8 Reasons To Bring The World Juniors Back To Minnesota.

The United States won their fifth gold medal at the annual IIHF U-20 World Junior Championships this month in Edmonton. When Team USA wins gold, they usually cap off the tournament with a full-throated rendition of the “USA HOCKEY IS DO OR DIE!” chant from the locker room. A standout line in this gold medal chant is:  

“Take a hockey stick in my hand, go on off to a foreign land.” 

But what’s troubling is Minnesota, the State of Hockey, has been a foreign land when it comes to hosting the World Juniors. Yes, Thief River Fall’s “Little Ralph” did play beer chaser as a secondary-site to North Dakota’s spicy bloody when Grand Forks hosted the 2005 World Juniors at Engelstad Arena. But by all accounts, that was North Dakota’s tournament. 

No, you have to roll the clock all the way back to 1982 when Bloomington and Duluth hosted the tournament, to find Minnesota in the mix for the World Juniors. 

This simply has to change. Minnesota must host the World Juniors in 2025, here are 8 reasons why: 

1)    Because My Next Dog Will Be Named Zegras. 

We start with perhaps the greatest part of watching the World Junior tournament, seeing tomorrow’s hockey stars today. The age qualification for the tournament is that players must turn 20 (or be younger) in the year the tournament ends. This year’s tournament ended with Team USA winning gold on January 5th, so the oldest players eligible were those celebrating their twentieth birthdays in 2021. 

Yes, part of the joy of the World Juniors is the bottled promise of it all. The World Juniors are like the boy band version of the NHL. The World Juniors makes its ice using hockey’s fountain of youth. Every world class hockey player on the planet has run through the turnstiles of the World Juniors: Crosby, Gretzky, Ovechkin, McDavid, Matthews—they were all there. Each year hockey’s “generation next” arrives at the World Juniors for their coming out party like debutantes in half shields. As Vince Vaughn says in Swingers, the tournament is filled with “beautiful babies.” 

The World Juniors are where you can see hockey’s stars of tomorrow . . .today.

Case in point, Team USA forward Trevor Zegras stole the show this year, becoming the all-time leading American scorer at the tournament with 27 points—in just 12 games! USA fans were able to watch Zegras distribute the puck like a dark magician, play with the care free joy of a Spicoli-on-skates, and grow a tiny mustache on his upper lip. Zegras even went full gangster whistling the anthem after a victory. Zegras was such a splendor, that as a USA Hockey rube I seriously contemplated changing my dog’s name to Zegras. My dog is five years old. He was that good. 

2)    Because It’s the Greatest Hockey Tournament in The World. 

The World Junior Hockey Tournament is the greatest hockey tournament in the world, period. Some will say this is an outlandish statement, but those that know, will agree. And I have a sneaking suspicion about who will agree most—Minnesotans. Why? Because the World Juniors resembles another pretty nifty little tournament, you may have heard of it—the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. 

Some will say that the Stanley Cup or the Olympics are the two hockey tournaments that are better than the World Juniors. I disagree. Similar to the State High School Tournament each March, one of the best parts of watching the World Juniors is these young players still make mistakes. What?! The Horror! That’s right, just like a great high school game—these players are still young enough that the NHL hasn’t made “Structure . . .Om . . .Structure . . . Om . . .” their yoga mantras yet. In the World Juniors, you’ll still see a kid put his head down, make a turnover, or make a mistake. This makes for better hockey, because it makes for unpredictable hockey. In the World Juniors, a team can come back from a three-goal lead. Unlike the pros or Olympians, these kids aren’t trained robots trained to shut it down on command. No, it’s fun hockey played by some of the best players on the planet. 

One could argue, Olympic hockey is close to as special as the World Juniors. But here is a dirty little secret: The World Junior Tournament is what Olympic hockey used to be! World Junior hockey is as pure and playful as when some fresh-faced kids made a trip up to Lake Placid. 

The World Juniors are pure. Like Olympic hockey used to be.

3)    Because the State of Hockey Will Show Up 

With 70,023 registered hockey players, coaches, and officials—Minnesota is easily the most hockey mad state in the Union.  Each March, over 100,000 Minnesotans walk down 7th Street in Saint Paul to the Xcel Energy Center to attend the High School State Tournament. Ratings in the Twin Cities for this year’s World Junior gold medal game between USA and Canada on NHL network doubled (or more) the average ratings across ESPN, NBC Sports Network, Fox Sports North, and FS1. Here in the State of Hockey, if you build it, they will come. There’s no reason to think the World Juniors would be any different.

