A provincewide 50/50 draw will be held on each game day of the upcoming 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Hockey Canada has partnered with the Hockey Alberta Foundation to run the online 50/50 draw.
While the tournament doesn’t officially kick off from the Edmonton “bubble” until Christmas Day, pre-tournament games start Tuesday and so, too, does the 50/50 draw.
Starting on Tuesday and running each game day at the world juniors, fans in Alberta will be able to purchase 50/50 tickets online for $5 starting at 9 a.m. MT on each game day. Ticket sales will close at 10 p.m. on each game day.
“The 50/50 draw is a tradition synonymous with live sports, and although fans will be enjoying the World Juniors from home this year, Hockey Canada, the Hockey Canada Foundation and the Hockey Alberta Foundation wanted to keep the tradition alive and ensure fans continue to have an enjoyable World Juniors experience,” said Tim Leer, executive director of the Hockey Alberta Foundation.
“As fans in Alberta tune in to watch Team Canada defend its gold medal, they have a great opportunity to engage in the World Juniors while contributing to grassroots hockey programs throughout the province.”
The winner of each draw will take home half of the total pot. The other half will be “reinvested into grassroots hockey programs to help improve the quality of life of Albertans through hockey while supporting the local community,” according to Hockey Canada.
The winning ticket will be announced daily.
Pre-competition games are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, with four games total.
The tournament officially kicks off on Christmas Day and runs until Jan. 5. Canada will play its first game against Germany at 4 p.m. MT on Boxing Day.
On top of the 50/50, Hockey Canada is running two other contests during the world juniors: the Hockey Canada Contest and Hockey Canada Memorabilia Auction.
Teams participating in this year’s world juniors arrived in Edmonton earlier this month to join the “bubble” in the downtown core.
The hockey championship has faced some hurdles, though.
Coming out of a mandatory four-day quarantine for all countries upon arrival in Canada, two Swedish staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
Both of Sweden’s pre-tournament games were cancelled. Quarantine for a portion of that team was extended to Monday.
The majority of the German team remains in isolation until Thursday. Germany’s pre-tournament games were also called off because eight players tested positive.
Online 50/50 draws have proven popular in Alberta during the COVID-19 pandemic. While not without some hiccups, the Edmonton Oilers offered online 50/50 draws throughout the NHL playoffs this past summer.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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