The World Junior Hockey Championships could be returning to Saskatchewan.  

The city councils of Saskatoon and Regina will be holding special meetings in the coming days, exploring the option to put in a joint bid after Hockey Canada was asked by the International Ice Hockey Federation to put together a bid for the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships. The move came after the IIHF pulled the tournament from Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. 

The last time the province hosted the tournament was in 2010, and Weyburn, along with five other communities, took part in the festivities by hosting pre-tournament matchups. So, if the Saskatchewan bid is successful, would Weyburn host a game again? 

“That is something we would be more than excited to look at again if this event does in fact move forward,” said Andrew Crowe, the director of leisure services with the City of Weyburn.  

A game like that would have a number of spinoffs for Weyburn, aside from having some of the best under-20 hockey players in the world taking to the ice at Crescent Point Place. 

“It would end up benefitting our local businesses and shopkeepers, and we’re always looking at trying to bring different events like this to the community,” Crowe added. 

For the time being, city staff will keep a proposal for hosting games in their back pocket that can be ready to go should the opportunity to host games presents itself. 

Crescent Point Place hosted a game between Sweden and Switzerland on December 23, 2009, in the lead-up to the 2010 championships.