The '18 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships take place in Buffalo, with a U.S.-Canada matchup at the Bills' New Era Field serving "as the highlight," according to John Vogl of the BUFFALO NEWS. There will also be 22 games in KeyBank Center and "eight in HarborCenter as Buffalo hosts the tournament for the second time." Buffalo "hosted the world juniors" in '11, but the '18 event will be "larger in every facet." It "starts with the game in the Bills’ stadium." The outdoor game will be "held just shy of the 10-year anniversary of the Winter Classic hosted by the Sabres" in '08. Sabres President Russ Brandon said that there will "not be a doubleheader featuring the world juniors and the Sabres." Brandon: "Everything is going to focus on world juniors. ... We want to make it a world juniors that's remembered forever." Ticket packages for the tournament will "range from $690 to $1,550." Individuals who buy a package will have "access to three additional tickets for the outdoor game." The organizers are "still brainstorming in regard to ancillary events" (BUFFALO NEWS, 10/29). The NATIONAL POST's Scott Stinson notes the outdoor game could have "as many as 70,000 fans in attendance, making massive piles of money for the tournament organizers" (NATIONAL POST, 10/31).
