Pittsburgh's bid to host the 2018 World Junior Championship has received support from a high-ranking official.

U.S. Senator Bob Casey reportedly penned a letter to IIHF president Rene Fasel on Wednesday, advocating for the city and endorsing it as the hub of hockey in the United States.

"With all due respect to Detroit, Pittsburgh really is America's hockey capital," he wrote, via Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Selecting Pittsburgh would be good for the city and the tournament."

The issue, as Bombulie notes, is that USA Hockey makes the final determination, not Fasel.