Growing the Men’s U18 like the World Juniors

The history of international hockey is the history of growth. What started as a seven-team competition during the Summer Olympics in 1920 has grown to the point that the last IIHF season featured an astounding 220 teams playing in five events with a myriad of divisions, hundreds of on-ice officials, and, literally, thousands of players. 

The World Junior Championships started in 1977, and in 1999 the IIHF introduced the Men’s U18 World Championship as well, completing the life cycle for men players on their path from amateur to pro.

The U18s filled a needed gap. While a player is no longer a junior after the age of 20, the 18th year is also important because that’s when players become eligible for the NHL Entry Draft. So, while the World Juniors includes a mix of players drafted and undrafted, the U18 is purer—not one player has been drafted. But that changes quickly, because ten weeks from now many of the players here in Frisco, Texas, will, indeed, hear their names called by NHL executives.

But what gives with Frisco? It doesn’t sound the kind of place where U18 hockey thrives, or where an IIHF U18 tournament could succeed. That is, until you hear the enthusiasm from Pat Kelleher, USA Hockey’s Executive Director, and you hear how he explains the path from USA Hockey being assigned the 2025 WM18 to Frisco being chosen as the host city. Then you understand. 

To fully appreciate Frisco’s place in the hockey universe, you need to know two things. First, in 1993 the Minnesota North Stars relocated to Dallas, and when they did so they made grassroots hockey an important initiative in their new state. They built arenas big and small, and gave kids in Texas a chance to discover, and play, the game. 

Fast forward to 2021. Plymouth, Michigan, the home of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP), was set to host that year’s U18, but Covid-19 got in the way and that venue could not safely host any longer. Enter the Dallas Stars.

“We are fortunate enough to have 25 NHL franchises based in the U.S., and they are incredible partners,” Kelleher began. “And they get it. They want to grow the game. They want to develop players in their communities, and the Dallas Stars have been a model franchise for grassroots and youth hockey. In 2021, we were dealing with unique circumstances, and the Stars were able to host the event where others couldn’t. They were really aggressive in their pursuit to host with us because…