N.S. premier confirms Halifax, Moncton bid for 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship

Canada's Dylan Guenther (9) and Owen Power (25) chase Austria's Mathias Bšhm (8) during third period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship action in Edmonton on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston confirmed Halifax and Moncton, N.B., are submitting a joint bid for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

“Yes we are putting a bid in," said Houston.

If the bid is successful, the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax and Avenir Centre in Moncton would host the event beginning this December.

Houston said his government is all in.

"I do support it," said Houston. “I think Nova Scotians remember the 2003 World Junior experience. It was a great experience and it was good for the province.”

The premier did not specify how much money the province has injected into the bid, but he did say any investment is money well spent.

“It fits exactly with our goal of doubling the population," said Houston. "And it fits exactly with our goal of promoting the province.”

So far, there are no municipal tax dollars involved.

“I haven’t seen an 'ask' yet," said HRM Councillor Tony Mancini. "But if there is an 'ask,' it is something that will come to council.”

Mancini supports the idea of financially backing the return of the World Junior Hockey Championship.

“It is an opportunity to really help those businesses that have struggled the last two years," said Mancini. "The hotels, the pubs and the restaurants.”

In 2003, Peter Spurway was the chair of the World Junior Hockey Championship Media Services Committee.

Spurway said, as organizers in Halifax and Moncton finalize their strategy, they do so knowing there is a strong level of built-in community support.

“We have a deep and very experienced volunteer base," said Spurway, who added the Maritime region has a proven reputation when it comes to hosting world class sports events.

“Hockey Canada has never had even an average experience in Halifax," said Spurway. "It’s always been fantastic, we have always overachieved and the folks in Moncton like to overachieve as well.”

The Halifax-Moncton bid to host the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship is expected to be formally submitted next week.