The 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup started earlier this week. The tournament is being split hosted between Edmonton and Red Deer, two cities in my home province. The Hlinka tournament showcases under-18 teams from around the world. The tournament has been around since 1991 and is a great chance to get a glimpse of the future of hockey.
I'm pretty excited about one of the host cities only being 20 minutes away from where I live so hopefully I can get away to go see at least one game. I've never had a chance to attend any games since the tournament is usually held in Europe. It will be a great experience to see young talent in action.
I was very disappointed to hear that #1 prospect for next years draft, Jack Hughes, won't be playing in the tournament since he was just on the American roster for the World Junior Summer Showcase, which ended this weekend with Canada defeating USA 6-5.
Canada has a history of dominance at this tournament and it looks like they will have a very deep roster once again. Two players to watch for Canada will be Peyton Krebs and Alexis Lafreniere. Canada has a very strong junior program that has developed more NHL players than any other amateur league. It's a safe bet to say Canada will make a deep run in this tournament.
Close on the Canadians tails will be USA who have vastly improved their development program for young players. The NHL draft is no longer dominated by Canadian born players as the USA has greatly closed that gap over the past decade. A deep rivalry between USA and Canada exists between at the junior levels and I'm very excited to get a chance to watch the two clubs faceoff at the tournament.
Looking forward to the tournament and seeing some good hockey in the heat of the summer.