The Risks and Rewards of Hosting a World Junior Tournament Amid Hockey Canada Scandal

Despite the withdrawal of many sponsors, community leaders in Halifax and Moncton hope to generate financial returns from next month’s World Junior Men’s Hockey Championships, keeping December’s event under dark clouds. A scandal placed in the US may help Hockey Canada turn the page.

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said, “I think there’s an opportunity to see hockey in a new way. I don’t think there’s a better place than Maritime Canada.”

“We have strong hockey traditions, but to promote diversity and make people realize that hockey belongs to all of us, not just some, we have made a commitment to the Hockey Association. We are also doing very strong work.”

Hockey Canada has asked Halifax to bid after the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) withdrew the tournament from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Halifax won the rights to host the event in May in a joint bid with Moncton.

It also reveals that Hockey Canada has quietly settled a lawsuit after a woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by eight players, including members of the World Junior Team, after the 2018 gala in London, Ontario. It was also the month when Hockey Canada began to come under intense pressure after becoming

After a summer of disastrous news for scandal-plagued national sports organization Hockey Canada, the company announced last month that its CEO and board were stepping down.

A recently declassified report to the Halifax City Council shows a $1 million investment as part of the city’s bid for the World Juniors, while Nova Scotia pledges $2 million in spending. .

New Brunswick and Moncton have not yet shared their respective commitments, but will total $2 million.

Officials Confident of Economic Success

Halifax County. Tony Mancini says the tournament will bring his $50 million economic impact to his two cities, of which he will bring $35 million to Nova Scotia.

Savage believes there is no financial risk with major sponsors such as Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Telus, Sobey’s and Esso. pull out All costs are on the rise in the wake of the Hockey Canada scandal.

“They say our risk is pretty low,” he said.

The head of the Moncton Chamber of Commerce is a little more cautious, as the amount of sponsorship is “uncertain”.

John Wishart said the city will use the money collected from local tourist hotels to host fan events.

“From a local perspective, I think we need to do everything we can to separate what’s happening in Hockey Canada from the products that are on the ice and the experiences people have when they are here.

“We really have no control over what’s going on at Hockey Canada, so we’re doing our best for the tournament itself, showcasing what we have to offer and trying to inject a little maritime flavor into the event. I think it is necessary.”

Moncton’s head of communications, Isabelle Leblanc, said there would be an economic spin-off, though she acknowledged it was an “extraordinary year”.

The tournament will move from Russia to Canada and the situation in Hockey Canada could have an impact,” she said.

Sponsor withdrawal could affect broadcast rights

Experts also say there are some downsides to the event, which is usually a boon to any Canadian city involved.

“World Juniors is one of the most rewarding events for any host city,” said Moshe Lander, Professor of Economics at Concordia University.

You don’t often need to build new infrastructure. The ability to broadcast junior hockey he-level arenas and games already exists, he says.

So far, ticket sales have been strong in both cities, but this summer’s tournament in Edmonton was rescheduled due to the pandemic and tickets were still available the night before the tournament. did.

IIHF officials should: high entrance feedue to the odd timing of the tournament and the growing Hockey Canada scandal at the time. low attendance.

The Halifax/Moncton event will return to normal hours from Boxing Day through early January. This is a holiday tradition for many of his hockey fans.

Sponsorships are a major source of revenue that has declined, but Lander doesn’t expect the local economy to suffer.

“They still need to find ways to be profitable, but not very profitable, only marginally profitable,” he said. It may not be something you are used to seeing at an event.”

However, there could be an impact because networks rely on big sponsors to buy commercial time, making it less likely that Hockey Canada will get from TSN for the rights to broadcast the game, Lander said. Says… it has a trickle-down effect.

Hockey Canada may get less money from TSN for the rights to broadcast the game. TSN counts on big sponsors to buy commercial time.

“Commercial time will still be sold … but it won’t be a competitive space like Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire and Tellus vying for that ad space,” Lander said.

“It could be something like Apple Auto Glass or these small businesses, which means they might get better prices, but TSN won’t get as much money.”

Lander said TSN could try to renegotiate its rights agreement with Hockey Canada. As a result, the IIHF may receive less compensation from Hockey Canada for hosting the event.

“Probably Hockey Canada and TSN combined have suffered a lot of losses from this. They have to figure out who is responsible for what.”

Some of the sponsorship funds have already been redirected

Bauer is one of the companies that has “paused” support. This means that Hockey Canada will continue to be able to purchase that equipment, but will no longer be the official equipment supplier to the Men’s National Team.

Bauer’s vice president of global marketing, Mary Kay Messier, said the company has also canceled its sponsorship of IIHF tournaments in both Edmonton this summer and Halifax and Moncton this December.

Bauer diverts sponsorship funds from men’s programs to women’s and grassroots programs.

Similarly, she said, profits from the men’s hockey equipment purchase program will be donated to women’s and para-hockey teams, as well as to underrepresented communities.

“I think whenever you make these decisions, there are always consequences that are difficult to deal with.”

Messier, the sister of former NHL star Mark Messier, said Bauer’s focus is on what’s best for the game and Canadians. This includes providing tools, programs and opportunities at the grassroots level.

“This will focus on responding to the crisis taking place in Canada and the need for change and the need to start moving forward, allowing Canadians to heal and regain confidence in the sport of hockey. .

Tournament news focuses on scandal

International media is usually a good thing, but Lander said the actual competition should share headlines with the Hockey Canada scandal surrounding the competition.

previous case allegedly done in Halifax.

Police are investigating a source that said at least two members of the 2003 World Junior Hockey Team may have appeared in a video of a Halifax gang rape nearly two decades ago. ing.

“I don’t think there is any country that wouldn’t broadcast to their country that Canadian hockey is embroiled in scandal,” Lander said.

“And it wasn’t just what happened here, it actually happened here where the event is taking place. ,” he said.

“It’s going to be two weeks of bad press all over the world and TSN taking that objective distance and saying, ‘Let’s focus on hockey, let’s not focus on exactly what happened. would be really difficult” in the city a few years ago. “

Halifax Mayor Mr Savage doesn’t think it will be a problem.

“A lot of the kids playing in this tournament weren’t alive in 2003,” he said.

“The allegation is against the hockey player, not the community. We have always been a great hosting community. And that’s certainly what we intend to do.”

“We have to right the wrongs of the past, we have to do better, and I think we have the opportunity to show it,” Savage said.

Wishart agrees. His CEO of the Moncton Chamber of Commerce said Moncton has an opportunity to establish itself as part of the global junior reset.

“And together with Halifax, we will show that we can safely host the tournament, that the fan experience is superior, that the product on the ice is superior, and perhaps start a new chapter in this storied history of the tournament and that Show me what you mean by a host community,” he said.