The Kelowna Rockets have announced that Kelowna will be hosting a pre-tournament game before the IIHF World Juniors Championships next month.
On Tuesday, December 18th, Sweden and Russia will face off at Prospera Place.
It’ll be the first time in 13 years that Kelowna has hosted a game as part of the World Juniors. The last time was when Kelowna co-hosted the B-Pool of the tournament with Kamloops in 2005.
“We are beyond thrilled to welcome the best junior players in the world to our province in December,” said Barry Petrachenko, CEO of B.C. Hockey. “We know from experience what hosting this event can mean for hockey in our region and we are confident this tournament will leave a lasting impact on the growth and development of the game here in British Columbia and specifically in Kelowna.”
The World Juniors take place from December 26th to January 5th in Vancouver and Victoria.
Ticket information will be released on Friday. Rockets season ticket holders will have a special pre-buy period, during which they can buy extra tickets.