2018 World Juniors Preview
The World Juniors are heading back to the USA for the 2018 version of the tournament and it will be in a familiar spot.
Hockey is a strange sport in most of the USA as there are places that are insane about the sport and others that don’t even know who won the Stanley Cup.
Some states love the sports while others couldn’t tell you one team and some cities are hockey crazy while everyone around them is so far away from being a hockey city.
The game has a lot of room to grow but when boiling it down to the most general idea the north is where the strength of the game is held.
Minnesota is considered the “State of Hockey” largely due to the talent that comes out of the state and the popularity of the game at every level throughout the state.
Detroit has long claimed to be “Hockeyville, USA” due to the popularity of the Detroit Red Wings and their history in the city.
Places like Chicago and New York have been a part of the NHL forever and show no signs of slowing down.
The northern United State is without question the hotbed of hockey, specifically in the Midwest and Northeast.
That is where the game is the strongest and USA Hockey knows that which is why a place like Buffalo has become so popular.
The Sabres are a pillar in the sports culture in Buffalo and if they were better the games would likely be some of the most fun in the league.
USA Hockey has looked to Buffalo as a bit of a home when it comes to big events and big tournaments.
This year will be the second time in eight years that the USA is hosting the World Juniors and it will be the second time that they will host in Buffalo.
That is a pattern for USA hockey as they enjoy playing in the city and it has become a hub for their international tournaments.
One of the reasons is that Buffalo provides that key spot in the heart of where hockey is so popular in the USA.
In all honesty though the biggest reason is likely the relative closeness that Buffalo has to the border of the hockey-crazy country of Canada.
Buffalo is the biggest city closest to the biggest population centres in all of Canada and that is a major reason for putting these games in Buffalo.
Southern Ontario is a big part of the country and Buffalo is only a few hours away from the biggest city in the country.
Plenty of Canadians are expected to make their way to the tournament much like they did in 2011, the last time the tournament went to Buffalo.
The reality is that this tournament always has and always will be a tournament where the Canadian hockey fans will far outweigh everyone else.
For some reason, this is the international tournament that resonates with the Canadians more than any other.
The World Championship is not as big as this tournament and the Olympic Games only come once every four years.
This is a holiday tradition in Canada and the IIHF realizes this, putting tournaments in and around Canada more often than anywhere else.
They obviously need some time to give to the other countries as the IIHF represents multiple places around the world.
When the tournament heads to Europe it is not nearly as popular although those nations are massive hockey nations.
When it goes to Canada it is tough to find tickets to any game let alone the Canadian games and USA Hockey knows this.
When the IIHF gave them the tournament for 2018 they knew they would like to see tickets sales rise and putting the team close to the Canadian fans knowing that the games would be well attended with Canadian fans.
That is also the reason why the tournament will feature one of the biggest events in the history of the game.
They will head outside for the first time ever when the USA takes on Canada at New Era Field in the elements.
It is a classic match-up and the game will be full of Canadians and Americans cheering on their team trying to make an impression.
This year the tournament heads back to Buffalo and once again those at USA Hockey are looking to put on a great tournament.
A lot of it will have to do with the Canadians heading over the border as for another year the Canadians are the fans coming out.
When they do they will look to see their team make their mark and win but nobody is going to let the Canadians walk away with another title.
The Sport Addiction 