In September 2008, USA Hockey announced the Buffalo Sabres organization would host the 2011 IIHF Under- 20 World Junior Championship (commonly referred to as the World Junior Championship). This yearly celebration of hockey’s finest throughout the globe is an event with international prestige known throughout the hockey community as the premier U20 showcase.

Buffalo- one of three finalists- was chosen because of the region’s proximity to its Canadian neighbors, and the commitment from the Sabres to lead the development of youth hockey all over the Niagara Frontier. The 2011 edition of the World Junior Championship will mark the first time in tournament history the host city will be located in New York State, and for only the fifth time in tournament history the games will be played on American soil.

The tournament this past December was held in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. A five- member organizing committee representing the Buffalo Sabres went to the great white north to experience first-hand what hosting an event like this entails. 

Leading the Sabres effort will be Host Event Manager, Tom Ahern. “It’s going to be a major undertaking”, he stated. "It’s a lot more than we thought it would be, but in a good way.”

Buffalo is no stranger to staging big events. The Sabres hosted the inaugural NHL Winter Classic in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, a day that went down in the record books in attendance (71,217) and television viewership (highest rated NHL televised broadcast in 11 years).

“We’ll be able to handle it. We’ve had the Winter Classic, NCAA men’s basketball regionals, NCAA Frozen Four and the Stanley Cup Final. We’re used to staging big events. The thing that’s different is that it’s a longer period,” acknowledged Michael Gilbert, Director of Public Relations for the Sabres.

The entire region, already a hockey hot-bed, will benefit from having this gem of a tournament in its backyard. Year after year the World Junior Championship fields players who have either been drafted by NHL clubs or are draft eligible. Thirty-six of the 42 players in the thrilling gold medal game between USA and Canada were drafted by National Hockey League teams. “It’s going to be great for this area, great for the organization and great for the fans. It’s something that down the road we’ll look back on and be thankful we had the event in our city,” said Gilbert.
 
Fans have a lot to look forward to over the coming months, but for this event to shine as bright as it did in Saskatoon there is a lot of work and cooperation needed from all levels.
“As an organization, we put hockey games on all the time, that’s what we do” explains Gilbert. “Now this is a hockey tournament that is expanded over the course of 10 days. It’s going to be a lot of work for the organization and people outside of the organization”.

“When we were awarded the tournament a year ago, there was an excitement level. Now that I’ve gone to Saskatoon and I’ve seen the depths of the event and the quality of hockey, I’m even more excited for it,” said Gilbert.

It is important that fans purchase full session packages sooner than later. There is a real possibility that there will not be any individual game tickets available.

“We’ve already sold 6,000 full session packages,” said John Sinclair, Director of Ticket Sales.  “We are encouraging everyone to purchase full session passes, it’s the only way to guarantee tickets. We anticipate ticket sales to rise with through the Olympics.” As previously announced, all four of USA and Canada’s preliminary round games will be played at HSBC Arena.

Make no mistake the Buffalo Sabres intend for the 2011 WJC to go down as one of the most successful, well-run tournaments in recent memory. Preliminary plans are in the works for some intriguing interactive fan experiences during the tournament.

 “We’re looking into doing something in the commercial slip park, whether tying in pond hockey along with a fan fest. One of the more creative ideas would be to possibly close off an off-ramp by the arena and open it up for sledding, along with a potential rink on Chippewa. If everyone steps up, we could really have a first-class event” said Ahern.

“Additionally, we’ll have to add another locker room. No final decisions have been made whether to build a new one in arena or satisfy the need by bringing in heated trailers, which were used in Saskatoon.”

Ahern also provided an update regards to the volunteer effort. “We will be in touch with the 1,478 volunteers shortly that have filled out volunteer registration information on the website to let them know of the specific job listings that will be offered. This information will be posted on the website very soon.”

The average fan who might not know much about the World Junior Championship should be aware that this event is the closest thing to an amateur international all-star contest that is held every year, unlike the Olympics (every four). This is a once in a lifetime chance for hockey fans in the Niagara Frontier to see hockey’s future perform at the highest level before they leave amateur competition for the professional ranks. If this past year’s gold medal game is in any way a preview of what is in store for Buffalo, fans are in for a treat.

Buffalo has a unique opportunity to show the entire hockey world that Minneapolis and St. Paul are not the only cities in the United States that have a deep, passionate, knowledgeable fan base who supports all levels of quality hockey.

In case you’re wondering, it is 319 days or 10 month, 16 days until the opening game of the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship between Germany and Switzerland.