World Juniors' Attendance

[MayDay]

I can't think of any non-border city that would have decent attendance. MAYBE NYC?

I live in NYC. No one here even knows this tournament even exists.

 

[Humphrey*]

I live in NYC. No one here even knows this tournament even exists.

yeah, i thought MAYBE NYC just because of the population but this tourney simply isn't popular in the US.

 

[Bigleaf]

I hear ya. I grew up a huge hockey fan and still am. I knew the WJC existed but did not realize until this year in my hometown just how fantastic a tourney it is and how the whole country of Canada tunes in. Just seeing all the fans and how the players react to winning and losing has been awesome. There's nothing better than when a sports events MATTERS, and this matters. Now it will be on my viewing calendar every year.

Good post! Regardless of who wins and loses, the tourney is always exciting and the talent level and quality of play is off the charts.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

yeah, i thought MAYBE NYC just because of the population but this tourney simply isn't popular in the US.

The WJCs isn't really popular ANYWHERE but Canada, which is the point being made in this thread. Buffalo did the best they could, and in the end the tournament was at least succesful financially.

 

[dystemper]

i think a lot of people are missing the point about the WJC... it was never meant to be a "mega-event" like the olympics, canada cup, world cup of hockey, etc. it's historically always been hosted in very small cities or large towns -- just take a look at the majority of places its been hosted. it's only been until very recently (last 10 years or so) that its attracted the kind of passionate following that it now has in canada. many canadians are involved in hockey, as volunteers to parents of players, and so it was just a natural evolution for canadians to really care about this tournament.

with that said, the WJC's is financially viable because it is very inexpensive to host -- that's why small towns with rinks no bigger than 6000 seats can host it and be successful. the general population outside of canada might not care, but if you ask any player or coach or scouts, you'll get a different response entirely. these teams come to this tournament to win. and it's arguably the most important hockey tournament outside of the olympics. it's a benchmark for player development, national programs, and scouting. just because the games don't sell out 18 000 seat arenas outside of canada does not mean this is some unimportant, backwater tournament.

 

[FytinSioux]

do it again in grand forks. it worked out well last time, and this tourney came down to grand forks and buffalo before buffalo was awarded. there will be a lot of canadians again, but who cares, not much else attracts people to nd anyways, except shopping manitobans. plus the ralph is one of the nicest arenas in north america.

 

[v-man]

Buffalo was OK, but it's no Mexico City

 

[Rob]

I can't think of any non-border city that would have decent attendance. MAYBE NYC?

Denver would be an excellent choice.

 

[loxcane]

i think a lot of people are missing the point about the WJC... it was never meant to be a "mega-event" like the olympics, canada cup, world cup of hockey, etc. it's historically always been hosted in very small cities or large towns -- just take a look at the majority of places its been hosted. it's only been until very recently (last 10 years or so) that its attracted the kind of passionate following that it now has in canada. many canadians are involved in hockey, as volunteers to parents of players, and so it was just a natural evolution for canadians to really care about this tournament.

with that said, the WJC's is financially viable because it is very inexpensive to host -- that's why small towns with rinks no bigger than 6000 seats can host it and be successful. the general population outside of canada might not care, but if you ask any player or coach or scouts, you'll get a different response entirely. these teams come to this tournament to win. and it's arguably the most important hockey tournament outside of the olympics. it's a benchmark for player development, national programs, and scouting. just because the games don't sell out 18 000 seat arenas outside of canada does not mean this is some unimportant, backwater tournament.

This would sell out 18k seats if the US and Canada were playing for Gold. Give it some time and it will be huge in the US too. They caught up and Americans love winners.

 

[Stanley Foobrick]

yeah, i thought MAYBE NYC just because of the population but this tourney simply isn't popular in the US.

This tournament isn't that popular with the average american for sure.... but it's pretty funny how popular this tournament was with Americans on this board almost a full year ago.

The WJCs isn't really popular ANYWHERE but Canada, which is the point being made in this thread. Buffalo did the best they could, and in the end the tournament was at least succesful financially.

Heard a representative of the tournament on the radio a week or so before the tournament started, at that time 64% of the ticket packages had been purchased by Canadians. This was right about the number the guy said they were expecting.

 

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaa]

I forget what year it was, but Canada won the tournament and had to sing the national anthem because they did not have a tape of it in the building. In the background, there is a big white wall with no bleachers or seats at all. I am pretty sure it was in Europe, but now there would still be several hundred Canadians in attendance, and some Europeans too.

This tourney has come a long way, even for Canadian fans.

I understand it will likely never be embraced like it is up here, but it's good that some people are discovering it.

It is the one international tournament that is still pure, in my opinion. There are some kids looking to be discovered, true, but for the most part is is just a bunch of kids playing for the name on the front of their jersey.

 

[Stanley Foobrick]

I forget what year it was, but Canada won the tournament and had to sing the national anthem because they did not have a tape of it in the building. In the background, there is a big white wall with no bleachers or seats at all. I am pretty sure it was in Europe, but now there would still be several hundred Canadians in attendance, and some Europeans too.

This tourney has come a long way, even for Canadian fans.

I understand it will likely never be embraced like it is up here, but it's good that some people are discovering it.

It is the one international tournament that is still pure, in my opinion. There are some kids looking to be discovered, true, but for the most part is is just a bunch of kids playing for the name on the front of their jersey.

