Published: September 11, 2008 11:08 pm      

JUNIOR HOCKEY: USA Hockey takes tour of Dwyer

Don’t think the new luxury suite in Dwyer Arena’s west end was lost on Jim Johannson.

But the assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey wasn’t scouting the Niagara University ice rink to see where best to enjoy finger foods during intermissions. Johannson was part of a group deciding where USA Hockey should place the 2011 World Junior Championships, the world’s premier tournament for players under 20.

“We were looking at the guts of the hockey rink,” Johannson said of this week’s tour. “Everybody sees things like the seats and the amenities. We need to see if these buildings can house a tournament of this caliber. Is there enough room for five teams?”

According to Johannson and Mike Bertsch, who heads the group’s marketing and communication, the Buffalo-Niagara area has all the pieces in place to handle such an event.

Buffalo was the first of three cities the group will tour, with Thursday ending a two-day crash course. Grand Forks, N.D., and St. Paul, Minn., are the other two stops.

Dwyer Arena would be the secondary site, handling some of the early contests, while Buffalo’s HSBC Arena would handle the major games and the championship round. The 11-day tournament would consist of 31 games.

According to Bertsch, a final decision should be made by early October.

Johannson said he was impressed with Dwyer’s facilities and thinks the rink could easily fulfill the duties.

“There are little challenges, but there are challenges every we go,” Johannson said. “You can see what they’ve done with it. It looks great. The bottom line is, we can make Dwyer work.”

The event is a major one, ranking with the Frozen Four that came to Buffalo in 2003. According to event organizers, the tournament would bring an estimated $6 million into the economy, and would fill 3,200 room nights in local hotels.

“We’re looking at places that are accustomed to running large events and being successful with it,” Bertsch said. “It’s an international event, so we want to put on our best face.”

Johannson said the Buffalo area has done an outstanding job holding the youth nationals in Amherst the past two seasons, and expects more of the same if the area gets the nod for the world juniors.

“Everyone in the hockey community understands what the World Hockey Junior Championships are in this area,” Johannson said.

The last time the U.S. hosted the event was 2005, when the likes of Phil Kessel, Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Dion Phaneuf all played in Grand Forks.

“The level of hockey is fantastic. For the hockey fans, I honestly think it’s the best championship they have because of the energy level they play with.

“You get the best in the world playing in this championship.”

Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.