USA Hockey Junior National Championships

Hartford, Connecticut, has been chosen to host the 2014–2015 USA Hockey Junior National Championships. The event will be staged at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury, Connecticut.

Hartford was selected for the boys tournament over bids from New York, Chicago, Dallas and Rochester, Minnesota.

“Each of the USA Hockey Junior National Championships will generate over 2,000 room nights for Greater Hartford, and the athletes, their coaches and families, and college recruiters will utilize multiple hotels,” said Curt Jensen, director of sports marketing for the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau. “The projected economic impact to our region from this tournament is more than $2 million in 2014 and again in 2015. While they are here, the visitors will bring new business to our hotels, restaurants and attractions, and thereby generate additional sales tax revenue for our state.”

“This event is a major ‘get’ for our industry because every city wants it,” said Bob Crawford, owner of the International Skating Center who worked on the bid with the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau. “Greater Hartford has been the host of four national championships since 2001—three of them in the last three years. But the Junior Under 20 age group is impressive because the athletes will be moving on to NCAA Divisions I and III, and college recruitment decision-makers come and scout the players.”

Throughout the events, ice hockey clinics and seminars will be held in other area venues, including Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, Connecticut, and the Bolton Ice Palace in Bolton, Connecticut. The 2014 and 2015 USA Hockey Junior National Championships games will be open to the public.