Minnesotans know how to fill an arena.

4)    Because We’re Due. Like Really Due. 

1982 is a long time ago. I was watching John Mellencamp videos in my living room wearing a powder jacket and Pony shoes. If we don’t count the Thief River sidecar, it’s been over forty years since this grand tournament has been to Minnesota.  

A lot has happened since 1982—the last time Minnesota hosted the World Juniors.

But what may be more relevant to Minnesota’s chances of landing the World Juniors in 2025 is the schedule cycle the tournament typically operates on. The IIHF tends to rotate the tournament between European and North American cities, and appear careful to keep track of how often the top countries (Canada, USA) host. With Sweden hosting in 2024 and Russia in 2023, the tournament is scheduled to return to the United States 2025 for the first time in seven years (Buffalo 2018). And while non-traditional markets like Las Vegas will certainly generate some interest and hype, any gambler knows the smart bet would be on a sure-thing site like the State of Hockey. This works in our favor as Minnesota should be a front-runner to host when the tournament returns to the United States in 2025.

5)    Because There’s Nothing Like Rooting for Your Country.   

USA! USA! USA! The International element of the World Juniors brings a completely different flare. It’s fun to learn about our neighbors as you watch the tournament.

“Wow, the Finnish coaches wear really tight dress shirts and prefer the wet look.”

“Wow, the Slovaks went with big stickers for their helmet ads.”

“Wow, this Ovechkin kid is wearing a completely tinted visor.”

Yes, the World Juniors are a two-week visit to hockey’s Epcot Center, making it all the sweeter when Team USA wins. They play the anthem of the winning team after every game in the World Junior tournament, and it’s become quite a tradition for my buddies on our group text. STAND FOR THE ANTHEM gets sent out on the thread, and everyone knows precisely what to do. Nothing lets you puff out your chest like an important Team USA victory on the world stage. 

Please stand for the anthem.

6)    Because We Have Fantastic Facilities Indoor and Out.  

Whether the tournament is hosted in Saint Paul at the Xcel, Minneapolis, or Duluth—or some combination of all those options, the Land of 10,000 lakes is home to nearly as many rinks. Minnesota has the infrastructure and facilities to create an ideal World Junior tournament experience for all involved. The prospect of returning outdoors is also realistic, as TCF Stadium or Target Field would be an ideal showcase for a USA Vs. Canada qualifier. 

Minnesota could play host to another USA Vs. Canada qualifier played outdoors.

7)    Because Minnesota’s Hockey Tradition Is Unmatched.   

This year, the University of Minnesota is playing its 100th season of college hockey. Yet they’re just one of five, soon to be six with the arrival of St. Thomas, storied Division 1 programs in the state. It was Minnesota kids that helped the United States win gold in both 1960 and 1980. And the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament started all the way back in 1945. Add in the North Stars, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, White Caps, hockey hair, and the Wild—and it’s clear no one can match the hockey heritage of the State of Hockey. 

8)    Because Canadian Fans Will Travel Down From “The Peg”

Can you remember back when fans used to go watch pro hockey together at the Xcel Energy Center? I know it sounds crazy, but it was a full building. The Wild used to even shout about the “Team of 18,000!” “Lets! Play! Hockey!” Is any of this ringing a bell? 

Well, you’ll have to take our word for it, pre-pandemic it was a routine occurrence that when the Wild hosted Winnipeg, half the stadium would be filled with drunk guys in Scheifele jerseys ready to spill their beer on you. Part of making a great World Junior experience for the players and the fans is creating an electric environment. And sometimes that means adding a tablespoon of hate. Rest assured, if Minnesota hosts the World Juniors in 2025 there will be a raucous environment, and jam-packed stadiums filled to the gills with Americans and Canadiens. I can already hear the techno playing during warmups. 

Canadiens will pour down from “The Peg” to Minnesota for the World Juniors.

Will the dream come true? Will the State of Hockey play host to the greatest hockey tournament in the world? Will the World Juniors finally return to Minnesota in 2025? Only time will tell. Until then, we’ll be right here, hand over heart, standing for the anthem. And working on our own little chant:

“Ohh Mama, don’t you cry.

World Juniors are coming back

to Minnesota in 2025!”