chadstudsky]

I mean they put the tourney in Vegas I might be spending my Christmas in Vegas watching hockey that year lol

Same, might pop my Vegas cherry

 

[WarriorofTime]

Vegas would get a good number of good Canadian tourists. And me if my wife will go for it lol.

 

[EXTRAS]

2026 wjc would be December 2025, right?

 

[clevelandcane]

Vegas never screams WJC to me. Gotta be MN.

 

[cg98]

Idk how USA Hockey hasn’t hosted a proper tourney in Minnesota but it needs to happen. I will so so SO do a road trip

 

[WarriorofTime]

Idk how USA Hockey hasn’t hosted a proper tourney in Minnesota but it needs to happen. I will so so SO do a road trip

The places near either side of the border aren’t particularly well populated.

 

[MK9]

Hopefully they do it better than they did in Buffalo. Even the games with US playing, the rinks were empty.

I'd like to think so. I mean our state high school hockey tournament pulled in 22,000 people for one of the semi final games a few years back. Then again, Minnesotans are pretty rabid about the local hockey. High school boys ice hockey in Minnesota - Wikipedia

Not exactly sure how they'd be with international play. But, if they do a good advertising blitz in the lead up to it, I could for sure see it doing well.

I'd love to go if this state pulls it in.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Please bring it to MN Holy shit

To elaborate, Junior hockey is like our state's big thing, its such a travesty we haven't hosted in forever.

 

[Czechboy]

To me, it's Vegas as the best bet. Tonnes of Canucks will make that trip.

FTR.. I also think the revolving World Cups (if they ever happen) should be in Vegas too!

 

[cg98]

The places near either side of the border aren’t particularly well populated.

Winnipeg is only an 8ish hour drive to Minnie/Saint Paul and the World Juniors should not even be near big cities with little interest in junior hockey. Minnesota lives and breathes hockey, The X literally sells out 18,000+ every year for High School kids. If tickets aren’t stupidly priced theyll have no problem selling out games for the US World Junior squad and getting travellers from over the border.

Back then it was a matter of poor facilities and lack of interest/importance for Minnesota hosting the WJC. Not remotely the case anymore.

 

[cg98]

I'd like to think so. I mean our state high school hockey tournament pulled in 22,000 people for one of the semi final games a few years back. Then again, Minnesotans are pretty rabid about the local hockey. High school boys ice hockey in Minnesota - Wikipedia

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Not exactly sure how they'd be with international play. But, if they do a good advertising blitz in the lead up to it, I could for sure see it doing well.

I'd love to go if this state pulls it in.

Please bring it to MN Holy shit

To elaborate, Junior hockey is like our state's big thing, its such a travesty we haven't hosted in forever.

It would be a festival akin to IIHF World Championships in Europe and I would absolutely go and get drunk and watch hockey all day lol.

 

[Antiillafire]

Please bring it to MN Holy shit

To elaborate, Junior hockey is like our state's big thing, its such a travesty we haven't hosted in forever.

How would they do with teams not USA or Canada? That often can be the marker, I thought last year the crowds were buzzing for even the smaller nations games. While in the past in NA, a game like Austria-Germany would be a disaster attendance wise.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Seattle would be my pick, great hockey city with two great facilities available and pre established junior hockey fan base of the most consistently well attended American CHL team. Also very close to the Canadian border and that seems to matter for USA Hockey

 

[WarriorofTime]

Winnipeg is only an 8ish hour drive to Minnie/Saint Paul and the World Juniors should not even be near big cities with little interest in junior hockey. Minnesota lives and breathes hockey, The X literally sells out 18,000+ every year for High School kids. If tickets aren’t stupidly priced theyll have no problem selling out games for the US World Junior squad and getting travellers from over the border.

Back then it was a matter of poor facilities and lack of interest/importance for Minnesota hosting the WJC. Not remotely the case anymore.

Historically, they choose American cities near larger Canadian border cities so that it will be well attended by Canadians. World Juniors aren't a big thing in the U.S.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

How would they do with teams not USA or Canada? That often can be the marker, I thought last year the crowds were buzzing for even the smaller nations games. While in the past in NA, a game like Austria-Germany would be a disaster attendance wise.

It would depend on ticket prices for the less interesting games, you would get a huge amount of youth engagement and family interest, as the usual high school hockey crowd would likely be all over this and interested in just watching all players at this level. But they are used to paying $10 a pop to watch quality hockey games in person, and this does go down in the middle of youth tourney season, though I bet there would be some schedule adjustments to things like the Schwanns tourney for an event like the world juniors.

Essentially I think they would struggle to squeeze out major revenue from corporate rate tickets, but the public demand would be quite large and you could get packed houses for every single game if you wanted.

 

[cg98]

Historically, they choose American cities near larger Canadian border cities so that it will be well attended by Canadians. World Juniors aren't a big thing in the U.S.

There are more than enough people on both sides of the border to support a US hosted WJC in Minnesota.

 

[WarriorofTime]

There are more than enough people on both sides of the border to support a US hosted WJC in Minnesota.

Yes, perhaps, that's why they are contemplating them, but those are the reasons amongst others why it hasn't been in the past. They've even done the world juniors in Grand Forks, North Dakota before because it's close to Winnipeg.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Yes, perhaps, that's why they are contemplating them, but those are the reasons amongst others why it hasn't been in the past. They've even done the world juniors in Grand Forks, North Dakota before because it's close to Winnipeg.

Yeah and that was a terrible idea frankly. No one wants to drive through Fargo in the middle of winter besides absolutely crazies. I love the world juniors and didn’t go for that, they saw that it hosts a youth international tournament every year and packs the house but that is a one time annual event flooded with participants family and scouts, it cuts out the entire metro area where all the people, money, and interest are.

 

[hockey20000]

would perfer st paul but seattle getting it would be okay also.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

MN obviously deserves it, State of Hockey and all that, before the other two applicants.

MN bros, everyone itt is citing the state high school tournament as proof of rabid interest in a WJC. How well do you think that state high school enthusiasm would transfer over?

 

[cg98]

MN obviously deserves it, State of Hockey and all that, before the other two applicants.

MN bros, everyone itt is citing the state high school tournament as proof of rabid interest in a WJC. How well do you think that state high school enthusiasm would transfer over?

They will sell out most games if tickets are priced fairly

 

[Golden_Jet]

2026 wjc would be December 2025, right?

Yes starts December, finishes January 2026