mark6mauno / CC

The spirit of hockey is in the air with the arrival of the World Jrs to Moncton.

Thousands attended a Team Canada exhibition game over the weekend with three more pre-tournament games in the coming days.

Hockey New Brunswick Executive Director Nic Jansen says these high-profile events create an interest in the game, “The City of Moncton has done a great job in getting the community involved. Using the outdoor rink at the Avenir Centre is a great avenue and provides a great opportunity for some of the players to watch the games.”

Jansen says these games are an annual tradition for a lot of people, “The Boxing Day game is always a big one, the New Year’s Eve game is always a big one, and the medal rounds are a Christmas tradition that everyone follows closely. To have it right in our backyard is definitely exciting.”

Hockey New Brunswick has around 15,000 players with the majority between 4 and 17 years old.

Jansen says bringing in these high-profile events is what helps to get more kids to want to know more about the sport of hockey.