UPDATE: Kamloops, Kelowna to host world junior pre-tournament games

Kamloops and Kelowna will each play host to a pre-tournament game as the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship makes a return to British Columbia for the first time in more than a decade.

Russia and Sweden will face-off at Prospera Place in Kelowna on Dec. 18, while Russia will take on the United States on Dec. 20 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, according to a media release. The games are part of the teams’ preparation for the 2019 IIHF World Championship running from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Vancouver and Victoria

The Russians and Americans have each won four gold medals at prior world juniors, with Sweden winning gold twice.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome the best junior players in the world to our province in December,” B.C. Hockey CEO Barry Petrachenko says in the release.

The games are part of the Lordco Road to the World Juniors.

Tickets for the Kamloops game are available at the Sandman Centre box office, starting at $20, or they can be purchased online at the Hockey Canada website here.

Ticket information for the Kelowna game will be released Thursday, Nov. 15.

— This story was updated at 1:42 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 to include information about the Kelowna pre-tournament game.

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