The Bold North Breakaway event will run throughout the tournament as a free festival for fans.

ST PAUL, Minn. — As Minnesota is the State of Hockey, it is only right that the World Juniors Tournament is held in the Twin Cities. 

The best hockey players in the world (under the age of 20) will gather and play for their countries. The tournament runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 between the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul and 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. 

Many of these young stars go on to play in the NHL; in fact, 18 current Minnesota Wild players have participated in the World Juniors before, with notable figures such as Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. The U.S. has won the tournament in the past two years. 

John Klinkenberg, COO of Minnesota Sports and Events, visited KARE 11 News at Noon to share more about the event. 

For those who do not want to spend money on tickets, there is a free Bold North Breakaway event at the St. Paul RiverCentre. There are local vendors, horse and carriage rides, fan experiences and photo opportunities. Check out more information at this link. 

Tickets for the World Juniors games are available on Ticketmaster at this link.Â