It's a necessity, though, at
The thermometer may read 30 degrees outside, but up in the makeshift press area on the arena's fifth floor, I've taken to wearing a bulky winter jacket to avoid frozen fingers and chattering teeth.
Unexpected cold and odd apparel are just some of the things that have made this tournament unique.
The world juniors are known as a Christmas-time showcase of the best under-20 hockey players from around the globe. It's an event many athletes and fans alike eagerly anticipate every winter.
While the initial 2022 tournament began in
Instead of scrapping the event entirely, the
In the meantime,
Longtime sponsors like Telus,
Despite the increased scrutiny,
Some stars, though, opted to stay home.
The IIHF has allowed players who've already turned 20 to participate in the tournament because of the delay, but some players decided to miss the tournament for various reasons, including preparing for NHL training camps next month.
The Canadians fared just fine without the top-end talent, going undefeated through four preliminary round games. They'll take on
There are no Russian players in this year's competition, either, with the IIHF banning the country from participating due to its ongoing invasion of
Between scandals, summer and a relative lack of star power, tickets to the world juniors haven't been a huge draw. The 20 preliminary round games saw an average attendance of 1,319.
The world juniors generally see fans from around the globe come decked out in colourful jerseys and face paint, and armed with signs. Instead, this year's crowd seems to be largely made up of folks wearing Team Canada apparel.
Around the rink, too, the boisterous atmosphere that generally accompanies the tournament is largely absent.
Crowds packed the
Even the 50/50 jackpot has been impacted by the strange confluence of events.
When the 2021 tournament was held in a bubble in
This time around, draws are being held in several provinces online and tickets are being sold in person at
As of Wednesday afternoon — eight days into the tournament — the jackpot in
This report by
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