A change of scenery seems like it might pay off for an annual holiday tradition.

Ticket demand for the 2019 world junior hockey championship B次元官网网址� Dec. 26, 2018-Jan. 5, 2019 in Vancouver and Victoria B次元官网网址� has B次元官网网址渆xceeded expectations,B次元官网网址� said Riley Wiwchar, director of the tournament.

The attendance will be watched closely at this yearB次元官网网址檚 event after disappointing turnouts B次元官网网址� and complaints about ticket prices B次元官网网址� three of the past four years in Buffalo, N.Y., and Toronto/Montreal.

B次元官网网址淭he demand is definitely there and weB次元官网网址檝e still got a few months to go. So we plan on the (arenas) being full,B次元官网网址� Wiwchar said.

Tickets have been purchased from around the globe, including France, Germany, Russia, Finland, Sweden, the U.S. and every Canadian province, he added.

Attendance at last yearB次元官网网址檚 tournament in Buffalo B次元官网网址� just across the Peace Bridge from Canada B次元官网网址� was dismal, with thousands of empty seats for many games.

Fewer than 10,000 people came out for CanadaB次元官网网址檚 games in the preliminary rounds and just 5,533 showed up for the teamB次元官网网址檚 quarterfinal win over Switzerland.

The exception was the first-ever outdoor world junior game, which drew a record-setting crowd of 44,592 to see the U.S. best Canada 4-3 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, N.Y. B次元官网网址� the home of the NFLB次元官网网址檚 Buffalo Bills.

In January, International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel admitted at a press conference that organizers had expected a different result.

Having either Toronto or nearby Buffalo host the event three out of four years may have been a mistake, he said.

B次元官网网址淪ometimes you can also overdo the saturation and where it is being played. We have to learn,B次元官网网址� Fasel said.

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The world juniors will be in the Czech Republic next year, before returning to Canada in 2021.

Hockey Canada said in a statement that it hasnB次元官网网址檛 yet identified a host community or communities for that tournament.

Organizers of this yearB次元官网网址檚 event werenB次元官网网址檛 worried by last yearB次元官网网址檚 numbers, in part because of the vast distance between B.C., and the Toronto-Buffalo corridor, Wiwchar said.

B次元官网网址淗onestly, there wasnB次元官网网址檛 much of a fear at all, coming out west,B次元官网网址� he said.

The western-most province previously held the world juniors in 2006, when Vancouver, Kamloops and Kelowna co-hosted the event. Canada took home the championship.

B次元官网网址淚 think people have just been craving the hockey for the last decade or so,B次元官网网址� Wiwchar said. B次元官网网址淗aving watched it every single year somewhere else, I think people are just ready for it to be back in B.C.B次元官网网址�

With the Canucks in the midst of a rebuild, VancouverB次元官网网址檚 also a market with a vested interest in seeing some of the players expected to skate this year.

Fans will likely come out to watch defenceman Quinn Hughes, who was drafted in the first round by the Canucks in June. The 18-year-old opted to play another season at the University of Michigan this fall, but will likely suit up for the U.S. at the world juniors.

His younger brother, Jack Hughes, also is expected to be part of the squad. The 17-year-old centre is currently with the U.S. national development team and is an early favourite to go No. 1 overall at the 2019 NHL draft.

Excitement about young talent like the Hughes brothers has helped sell tickets, Wiwchar said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a pretty in-tune market when it comes to hockey, I find. I think people having a chance to see these guys at Christmas really helps us,B次元官网网址� he said.

Venues for this yearB次元官网网址檚 tournament are slightly smaller than the main arenas in Toronto and Buffalo, which hold 19,800 and 19,200, respectively.

VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Rogers Arena has a capacity of 18,910 and VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre has room for 7,400 people.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

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