It took nearly 20 years for the state of Minnesota to be given another chance to host a World Junior Championship, and they made sure not to disappoint. From the actual hockey to the “Bold North Breakaway” fan fest that was essentially a hockey theme park with activities inside and out, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
Minnesota is known as the “State of Hockey”, so how could it not be the perfect place to host an 11-day-long tournament with the best players from around the world facing off? Of course, there are other locations around the world that have hosted and will host this tournament, but Minnesota deserved a chance. In this article, we’ll look at why Minnesota was a good choice, starting with the community.
Minnesota is a “Hockey Community”
While Canada and other places around the world can consider themselves hockey communities, there’s none quite like Minnesota. It’s a state that has hockey from the northern-most tip all the way to the southern border, and of course, east to west. The game has grown over the years, and not only boys’ hockey but girls’ hockey as well.
To show how dedicated they are to the game, the state even puts on a “Hockey Day Minnesota,” which started as one day where the local television networks broadcast high school hockey games all day long, along with a college game in the evening, and a Wild game at the end of the night. Now it has expanded to include other games throughout the week, but “Hockey Day” is still the one-day main event, which is hosted around the state in a different city every year.
There are all types of different hockey leagues, from youth to adult, beer leagues to pro, and everything in between, in the state as well. There’s also sled hockey and Special Olympics hockey, so almost everyone can have a chance to play. A vast majority of the kids born and raised in Minnesota have spent some time on skates throughout their lives. Many continue to skate as they grow older and pass it on to children and grandchildren as a fun pastime.
Hockey is a favorite tradition of many in Minnesota, and having the tournament in Minnesota was the cherry on top. Even when a blizzard warning hit most of Minnesota partway through the tournament, fans still made it to the games. The head coach of Team USA is a Minnesota native himself and coaches the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers when he’s not USA’s coach, so Minnesota had a strong connection to the tournament. Not only was their coach from Minnesota, USA also had seven Minnesota natives on their roster.
“We’ve wanted it here, a lot of us have talked over the years to get this thing in Minnesota. I walked through the plaza on the way here, and USA Hockey has been waiting for a community, and this is a great community. We’re a sports town, and I can’t say enough, and we’re just beginning,” said USA’s head coach, Bob Motzko, about having the tournament in Minnesota after their first game of the tournament.
Minnesota Ensured a Great Time
While many go for the games themselves, some bring their entire family to experience the hockey, but also all of the other fun activities around. In the building connected to Grand Casino Arena, the Rivercentre was turned into the “Bold North Breakaway” fan festival thanks to Minnesota Sports and Events and several other organizations.
There were activities like bumper cars, trolley rides, a hockey rink where fans could skate, the World’s Largest Hockey Puck, and so many other fun activities. While there was a ton to do outside, if fans wanted to warm up and look at some history, there was quite a bit to do inside as well.
There was a street hockey rink set up inside, a “puck drop” where fans could jump off a platform and land on an airbag, penalty boxes with gear from players and teams affiliated with the tournament, NHL awards like the Vezina and Art Ross Trophy, and exhibits for both hockey hall of fames located in the state. One for the US Hockey Hall of Fame, located in Eveleth, Minnesota, and one for the new Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame that will be located in Inver Grove Heights, which will focus on Minnesota natives involved in the game of hockey.
All of these activities were centered around Minnesota and the game of hockey. It was a perfect way to showcase how much hockey is truly a part of many Minnesota communities and why it was great to have the tournament in Minnesota.
“It’s so special, growing up, going to games here, going to the tourney…it’s pretty special as you’re going to play in this rink when it’s packed like that, for us to have so much support from USA fans, Minnesota fans, just everyone especially when ‘USA’ chants are going off in the middle of the game, so special and we feel that energy and we’re bringing it into the game and helping us out,” Will Zellers said about the crowd and what it was like to play in Grand Casino Arena after their first game of the tournament.
World Junior Crowds
Minnesota was a perfect place to pick when factoring in the hockey community, but it didn’t come without its issues. The biggest trouble during the tournament was the lack of a crowd. While Team USA had a pretty decent crowd throughout the tournament, a number of the other games didn’t.
Several different people chimed in with different reasons why there weren’t the expected numbers, and the one I have to agree with the most came from Jessi Pierce, an NHL writer who covers the Minnesota Wild and hosts the Bardown Beauties podcast, and the reason she gave is that Minnesotans love Minnesota hockey.
What she means is that Minnesota natives love watching their local Minnesota hockey. For example, at the end of the hockey season, there is a high school state tournament to decide the best teams in the state. There are two divisions based on school and class size, with a division for smaller schools and a division for larger schools. Both tournaments are played at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul and have been for years. The division for bigger schools fills the arena every single year. It’s hard to find a seat, and it’s affordable, so there are families that go, and they’ve made it a yearly tradition to go, even if their local team isn’t playing.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
Hockey is hockey to Minnesota fans, but if they don’t know the quality of hockey they’re getting, they won’t go. Of course, there are your diehard fans who follow this tournament routinely and will show up no matter what, but to get new fans, it can be difficult. Especially as Jessi said in her podcast, a lot of the local talent that was on Team USA didn’t play for their local high school hockey; they went through the national development camp, so fans don’t see them in their backyards. Plus, the size of the venue played a factor; it’s harder to fill an 18,000-seat NHL arena compared to a 10,000-seat or smaller which was another reason Jessi gave.
Regardless, although the numbers weren’t what everyone hoped, overall, the tournament had great hockey, and there were Minnesotans who came and had a great time. Now that they’re aware of what the tournament is like, they will hopefully tell their friends, and if the tournament comes to town in the future, more people will want to see the great hockey that comes with it.
