World juniors still feels like ‘bubble’ tournament

Fans are welcome. Players are free to leave their hotels and the arena to walk the streets. But, to U.S. coach Nate Leaman, this year’s world junior hockey championships feels like it’s being held at the peak of COVID-19.

“It feels like a bubble tournament,” Leaman said Friday. “To me, it feels a lot like the tournament which was basically two tournaments ago.”

Leaman was referring to the 2021 world championship, also hosted in Edmonton. The Americans won gold at Rogers Place, which was empty because of COVID-19 restrictions.

While the restrictions are gone, the empty arena is still a talking point. While Leaman spoke at Rogers Place’s mixed zone, Austria and Sweden had just faced off in tournament play on the ice.

There were not even 100 people in attendance.

That’s been the story of a world junior tournament played in August. A big rivalry game between Czechia and Slovakia was played in an almost empty arena. The Swedes and Americans have played to empty seats. Canada’s home games have seen the lower bowl half full, at best. The upper seating area has been curtained off.

There are many reasons, including perhaps the fact that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has meant there’s no Russian national team in international play, plus Edmontonians value their summer days like gold, because the season is so short. Being inside for extended periods of time when the sun is out is a no go in a place where summer is fleeting.