Momentum building for World Juniors

Southwest hockey fans have a chance to be in the rink cheering on Team Canada in their attempt to win a record sixth consecutive World Junior Hockey Championship when the province hosts the 2010 IIHF championship tournament.

Nathan Morrison, a tournament host organizing committee volunteer, was the iPlex recently helping promote the sale of tickets for the championships to be hosted in Regina and Saskatoon from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.

"We have put together a bit of a travelling road show to go to a number of the markets outside of Regina and Saskatoon because the bid for the 2010 World Juniors was based on it being a Saskatchewan bid, so we are out doing grassroots efforts visiting a number of rinks through out the province just promoting the tournament and we are here just to spread the good word," Morrison said.

Ticket sales for the 31 games scheduled during the tournament have been on sale for awhile now and seem to be going at a good pace.

Morrison also noted there is a chance there could be a Swift Current connection to the tournament, as a series of pre-tournament exhibition games will be hosted in a number of rural communities.

"That was one of the strengths of Saskatchewan's bid. Team Canada is going to play two preseason games in Regina, however the rest of the games are going to be spread throughout the province and I would think that Swift Current with the facility here would be a lock to get a pretournament game if they put in a bid."