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Buffalo 2018 World Junior Championship expected to feature outdoor game: Report

Getty Images
Getty Images

USA Hockey is set to announce on Friday that the 2018 World Junior Championship will be coming to Buffalo for the first time since 2011, beating out Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

In a new wrinkle for the annual U20 tournament, it’s expected that Team USA will play in an outdoor game at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the site of the first NHL Winter Classic in 2008, according to Frank Seravalli of TSN.

The tournament’s schedule and groupings have yet to be determind, but Canada would be the likely opponent.

The rest of the tournament will take place at First Niagara Center and HarborCenter.

According to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula have campaigned for the team to host the 2018 Winter Classic to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the event. With the outdoor rink setup already in place at Ralph Wilson Stadium for the World Juniors, it’d certainly be feasible to have the Sabres involved one day later.

December 31, 2017 falls on a Sunday, so the NFL's Buffalo Bills would have to end their season on the road.

The attendance for that Buffalo Sabres-Pittsburgh Penguins game was 71,217. Imagine USA vs. Canada on New Year’s Eve 2017 outside. What a scene. And what a horror show the border crossing will be.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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