Matthew Pitre wanted to make sure he would be there when Team Canada hit the ice at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
The Ottawa 67’s season ticket holder was among the first to put a deposit down on two gold level ticket packages in 2006.
“It was the only way that we could guarantee going,” said Pitre, 19, who will be attending the tournament with his mother. Each gold package carries a steep price: $1,150 per seat for 31 games in the lower level at Scotiabank Place and the Civic Centre.
Hockey Canada and tournament organizers announced Jan. 18 that every gold, silver, and bronze ticket package available has been sold, totaling over 440,000 tickets.
The tournament sellout guarantees that the Ottawa edition will be the highest attended world junior tournament ever, eclipsing Vancouver’s 2006 mark of 374,353.
“The success so far is a combination of a great product, a knowledgeable hockey market, and passionate fans who know the importance of the event,” says Bob O’Doherty, the tournament’s general manager.
Canada’s recent gold medal victory in the Czech Republic caused a surge in ticket sales, says O’Doherty.
“There was a tremendous move in tickets towards the end of the tournament. It was a huge shot in the arm for them to win in such dramatic fashion.”
The tournament should also be a shot in the arm for Ottawa’s economy, says Ottawa Tourism’s Director of Communications Jantine Van Kregten.
“We’ll certainly see an impact in many areas, including hotels, restaurants, and other attractions,” says Van Kregten.
The tournament will provide Ottawa Tourism with an impressive stage to profile the city. “It’s a great venue to get our message out, especially to other Canadians, who make up 85 per cent of tourists in Ottawa,” says Van Kregten.
During large, televised sporting events, Ottawa Tourism provides broadcasters with a variety of cover shots that showcase the city. Canada’s recent gold medal game against Sweden drew an average TSN audience of 2.2 million viewers, suggests BBM Nielsen Media Research.
This year’s world junior hockey championship will run simultaneously with the Bell Capital Cup. The world’s largest minor hockey tournament welcomed 489 teams this past year, but Van Kregten says the city is prepared to handle the huge number of visitors.
“There isn’t a complete overlap with the two tournaments, so we should be able to fit everyone in,” says Van Kregten.
World junior organizers have been working with Bell Capital Cup planners to ensure that there are no logistical issues. The impact of holding both tournaments at the same time will be minimal, says O’Doherty.
“The same arenas are only being used once or twice and there are enough rooms for everyone,” says O’Doherty.
Minor league participants in the Bell Capital Cup will actually benefit from the two tournaments’ similar schedules. World junior organizers are in the process of putting together ticket packages for participating minor teams.
The 2009 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship will mark the eighth time Canada has hosted the event, and the first time that one city has hosted all of the tournament’s games.
Organizers have set up a ticket marketplace that will open in November. The marketplace will allow fans to re-sell tickets to games that they cannot attend to guarantee that every game is not only sold out, but every seat is filled.
“The ticket prices in the marketplace will be regulated by Capital Tickets, to ensure that nobody is up-selling the face value of their tickets,” says Valerie Kowal, the tournament’s manager of events and services.
Tournament organizers have already covered the required $12.5-million commitment to Hockey Canada, secured a corporate sponsorship record of almost $5 million, and sold out all of its ticket packages, but O’Doherty says there is still work to do.
“Our goal here is to raise the bar from Vancouver, not just from revenue but from putting on a world-class event. We want people to leave saying that this tournament was the best ever,” says O’Doherty.
If Pitre has his way, he’ll remember not only a world-class event, but something else as well.
“I’m just looking forward to being there for Canada’s next gold medal.”