CALGARY, Alta. – Calgary and Edmonton have set a new attendance record for the IIHF World Junior Championship, attracting 571,539 fans from across Canada and around the world to the Saddledome and Rexall Place over the past 11 days, an average of 18,437 per game.

The total surpasses the previous tournament record of 453,282 set at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, which averaged 14,622 fans per game.

In addition to the 31 games in Calgary and Edmonton, junior hockey fans across the province got a taste of international hockey through the pre-competition schedule, which included games in nine communities.

“As a host committee, we truly believe taking games across the province really started the momentum,” said Al Coates, executive director of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship. “This event began with the slogan Alberta United, and the great fans from across the province supported not only Team Canada but all 10 competing countries.”

Beyond the tournament itself, fans were able to experience the event through the Fan Zone in both Calgary and Edmonton, school children were able to participate in the World Junior Schools Program and thousands of participants engaged in Discovery Hockey experiences and on-ice skills camps – every experience designed so that all Canadians would be able to say ‘I Was There.’

“Hockey Canada’s success in hosting events can be attributed to a number of key stakeholders,” said Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson. “It starts with a relentless host committee, which empowered more than a thousand volunteers to bring the event to life. It is the fan experience that makes the World Juniors so special for every Canadian.”

The IIHF World Junior Championship will return to Canada in 2015, 2017, 20.

For more information on the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit www.HockeyCanada.ca/2012juniors, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/worldjuniors and www.twitter.com/hc_wjc.