B.C. Premier John Horgan taking part in the kickoff to the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship at the Q Centre in Colwood. Team Canada is holding its selection camp at the home of the Victoria Grizzlies this week.
The B.C. premier and other dignitaries were in Colwood Tuesday morning to help launch the 2019 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, which will be hosted in Victoria and Vancouver.
Premier John Horgan and Tourism Minister Lisa Beare were among those to attend the event Tuesday morning at the Q-Centre, right before the start of Team Canada’s selection camp.
We are so excited to welcome the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championship to beautiful British Columbia!
I was proud to help wrap up the “Road to the World Juniors” program with Premier @jjhorgan and @BCHockey_Source this morning at @TheQdotFM Centre in #Langford. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/uQAGPZPZs0
— Lisa Beare (@lisabeare) December 11, 2018
The event also concluded the province and BC Hockey’s Road to the World Juniors Tour, that visited schools throughout B.C. to promote active living for kids in school as part of the physical education curriculum.
The premier and minister both took part in a demonstration of floorball, using the equipment left at the schools that were visited during the tour.
B.C. is hosting the World Junior championship for the first time since 2006 when Canada won gold in Vancouver.
Thirty-four players, with three goalies, 12 defencemen and 19 forwards, are vying to make Team Canada’s final 22-man roster.
Team Canada goalie consultant Fred Brathwaite talks with Matthew Villalta, #45, and Michael DiPietro on the first day of Canada’s World Junior Selection Camp at the Q-Centre in Colwood.
Team Canada will play three games against U-Sports All-Stars Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night at the Q-Centre, with the final roster expected to be announced Friday night.
The Q Centre is a really nice local arena with great history. Home of the Jr. A Grizzlies and the Benn brothers but also home to the great Victoria Shamrocks lacrosse club, with multiple Mann Cup banners. pic.twitter.com/a2Ylh9BTlw
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 11, 2018
Port Alberni and Nanaimo are also involved in pre-tournament action in the leadup to Boxing Day when the event gets underway.
Kazakhstan’s world junior hopefuls will face off with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Dec. 19 at Weyerhauser Arena, followed a date with Switzerland Dec. 21.
Nanaimo will host a pre-tournament game between the Czech Republic and Slovakia Dec. 19 at Frank Crane Arena.
Canada will play two of its exhibition games at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The first is Dec. 19 against Switzerland and then Canada takes on Slovakia two nights later.
Canada will begin defence of its World Junior gold against Denmark Dec. 26 in Vancouver.
Victoria will host two quarter-final games on Jan. 2.
The gold medal game is Jan. 5 in Vancouver.
CHEK News
