Depsite Canada playing the majority of their games at the world junior hockey championships in Vancouver, the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre says the tournament was still a win for the city of Victoria.
After the event wrapped on Wednesday, co-host the GSL Group (operator of the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre) says the more than 90,000 hockey fans that came through its doors during the tournament had a big economic impact – up to $10 million locally.
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The 17-day event saw hockey fans consume over 40,000 hot dogs, 70,000 beers and 500,000 ounces of popcorn. GSL group estimates it answered more than 14,000 questions about the city of Victoria.
“The world juniors was another successful event for our venue and for the people of Victoria,” said GSL sports and entertainment president Dave Dakers. “When GSL Group originally thought about developing and operating a multi-purpose arena in Victoria, we knew that the presence of a first-class building in a world class city…would provide the city the opportunity to host events of this magnitude.”
Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney said locals really embraced the teams and players in their city. “Hockey Canada is thrilled with the response and support from the city of Victoria,” he said.
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The medal rounds for the tournament continue in Vancouver.
During its 13-year presence in Victoria, the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre has hosted a number of international events including the World Curling Championships, World Figure Skating Championships, Canada and USA Women’s Hockey and more.