Hockey Canada announces free events for fans leading up to 2025 World Junior Hockey Championship
With puck drop for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa just over one month away, Hockey Canada and the city announced several community events and programs that will take place before and during the tournament.
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Starting Dec. 26, Fan Fest, a free to attend event, will be open each game day at Aberdeen Pavilion from 2 to 10 p.m. It will host watch parties for all games and include live bands, DJ's, hockey programming, exhibits, merchandise kiosks and more.
"Fan fest is really for all the fans that want to come," said Hockey Canada president and CEO Katherine Henderson.
"They want to try some hockey, meet some people, look at hockey games, we want to invite everyone down, it's going to be a ton of fun."
On New Year's Eve, Fan Fest will broadcast Canada's preliminary-round final against the United States and will remain open until midnight for fans to watch the fireworks.
"It'll be one of the biggest events Ottawa has ever hosted, one of the biggest economic impacts we've ever experienced," said Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
"Twelve days of hockey and a fan experience like no other."
In addition, the Ottawa Christmas Market will continue to operate until Jan. 5 to accommodate the World Junior schedules.
"It's a beautiful setting and to extend that into the New Year, I think it's a fantastic idea," Sutcliffe said.
"It'll be great for those local businesses, it'll be great for the event, the retailers at Lansdowne Park, and it will just be great for the fan experience."
Hundreds of people from all over the world are expected to make the trip to the nation's capital, with seven communities hosting competing teams – Arnprior (Latvia), Belleville (Czechia and Sweden), Brockville (Switzerland), Carleton Place (Kazakhstan), Cornwall (Finland and Slovakia), Kingston (United States) and Ottawa (Canada and Germany).
Ottawa last hosted the World Juniors in 2009, and fans saw Canada capture their fifth-consecutive title and an illustrious Jordan Eberle game-tying goal against Russia. The event generated over $80.5 million in economic impact for Ontario.
"There are going to be people staying all over the city who will be going to restaurants, going to shops, who are going to be in our city from Boxing Day to Jan. 5, and they'll be visiting from other parts of the world because they go to the World Juniors every year," Sutcliffe said.
"It's not just about the games anymore. It's about the whole experience. I anticipate that this will be an even bigger event than 2009."
Canada will open its exhibition schedule with a pair of games at TD Place, taking on Switzerland on Dec. 19 and Sweden on Dec. 21, before facing Czechia at the Canadian Tire Centre on Dec. 23. Canada will make it tournament debut on Dec. 26, taking on Finland at the Canadian Tire Centre.
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