The World Junior Hockey Championship December 26 in Buffalo

It's very exciting for the city of Buffalo to the World Junior Hockey Championship which begins on December 26 and runs through Jan. 5. It features players under-20 years old from 10 countries. Most NHL stars played in this tournament at that age.

• United States enters as the defending champion – having defeated Canada in a shootout for last year’s gold medal.
• Buffalo hosted this tournament seven years ago – which is also the last time it was in the United States. This is the first time a city has been selected twice in a row like that.
• On Dec. 29, the United States and Canada play outdoors at New Era Field in their preliminary round game. It’s the first time in tournament history that there will be an outdoor game. Crews are currently working to build the rink right on the field.
• One of the highlights will be Championship Village – a free fan village at Canalside that includes interactive attractions, food and drink, live music and more..
• Tickets are still available for all games. There are both individual game options and package options

A feature is The medal round package: which includes the outdoor game, both semifinal games, bronze medal game, and gold medal game. 300 level seats start at only $150 for that package.

We spoke to Mike Gilbert, chairman of the host organizing committee about the event.  Hear the full interview