The event encompasses two tournaments in one — the 20 years-and-under tourney and 18-and-under championship — and there should have at least six countries participating in each, according to Canadian Ball Hockey Association president Steve Power of St. John’s.
The 2016 International Street and Ball Hockey Federation junior championship staged last summer in Sheffield, England had a half dozen countries competing — Canada, United States, Great Britain, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Power said with the 2018 tournament in Canada, there is a possibility more countries could compete.
In Sheffield, five Newfoundlanders — Brent Broaders, Tristan Gray, Dawson Mercer, Kyle Petten and Nick Gosse — were on the gold medal-winning Canadian U16 squad, with three more players from this province — Nathan Yetman, Thomas Hedges and Brad Power — on the U20 squad.
Power figures the 2018 teams will also have a Newfoundland presence, and those national teams will be selected following the Canadian junior championships set for the end of July in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont.
The nationals are played in U15, U17 and U19 age categories and a tryout camp for those provincial teams is set for this Friday and Saturday at Feildian Gardens in St. John’s.
Tom Walsh will handle the coaching duties for the U15 team, Power will look after the U17 squad and Fred Simms will coach the U19 team.
In addition to the 2013 world championships, metro St. John’s played host to the 2015 national juniors and will be the site for the 2019 Canadian senior men’s and women’s championship.
The national club championships, for previous provincial champions and runners-up, will be played in Conception Bay South in late July.
