Calgary, Alta. – Hockey Canada, along with the Canadian Hockey League, the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship host organizing committee and Hockey Alberta, unveiled details Friday on how the World Juniors in Alberta will benefit hockey in Alberta and in Canada for years to come.

The event, hosted from through , will contribute a legacy worth over $22 million in funding to various levels of grassroots hockey. The exact financial figures will be confirmed in the next few months, pending all financial reports and an external audit of the event’s financial records. Based on preliminary reports, the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship steering committee is proud to confirm that the legacy funds will be distributed as follows:

• over $9 million into grassroots Hockey Canada programs, high performance programs and international programming, including initiatives in recruitment, retention, technology and e-learning;
• over $6.6 million to the Canadian Hockey League for player development and its scholarship fund;
• over $950,000 to the host committee and host Hockey Canada branch, Hockey Alberta, that will go to a number of initiatives:
  • facility upgrades to dressing rooms (portion of funds provided to McAuley Community Rink Project in Edmonton);
  • support of the Hockey Alberta Provincial Training Centre;
  • support for programming through Hockey Alberta’s regional centre structure;
  • support of Hockey Alberta’s “Every Kid – Every Community” program that is focused on recruitment and retention of members.
• $165,000 to each of Hockey Canada’s 12 other member branches to go towards supporting grassroots programming in every region in Canada;
• $3 million to support future hosting opportunities of international championships in Canada.

“Hockey Canada congratulates the host committee and the Province of Alberta for all its work in making the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship such a success,” said Hockey Canada chief operating officer Scott Smith. “In seeing the legacy of this event and the economic impact that it has had on the two host communities, the host province and grassroots hockey in Canada, we will continue to work together with our partners to bring major international events to Canada on a regular basis.”

“The Canadian Hockey League wishes to express our sincere gratitude to the host organizing committee and hockey fans throughout Alberta for making the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship such an overwhelming success,” commented CHL president David Branch. “The proceeds from this event will enable the CHL and our 59 member clubs to continue providing our players with the best hockey development and scholarship opportunities available in the game today.”

“Hockey Alberta congratulates the host committee in raising the bar for this prestigious event in a true Alberta partnership,” said Hockey Alberta president Rob Virgil.“Hockey Alberta was proud to partner with Hockey Canada and the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship host committee. The legacy provided to our province and organization will allow Hockey Alberta to continue its goal of achieving our strategic priorities.”

”The success of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship for the cities, province and country is a true testimony of what can be accomplished when you combine a talented leadership group with over one thousand volunteers with a singular goal,” said host committee co-chairs Lyle Best and Jim Peplinksi. “The goal was to stage and host the best world junior championship ever and to set a new standard for future host organizations; that goal was accomplished."

The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance also has completed a study assessing the total economic impact of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship at $86.2 million in estimated economic activity, highlighted by:

• visitor expenditures of over $14 million;
• over 30,000 visitors in Calgary, Edmonton and other Alberta communities;
• over $11.5 million in tax revenues for all three levels of government – federal, provincial and municipal.

”Alberta was proud to host the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said Alison Redford, premier of Alberta. ”The championship gave us an opportunity to showcase our province as a world-class cultural and tourist destination and leaving a lasting legacy for all Albertans to be proud of.”

For more information on Hockey Canada, its teams, events and programs, visit www.hockeycanada.ca.