Maritime fans anxiously await sale of World Junior Hockey tickets
Hockey Canada is currently gathering names of fans who want to purchase tickets for the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax and Moncton. They will soon hold a lottery of sorts, to determine who will be able to watch games in person.
"We will be clarifying in June the exact process which we will be going through, to identify who is eligible to purchase tickets, and then we will operate that process during August," said Dean McIntosh, Hockey Canada's vice-president of events.
The international tournament will be held at Halifax's Scotiabank Centre and Moncton's Avenir Centre from Dec. 23, 2022 to Jan. 5, 2023.
Preference will be given to Halifax Mooseheads and Moncton Wildcats season-ticketholders. According to McIntosh, so far the demand for tickets has been overwhelming, and he expects them to sell quickly during the summer months.
"We are likely going to put pre-competition games in both venues as well, so I can see us being upwards of 35 games in the two communities.," said McIntosh who added that attendance could approach 300,000 combined for both cities.
Hockey Canada expects there to be a rush to purchase tickets from fans across the country. New Brunswick hockey scout and blogger Craig Eagles said there is already a high level of anticipation in Moncton.
"People are searching out ticket packaging and pricing," said Eagles, who is confident the Avenir Centre will likely sell out. "But there is worry around acquiring those packages. As we know, once they go on sale, those tickets are not going to last very long."
Some fans have already planned their Christmas hockey vacations before tickets are even available. Hotel rooms are getting booked up at a rapid rate.
"The phones have been busy," said Michael Young, the director of sales and marketing for the Atlantica Hotel in Halifax. "You need to book a room now because of the impact it’s going to have on our city and the hotels, just in the HRM is going to be amazing."
Young added it will likely result in 100 per cent occupancy for many hotels once tickets go on sale.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm. Florida orders evacuations
Florida's storm-battered Gulf Coast raced against a Category 5 hurricane Monday as workers sprinted to pick up heaps of appliances and other street debris left over from Helene two weeks ago and highways were clogged with people fleeing ahead of the storm.
Prayers, protests and police as Canada marks anniversary of Oct. 7 Hamas attack
With prayers, protests, and a heavy police presence, Canada has marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and triggered an ongoing war.
'Selfish billionaire': Chip Wilson's mansion vandalized after political sign erected outside
Days after a political sign was erected outside Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
Disgraced former Winnipeg football coach sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual assault
A disgraced Winnipeg high school football coach convicted of sexual assault and luring will spend 20 years behind bars.
Sammy Basso, longest living survivor of rare rapid-aging disease progeria, dies at 28
Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.
Two people injured in apparent road rage incident, shooting in Toronto
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
As Hurricane Milton intensifies, is Disney World still open?
Despite Hurricane Milton evolving into a Category 5 storm, Walt Disney World Resort remains open to the public and will operate as normal. However, the park announced Monday a few closures in an abundance of caution.
The Category 5 storm approaching Florida is the most powerful kind of hurricane
Hurricane Milton quickly intensified to a Category 5 storm on Monday, reaching the most dangerous rank on what's known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Senior charged after minivan set ablaze outside Vancouver City Hall
The day after a minivan was set ablaze outside Vancouver City Hall, a 78-year-old man has been criminally charged.