The Victoria Grizzlies are getting down to business on the ice with training camp starting Monday, but wasting little time attempting to attract it off the ice.
The Times Colonist has learned that both the Grizzlies and Cowichan Valley Capitals are throwing their support behind a planned bid to play host to the 2013 World Junior A Hockey Challenge. The bid is being spearheaded by Shauna Benson, the executive director of the South Cowichan Chamber of Commerce.
Tournament games, likely set for Nov. 4-10, 2013, would be proposed for both Bear Mountain Arena in Colwood and the Island Savings Centre in Duncan, with the Kerry Park Recreation Centre planned as a practice facility for teams.
The under-20 international tournament, which is sponsored by Hockey Canada, attracts six all-star teams, including Canada West and East representatives and would bring an economic spinoff to all regions involved.
?If all the municipalities come on board it will work,? said Benson. ?We?re trying to do this collaboratively.?
Many of the groups met for the first time Thursday and are slated to gather again Aug. 28 as they plot out a business plan with the help of SportHost. Benson is hoping to have a bid prepared by the end of September
The idea is the brainchild of Benson.
?I was actually thinking about 2014, but Hockey Canada said, ?Why not 2013?? ? said Benson, who was involved in the RBC Cup in Nanaimo in 1998.
As far as the World Jr. A Hockey Challenge is concerned, Canada West ? which featured Grizzlies centre Wes Myron last season ? is the defending champion and has claimed the title three times. The United States has won the other three (in consecutive years) since the showcase event was formed in 2006.
Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic rounded out last year?s tournament in the new Langley Events Centre. This season, the World Jr. A Challenge is slated for Nov. 5-11 in Yarmouth, N.S.
?In the hockey community it is absolutely one of the top tournaments. It?s a must-attend,? said Scott McWilliam, the recently hired business consultant with the Grizzlies, who formerly worked with the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League and NHL Central Scouting.
?It?s a great opportunity from our players? perspective and we hope that a couple of our players would be considered for the selection process. It would be great for our fans and for us to get in on the ground floor for an unbelievable calibre of hockey,? added McWilliam. ?It?s great for the community and we are a part of that community.?
The World Jr. A Challenge has featured dozens of players currently playing in or drafted by the NHL, including last year?s No. 1 overall pick, Nail Yakupov of the Edmonton Oilers. More than 125 pro scouts and upwards of a dozen NHL general managers attend the event.
?A meeting was convened on Thursday to formally kick off the bid process,? said McWilliam, who gave huge props to Benson. ?She?s off to a flying start. There?s not a lot of time to get it done, but if we can get it done I think it will be ours, if we can make the numbers work.?
Canada West defeated Canada East 4-2 in the 2011 title game (which was broadcast on TSN) and a Canadian Junior A Hockey League prospects series ran in conjunction with the event. Wade Murphy and Braxton Bilous represented the Grizzlies in that two-game prospects series in Langley last season, which was also won by the West over the East.
? Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Source: http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Grizzlies+Capitals+want+host+world/7109179/story.html
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