Despite no local player representation, the Yukon has made its presence known at the world junior hockey championship in Ufa, Russia.

Whitehorse residents Don and Kari-Anne Stubbs enjoyed a moment of fame during Canada's 2-1 round-robin win over the United States Dec. 30, when they were shown on TSN waving a big Yukon flag after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' first-period goal.

Simon Mason-Wood, who works for a refining company in Dawson City, has also made a splash in the stands with his vintage black Dawson Nuggets jersey.

Even former territorial politician Gary McRobb of Haines Junction has been spotted amongst the Canadian contingent in the stands in Ufa, as the country attempts to cheer its junior team on to a 15th consecutive medal.

Canada will face-off with Russia at 1 a.m. PT tomorrow morning in the bronze-medal game.

Mason-Wood is one of 106 Canadians at the tournament with Destiny Tours, an Ontario-based tour company that has made trips to the world juniors an annual affair.

Snow has fallen every day since the tournament started, Mason-Wood said, but he is one of the few fans used to the cold temperatures.

"This is certainly a trip and an experience of a lifetime,” the 68-year-old told the Star, before admitting he would never have visited Ufa on his own. "The Russian people in Ufa are not used to tourists, so they seem to go out of their way to make sure we are looked after.”

Mason-Wood is not as big a hockey fan as some of the others on the trip, and he openly admits he's at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to hockey knowledge.

The best hockey he'd seen prior to this tournament was the gold-medal match at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, where Ontario downed Manitoba.

The Stubbs' travelled to Ufa independently, and will spend time in Vietnam, Amsterdam and Germany following the completion of the hockey tournament.

Kari-Anne, the bar manager of the Casa Loma Motel, and Don, an operator/truck driver with the City of Whitehorse are diehard hockey fans who love to travel.

"The flag was a no-brainer,” Don said of their moment in the spotlight. "We both love the Yukon.”

The Canadian fans have attracted vast amounts of attention in Russia, many posing for countless photos with the local Russian spectators.

"It almost seems like there's a contest going on here to see who can get the most pictures with the crazy Canadians,” Don said in an email. "Ufa is not a tourist destination, so the people here seem almost awestruck with all the foreigners.”

He added that the Canadian fans were devastated following their team's 5-1 semifinal loss to the U.S.

"Almost cried after the game,” he admitted.