UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine physicians are again the official team doctors of the IIHF World Junior Championship, being held in Buffalo, NY. This is the second time that Buffalo is the hosting city (first time was in 2011), and the second time UBMD Ortho physicians are providing medical coverage for this international tournament. The tournament has only been held in the United States five times, making this the first time a city has been chosen to host the championship more than once!
UBMD Ortho physicians are the Official Team Doctors for the Buffalo Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bulls, and Bengals, as well as numerous Western New York collegiate, high school, and youth sports leagues.
UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is the largest and most diverse orthopaedic practice in Western New York. It’s comprised of 37 physicians, 24 athletic trainers, 21 physician assistants, and 12 physical therapists. The physicians specialize in every aspect of musculoskeletal care, from sports medicine and concussion care, to spine surgery and joint reconstruction. Their affiliation with the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences enables them to train the next generation of doctors, and conduct groundbreaking research right here in Buffalo, NY.
IIHF World Junior Championship
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) was founded in May 1908 in Paris, France, and acts as the governing body of international ice hockey and inline hockey. The World Juniors Championship hosts the top men’s ice hockey players under the age of 20, and represents 10 nations across the world. Buffalo hosted the tournament in 2011, and will host this year’s tournament from December 26th through January 5th.
Fourteen UBMD Ortho physicians (listed below) will provide medical coverage for the players of the World Juniors, taking place across multiple venues in Western New York (including New Era Field, Key Bank Center, and HarborCenter). In addition to the orthopaedic and sports medicine physicians, the medical team also includes Buffalo-based dentists, athletic trainers, and x-ray technicians.
This year, the USA vs Canada game is getting a lot of buzz. The competition takes place on Friday, December 29th at New Era Field (home of the Buffalo Bills). This outdoor game is expected to yield high attendance, as the USA/Canada hockey rivalry is still going strong. In 2017 at the Montreal World Juniors, USA took home gold, Canada won silver, and Russia won bronze. USA beat Canada 5-4.
The USA team has won gold in three of the last eight World Junior Championships (2010, 2013, and 2017). However, USA has never won gold on American soil. The Canadians have won 16 gold medals in total, highlighted by five-straight first place finished from 1993-1997, and again from 2005-2009.
Fun Buffalo Fact: In 2014 and 2015, current Sabres players, Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel, faced-off against one another. Reinhart represented Canada, while Eichel represented USA.
To purchase tickets to the event, visit Tickets.com.
To learn more about UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine’s sports medicine and athletic training services, click here.