Men’s World U18 Championships To Be Held in Texas

USA Hockey announced on Thursday that they will be hosting the 2021 Men’s Under-18 World Championships this year April 26-May 6 in the suburban Dallas area.

The US was set to host the 2020 tournament at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan before the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Plymouth was set to host again this year as a do-over, but with Michigan’s stricter Covid guidelines, USA Hockey decided to move the the tournament to Texas. The primary event venue being the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, with the Children’s Health StarCenter in Plano, Texas serving as the secondary facility.

The men’s World U18s, this year featuring players born in 2003 and earlier, is the last major tournament for draft eligible players prior to their first year of draft eligibility, and thus, a major NHL scouting event. The US team, primarily made up of the NTDP U18 team, with the occasional addition, has traditionally dominated the tournament, winning 10 gold medals and 17 medals total in 21 tournaments.

The dates are slightly pushed back from their traditional time of mid-April, but it’s great news that the tournament will be able to be played at all, and hopefully it can be done in a safe matter.