Every Boxing Day hockey fans rejoice as the IIHF World Junior Championship kicks off and this year, the excitement has come right to Victoria.

Thousands gathered at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre Wednesday afternoon to watch team USA face off against Slovakia.

The streets surrounding the centre were packed with vehicles as parking lots in the area filled up quickly.

Many last-minute ticket buyers lined up at the arena to make sure they had a chance to catch the action.

Kayla Aspelund and Nathaniel Cook were gifted tickets to the game and Aspelund said she was excited to be able to see it.

B次元官网网址淚 remember, as long as I can remember, watching the World Juniors on Boxing Day,B次元官网网址� Aspelund said. B次元官网网址淣ow that itB次元官网网址檚 here itB次元官网网址檚 really cool that we get to actually go.B次元官网网址�

Cook, originally from Wales, recently became a Canadian citizen and while he doesnB次元官网网址檛 love hockey as much as Aspelund, he said heB次元官网网址檚 learning about it.

READ MORE: VIDEO: Team USA defeats Czech Republic at B.C. exhibition game

READ MORE: Canada dominates Slovakia in world junior warm up in Victoria

The championship has also had a hand in forming new friendships in Victoria.

Jean Campbell and Mike Morrison are both Victoria residents who ran into a man named Geoff Finn at a pub before the game.

Finn is from New Brunswick and was in Victoria to visit family and go to the game. The three of them posed for photos in Team Canada and Slovakia jerseys in front of the centre before the game began.

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The last time B.C. hosted the World Junior Championship was in 2006 in Vancouver when Canada won gold.

This year, games will be taking place in both Vancouver and Victoria.

Organizers have said they expect full arenas for the games in Vancouver and Victoria with ticket demands exceeding expectations.

The IIHF World Junior Championship will run until Jan. 5, 2019.

shalu.mehta@goldstreamgazette.com

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