The World Junior hockey tournament turned late winter into bonus season for Twin Cities businesses, pumping an estimated $71.5 million in economic activity into Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The 11-day run from Dec. 26, 2025 to Jan. 5, 2026 packed the University of Minnesota’s 3M Arena at Mariucci and Saint Paul’s Grand Casino Arena, while a downtown Bold North Breakaway fanfest pulled in thousands more. Hotels, restaurants and retailers reported some of their busiest post-holiday days in years, with a new study calling the tournament a substantial one-time jolt of tourism and spending for the metro.
According to a report by University of Minnesota Extension, spending by game attendees, participants and the host committee generated an estimated $71.5 million in total economic activity, supported 385 jobs and produced about $4.8 million in state and local tax collections. The report also estimates roughly $21.1 million in labor income tied directly to the events.
Organizers say the numbers back their pitch
Minnesota Sports and Events had forecast roughly $75 million in local economic impact before the tournament, and its leaders are treating the final tally as proof that the region’s big-event gamble is paying off. As reported by the Star Tribune, MNSE president Wendy Blackshaw called the outcome “a really incredible return,” pointing to the high share of visitors who traveled from outside the metro to watch the games.
Crowds, ticket counts and spending
The study’s ticket data show about 133,600 people attended games at Grand Casino Arena, with roughly 51,100 filing into 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Bold North Breakaway fanfest added another 62,833 visitors, for a total of about 247,533 ticketed visits, according to the report. Researchers noted that game-only attendance landed around 184,700 and cautioned that many individuals likely showed up for multiple sessions. Attendees collectively spent an estimated $32.6 million on dining, lodging, transportation, shopping and entertainment, and survey results found visitors averaged $451 per trip while local attendees averaged $77.60, per the full report by University of Minnesota Extension.
Push for public funding
Armed with those numbers, event boosters have already made their way to the Statehouse, arguing that the World Juniors are exactly the kind of payoff that justifies steady public support. A legislative request last year sought a $5 million General Fund allocation to help host the tournament, and lawmakers have debated proposals to capture event-generated tax revenue and stash it in a fund for future bids. House Session Daily chronicled HF1007 and the testimony MNSE offered in favor of state assistance.
Downtown reaction
Visit St. Paul president Jaimee Lucke Hendrikson told the Star Tribune the tournament was “a shot in the arm” for downtown businesses, a real-world example she says strengthens the case for a proposed $600 million overhaul of the arena complex. Local officials argue that upgraded facilities would help the Twin Cities land more marquee events on a regular basis and turn once-in-a-while hockey tourists into repeat visitors.
Minnesota Sports and Events plans to lean hard on the study in future bids and planning, highlighting the statewide draw of the fanfest and the heavy concentration of visitor spending in downtown districts. As laid out in MNSE’s own newsroom materials, organizers hope the data will help prove that targeted investments in venues and event support translate into jobs and tax revenue for the region, a point Minnesota Sports and Events says it intends to keep front and center.