Now the fans sing it in the lobby....

 

[fan75]

I forget what year it was, but Canada won the tournament and had to sing the national anthem because they did not have a tape of it in the building. In the background, there is a big white wall with no bleachers or seats at all. I am pretty sure it was in Europe, but now there would still be several hundred Canadians in attendance, and some Europeans too.

This tourney has come a long way, even for Canadian fans.

I understand it will likely never be embraced like it is up here, but it's good that some people are discovering it.

It is the one international tournament that is still pure, in my opinion. There are some kids looking to be discovered, true, but for the most part is is just a bunch of kids playing for the name on the front of their jersey.

That was Minnesota in 1982.

 

[Ward Cornell]

I forget what year it was, but Canada won the tournament and had to sing the national anthem because they did not have a tape of it in the building. In the background, there is a big white wall with no bleachers or seats at all. I am pretty sure it was in Europe, but now there would still be several hundred Canadians in attendance, and some Europeans too.

This tourney has come a long way, even for Canadian fans.

I understand it will likely never be embraced like it is up here, but it's good that some people are discovering it.

It is the one international tournament that is still pure, in my opinion. There are some kids looking to be discovered, true, but for the most part is is just a bunch of kids playing for the name on the front of their jersey.

I believe that was Rochester Minnesota.

 

[danishh]

i think this tourney could work well in florida one year, given the massive population of snowbirds there over the winter + all the vacationing canadians from the winter break. A lot of american hockey fans from the northeast are probably down there around WJC time as well.

 

[BlackAces*]

If Americans had no competition internationally, it would probably be much more popular.

If they don't care about international basketball or baseball, now that there is some serious competition, it isn't hard to see why they have little interest in hockey.

They like their localized sports and leagues. Whatever, s'all good, their loss.

I know there are plenty of people in the States who do follow and like this tournament, definitely in Minnesota and North Dakota. I love both of those States.

 

[letsgosabres5225]

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/world-...most-attended-world-juniors-championship.html

Buffalo games 'second-most attended' IIHF World Junior Championship

4 p.m. BUFFALO -- Buffalo's proximity to the border helped push ticket sales for the 2011 IIFH World Junior Championship far beyond what officials anticipated after Canadian fans flooded many of the games.

The 11-day event will be the second-most attended World Junior Championship when it wraps up tonight, officials announced during an afternoon news conference.

"By design, we put it in Buffalo because we knew we were within driving distance of 5 million Canadian fans who were crazy about the sport of ice hockey, and that that would make this entire tournament more lively," USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean told reporters during an afternoon news conference at HSBC Arena.

Michael M. Gilbert, spokesman for tournament host Buffalo Sabres, said officials expect to have sold about 330,000 tickets when the games end tonight.

"This will be the second-most attended World Junior Championship ever," Gilbert said.
Ticket sales in Buffalo and Niagara Falls during the 11-day event surpassed last year's tournament in Saskatchewan before the games began Dec. 26. Attendance is expected to fall only behind the 2009 Ottawa games, Gilbert said.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/world-...most-attended-world-juniors-championship.html

I think it will only be in 2nd until next year

 

[Cleets]

How about Chicago or Boston?

 

[icing]

edit: wrong thread..

 

[Jesus Christ Horburn]

I'm glad it was held in Buffalo because they definitely benefited from the economic boost.

Hopefully Detroit is next.

 

[Wham City]

This tournament won't grow in the states until it's promoted better. It's great that the NHL Network is picking up games and giving the tourney some press on their website. But ideally you'd have Versus broadcasting games with all sorts of cross promotion during the regular season. Be it Parise, Kane, Miller, Carlson, etc doing radio and TV talking up the tournament. It won't happen overnight and the WJC will never have mass appeal in the states, but that doesn't mean it can't make inroads with the sizable market of hardcore hockey fans. The growth and development of the NCAA game will only help as well.

As profitable as this WJC will be, I think the organizers really missed an opportunity to expose more locals to the tournament. Pricing Americans out of the games was probably counterproductive in the long run to USA hockey.

 

[NiagaraGirl]

If Americans had no competition internationally, it would probably be much more popular.

If they don't care about international basketball or baseball, now that there is some serious competition, it isn't hard to see why they have little interest in hockey.

They like their localized sports and leagues. Whatever, s'all good, their loss.

I know there are plenty of people in the States who do follow and like this tournament, definitely in Minnesota and North Dakota. I love both of those States.

It does seem strange to me. I mean I'm the opposite... I'm not excited by local/regional wins although I think it's great to see them play the game. But international hockey lights my fire! However, I tried to get some of my American male friends to watch the U.S. defending it's title in this tourny and they couldn't give a fig. I got one to watch but it was like pulling teeth and he was totally distracted doing something else. As soon as he saw the States was being dominated in that game he also didn't want to bother watching any further either, same reaction of another American friend who was watching it on vent with me at my request.

 

[Confucius]

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/world-...most-attended-world-juniors-championship.html

330,000 tickets sold, and at prices of 140 a ticket. Sabres made more in ticket sales this tourny, than some NHL teams will make all season

 

[MayDay]

330,000 tickets sold, and at prices of 140 a ticket. Sabres made more in ticket sales this tourny, than some NHL teams will make all season

How much of the ticket revenue goes to the IIHF, and how much does the host franchise get to keep?