Moose Jaw Warriors general manager Alan Millar was happy to learn that the World Junior Hockey championship he’s been preparing for will be going ahead.

Hockey Canada announced that the tournament will be played in a bubble in Edmonton, similar to the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup playoffs with no fans in the stands. While that may have a severe effect on the atmosphere that typically surrounds the event, the fact it can go ahead at all is a victory over the pandemic that has sliced into all aspects of life around the world.

Millar was certainly glad to head the announcement Thursday.

“It’s certainly an exciting day, and an exciting announcement that the plan is to move forward with the World Junior championships,” said Millar. “We know it’s the first step and we respect that. Really we looked at it from Day 1 as that as you’re working away, you’re always wondering if the tournament will go or not. And our focus has always been to be best prepared and be ready to go, and that the tournament will be played.”

Millar has been with the program of excellence management group for several years, and his focus has been on this specific age group. A lot of the players that would be eligible for this tournament played in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in 2018, with which Millar helped Canada win a gold medal. It clearly played a role in last January’s announcement that Millar would come up with this team.

The National U-20 team held a virtual camp this summer, with 41 invited – including Warriors defenceman Daemon Hunt.

Things like team selection, however, are a long way away and Millar is happy to get this tournament back on track.

“I think we all believe that the bubble in Edmonton and the NHL certainly gives us the standard, or the model to host the World Junior championships,” Millar said. “But we know that with return to play and the work that we’re doing as teams and the league here in the Western Hockey League, ultimately returning forward with the return to play is all about the health and safety of all participants.

Millar agrees with Hockey Canada's Tom Renney that the World Juniors could be seen as a morale boost to help bond the country. If all goes according to plan, the tournament will start on December 26th.