Tickets for the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship in Moncton, N.B., and Halifax are now on sale, however some surprise if the latest scandal surrounding Hockey Canada will have an effect on field workplace gross sales.
The Hockey Canada controversy stretches again to May of this 12 months when TSN first reported that Hockey Canada had reached an undisclosed settlement with a girl who alleged she was sexually assaulted in London, Ont., by a number of members of the Canadian world junior hockey group, in 2018.
Since then, a number of massive identify Canadian firms have withdrawn sponsorship from Hockey Canada and the premiers of each New Brunswick and Nova Scotia thought-about pulling out of the event.
In October, the CEO of Hockey Canada and the remaining seven members of the board of administrators stepped down.
David Saldanha is the final supervisor on the Avenir Centre in Moncton. He stated ticket gross sales are going nicely, however did not immediately remark on whether or not or not the scandal is having an impression on the field workplace.
“I feel it is created a dialogue amongst the hockey group and I feel the dialogue is trending in the fitting path,” stated Saldanha.
Hockey analyst and scout Craig Eagles thinks curiosity within the event is slowly shifting again to the ice.
“When you focus in on the event itself there’s a tradition there. I think the scandal definitely hurt, but whether it hurt ticket sales for here and in Halifax, that remains to be seen. But the buzz is definitely growing around the event,” stated Eagles.
Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton CEO John Wishart stated there may be some pleasure for the event, however it might not be noticeable to all.
“I’d say most of the buzz so far has been in the underground because everyone’s been waiting for the Hockey Canada situation to settle out or get resolved. They’re part way there,” stated Wishart. “But the work has been going on behind the scenes.”
Eagles stated it’s not possible to disregard the controversy round Hockey Canada.
“I think with the board stepping down, I thought that brought some clarification to the issue and now the focus is on the event itself,” stated Eagles.
Events and festivities are being deliberate on the Avenir Centre and across the metropolis for the two-week event.
“Hopefully it will mean for bars, restaurants and cafés extra revenue at a time of year when traditionally they don’t have a lot of customers,” stated Wishart. “Christmas to mid-January is often a bit of a dead zone, but that should result in more customers for them.”
The event begins on Dec. 26 with video games in each Moncton and Halifax, however Canada will play all of its round-robin video games within the Nova Scotia capital.
Saldanha was requested if Canada not taking part in within the hub metropolis will damage ticket gross sales.
“Team Canada will all the time have a presence in any Canadian marketplace for positive,” stated Saldanha. “There’s nonetheless some world-class hockey to be performed right here and these video games are going to be impactful and they are going to have some future NHLers and they are going to be simply as memorable because the Team Canada video games as nicely.”