Disappointing crowds at junior tournament prompt soul-searching from Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada says it will conduct a full review following disappointing ticket sales for the world junior championship in Montreal.

"We had hoped that the attendance would be higher, and that will be part of our learning going forward," said Scott Smith, Hockey Canada's chief operating officer and incoming president.

There are still tickets for tonight's gold-medal matchup in Montreal between Canada and the United States, and attendance at the tournament has so far been disappointing.

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The announced crowd for Wednesday's semifinal between Canada and Sweden was 13,181 — a little more than 60 per cent of the Bell Centre's capacity.

Prices for that game ranged from $40 to more than $200, plus fees.

Only 10,215 people were on hand for Canada's quarter-final victory on Monday against the Czech Republic.

Several preliminary games played in Toronto, a larger and more affluent city, were also short of capacity, though key matchups featuring Canada's squad drew big crowds.

Pricey tickets

Critics have blamed the poor turnout largely on NHL-level ticket prices. 

Smith said he was cognizant of the criticism and would make adjustments for 2019, when Victoria and Vancouver will host the tournament.

"We will review all of the details associated with the event," he said.

Tom Renney, the outgoing president of Hockey Canada, stressed the revenue from the tournament helps fund "grassroots development" of coaches and players.

The organization also faced complaints about ticket prices during the 2015 edition of the tournament.

Prices were slashed by 30 per cent this year to meet those concerns. 

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