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From the Star:
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Toronto sets sights on juniors
Mar. 2, 2006. 01:00 AM
DONOVAN VINCENT
SPORTS REPORTER
Organizers behind Toronto's bid for the 2009 world junior hockey championships like what they saw when Vancouver hosted the latest tournament.
That event, where Canada won gold, reportedly made about $9 million, set an attendance record of 325,138 and injected about $30 million into Vancouver's economy.
Yesterday Toronto officially announced its intention to bid for the 2009 event, the bid team comprised of the city, Hockey Canada and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
Plans are to have the event played in the ACC and Ricoh Coliseum.
Toronto Mayor David Miller believes this city can double the $30 million in local benefit Vancouver saw, but hastened to add that's not the only reason for holding the amateur event.
"Hockey is our sport, it's our game,'' Miller said at the launch, held at the Hockey Hall of Fame. He added the 2009 tourney will be a great way to showcase his city and the sport.
The annual under-20 men's tourney runs from late December to early January and features 31 games played by 10 teams over 11 days.
MLSE's involvement in Toronto's bid follows the trend being set by some of the other cities vying for 2009 — Montreal, Saskatoon, Calgary/Edmonton, Ottawa, London and Quebec City. The Flames and Oilers are among the backers of the Calgary/Edmonton bid, the Canadiens are behind Montreal's campaign, and the Ottawa Senators are backing that city's bid.
The IIHF announced early last year that Canada will host the event every three years.
This month three of the bidding cities will be eliminated, with the winner announced sometime in May. Toronto has never hosted the tournament before, this marking the third attempt.