Even the smallest of sports fans will be excited about the upcoming tournaments taking place in Alberta, between the 2019 Canada Winter Games happening this year, and now the exciting announcement that the 2021 World Junior Championships will take place in Edmonton and Red Deer.

The last time the tournament took place in Alberta was back in 2012 and hasn’t been in Red Deer since 1995.

Merrick Sutter, Vice President of the Red Deer Rebels is proud to be able to host this kind of an event at the Enmax Centrium, along with Rogers Place.

“We're a smaller community in the grand scheme of things but we dream big.”

Sutter also says it’s a good example for other communities too.

“I think it shows that cities like us that are our size can host these major national, international events.”

The 2019 version of the tournament is in Victoria and Vancouver and sold out 6 months in advance.

The economic impact of the tournament to central Alberta is expected to exceed $50 million.

With just under three years to go for central Alberta, Sutter says some of the upcoming Rebel players are well on their way to having a shot at gold.

“It looks to be a very strong class of players playing in the Western Hockey League in that age group, probably too soon to tell but there definitely will be an Alberta presence I would think and certainly a lot can happen in that time.”

Season-ticket holders for the Edmonton Oilers, Oil Kings and Rebels will get first dibs on tickets in the spring. Other tickets will go on sale to the public at a later date.