McDonald’s Fan Zone in Montreal

McDonald’s Fan Zone

Canada’s National Junior Team finally arrived in Montreal on and off the ice at the Bell Center. Check out the fan zon at Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal and on the concourse at Windsor Station where and insane amount of holiday workers took the time to set up the McDonald’s Fan Zone, which officially opens today, the first day of the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“There is a sense of anxiety and energy around the Bell Centre,” said Simon Arseneault, special events director. “It has been 37 years since Montreal hosted the World Juniors, and everyone is just so happy they are back.  We want to offer them a unique and memorable experience.”

Fans can also connect with a number of Team Canada alumni, including Stéphane Fiset, José Théodore, Gilbert Delorme and Claude Lemieux, who will participate in workshops on the McDonald’s stage at Windsor Station and sign autographs.

Planning for the McDonald’s Fan Zone has been going on almost as long as preparations for the World Juniors themselves, with everything intensified over that past few months as the tournament approached.

“It has been a year since we have started to plan all of this, by inspecting fields and facilities,” said Fortin-Lambert. “The past two months have been the most intense, but we’re ready to go.”

Canada Century Tour

The McDonald’s Fan Zone will also be home to the Hockey Canada Century Tour, which rolls into Montreal beginning Dec. 26.

The tour, which is criss-crossing the country to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hockey Canada, includes a 20,000-square-foot interactive hockey experience and provides opportunities for young Canadians to try the game and learn more about the rich history of hockey in Canada.

The Hockey Canada Century Tour and McDonald’s Fan Zone run until Dec. 31, before heading west to Toronto, where they will set up from Jan. 2 until the gold medal is presented at the Air Canada Centre on Jan. 5.

Read more on the Hockey Canada official website