Summer, increased scrutiny to blame for small crowds at world juniors: Hockey Canada
Empty seats have been a staple at the unusual world junior hockey championship in Edmonton this month — and Hockey Canada says scandals surrounding the organization are, in part, holding fans back.
While the tournament usually sees thousands of avid hockey lovers turn out for each game, the average attendance for the tournament's 20 preliminary round matches was 1,319.
Hockey Canada said there are "a few reasons" people have opted to stay home for the rescheduled 2022 tournament.
"First, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed this tournament to August," the organization said in a statement Tuesday. "And second, there is understandable scrutiny from Canadians of Hockey Canada and the culture of hockey."
Criticism of Hockey Canada loomed large as the 10-team tournament began on Aug. 9.
The national sports organization has come under fire in recent months for its handling of sexual assault allegations levied against members of two former world junior teams.
The allegations prompted parliamentary inquiries and the federal government has frozen its funding of the organization.
Big-name sponsors — including Telus and Canadian Tire — followed suit, leaving the ice at Rogers Place free of ads and the surrounding boards devoid of the usual logos.
"Our focus is ensuring the players who have trained for the past several months can compete on this important stage — and for the fans to enjoy a positive experience," Hockey Canada said.
The first day of the tournament saw three games, none of which cracked 1,000 fans. The biggest draw was a matchup between the U.S. and Germany where attendance was recorded at 829.
Canada played its first game the following day — a 5-2 win over Latvia — in front of 2,779 people. No attendance was reported for a bout between Switzerland and Sweden at 12 p.m. local time the same day.
The crowds slowly swelled as the tournament progressed, with a crowd of 5,204 watching Canada's final preliminary round game, a 6-3 win over Finland on Monday.
Hockey Canada is one of the organizations likely to lose out financially due to the disappointing ticket sales.
"The stakeholders of the event — the (International Ice Hockey Federation), Hockey Canada and the participating federations — all make financial contributions to ensure the event takes place," Hockey Canada said.
"Net proceeds from the world juniors are shared between Hockey Canada, Hockey Canada members, the (Canadian Hockey League) and the IIHF."
More than 1,500 tickets were available on Ticketmaster on Tuesday for Canada's quarterfinal game against Switzerland on Wednesday.
The 2022 tournament was originally scheduled to be played in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., in December, but rising COVID-19 cases among players and officials forced games to be forfeited after just four days.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.