U18: Ivan Hlinka in Canada?

[JackSlater]

Why are we holding this tournament in Edmonton when he never played on an Alberta team, just Vancouver. This makes 0 sense, and Edmonton is stealing everything always.

It has nothing to do with what NHL team Ivan Hlinka played for.

 

[Statsy]

Not many in canada realize this tournament starts every year on boxing day. Boxing day is world jr day.

The Ivan Hlinka tournament is in August every year.

 

[1Gold Standard]

haven't checked in on the presser, but will TSN be broadcasting it? any word?

 

[Statsy]

haven't checked in on the presser, but will TSN be broadcasting it? any word?

Good question. It's always been ignored in the past due largely to the fact that it's not an official IIHF event, but also because it hasn't had a big following. It's status has grown in Canada over recent years (we just can't get enough hockey!) and with it moving to Canada on at least a partial basis, it's profile will continue to grow. I expect that we could see some TV coverage in the near future.

 

[paul-laus]

I'm with the two above posts. I'm really hoping that it gets some coverage on either TSN or Sportsnet. This tournament is a true representative of what an under 18 tournament should be. The fact that many of the best Canadian junior players are still playing in the playoffs with their teams in the OHL, QMJHL, WHL, and in some cases the USHL in April means that Canada is never really able to ice their best possible team for the IIHF affiliated under-18 event. This tournament ensures that Canada has access to their best possible team. It will draw some decent numbers in Edmonton and other Canadian cities for the ample hockey fans that crave hockey year round. It seems to me that Calgary's Markin McPhail arena drew decent numbers for the "Summer Showcase" games used to evaluate players for the World Juniors. God I hope it gets some coverage because the quality of hockey is shockingly high for late Summer...

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

That sucks.

Kid's get to travel, build a connection with other players being away from home and comfort and little intricacies you can only obtain whilst in another country.

And it will be lousy not having to read those czech translated play by play websites which are absolutely humerous, and adds fun to these boards. Lol

Meh, bad decision. Should have been elsewhere in Europe. More small ice Hockey, great. Not everything needs to come to Canada.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

This is rather disappointing. Especially since the last two years when it was played in Bratislava the tourney attracted a relatively big crowd here.

At least in the Slovakia games I've been to that were played at somewhat reasonable times (5:30 p.m. ish) there usually was a crowd of around 1000 people which is very good for u18 in Europe during August.

 

[paul-laus]

That sucks.

Kid's get to travel, build a connection with other players being away from home and comfort and little intricacies you can only obtain whilst in another country.

And it will be lousy not having to read those czech translated play by play websites which are absolutely humerous, and adds fun to these boards. Lol

Meh, bad decision. Should have been elsewhere in Europe. More small ice Hockey, great. Not everything needs to come to Canada.

Yeah you're right. What is widely considered by scouts and in hockey circles to be the highest level tournament for this age group should continue to be played in front of the 18 people who attend in Breclav and the other 46 who attend in Piestany....Gimme a break....

 

[paul-laus]

This is rather disappointing. Especially since the last two years when it was played in Bratislava the tourney attracted a relatively big crowd here.

At least in the Slovakia games I've been to that were played at somewhat reasonable times (5:30 p.m. ish) there usually was a crowd of around 1000 people which is very good for u18 in Europe during August.

Given that Canada has never been given the chance to host the IIHF affiliated under 18 event and has only once held the Men's World Championship tournament, I think it's fantastic to start getting the Hlinka in Canada every second year. To be honest, I'd take the draft eligibles in an under 18 tournament easily over the way too frequent world junior under-21 events that Canada receives....

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Yeah you're right. What is widely considered by scouts and in hockey circles to be the highest level tournament for this age group should continue to be played in front of the 18 people who attend in Breclav and the other 46 who attend in Piestany....Gimme a break....

Scouts? why are they important, who are they? What importance to they play? nothing in the scope of things. These are young kids, they need these life experiences to learn more about themselves as well. Who cares about what some elderly dude watching Hockey thinks.

Yah now travel to Edmonton, and see that little mall they have, what fun, eh?

It'll be fun to see how they'll trick little kids and elementary or high school students to come watch, since Hockey in August is on the mind of millions of Canadians. but of course, this is better then having the chance to travel for Canadian players. It'll help them even when they go on the larger surface for the WJC, having more experience playing on it, since the junior program has been so successful in Europe right?

 

[paul-laus]

Scouts? why are they important, who are they? What importance to they play? nothing in the scope of things. These are young kids, they need these life experiences to learn more about themselves as well. Who cares about what some elderly dude watching Hockey thinks.

Yah now travel to Edmonton, and see that little mall they have, what fun, eh?

It'll be fun to see how they'll trick little kids and elementary or high school students to come watch, since Hockey in August is on the mind of millions of Canadians. but of course, this is better then having the chance to travel for Canadian players. It'll help them even when they go on the larger surface for the WJC, having more experience playing on it, since the junior program has been so successful in Europe right?

What I find comical here is that we are in an era where increasingly many European teens desperately want to come and play in the CHL to make themselves more visible to scouts who would never attend games in the Slovak under 18 league or the Czech 2nd division. Hischier, Makinen, and Osipov are examples of this. I don't think many teenaged hockey players would have much issue playing hockey in front of a fair number of people in Canadian cities with way more media coverage and more scouting accessibility. When you talk about no one caring about hockey in August in Canada, I remember the Summer Showcase games that were the World Junior assessment camps at Markin McPhail arena in Calgary in two out of the last three years that drew quite well for exhibition games in the Summer...."But for heaven sakes what about the life experience they'll miss out on???!!!"

 

[covfefe]

There's a pretty long standing bantam summer team out of Edmonton (made up of kids from all over the west) that goes to the Czech Republic and Slovakia for a bunch of games. I wonder if that is where the Hlinka-Edmonton hook up comes from?

 

[paul-laus]

Does anyone have any clue on whether TSN or Sportsnet will be airing any of the Hlinka games now that they're in Canada? To be honest, I'd much rather watch the draft eligible players than the Summer Showcase world jr 4 team tournament from Plymouth Michigan that TSN has been showing mid summer....

 

[93LEAFS]

I'm sure all the NHL scouts are going to be ecstatic at losing there easily paid for European vacation (get the week paid for, then have the time off after to travel or take the family around) for a trip to Edmonton. You can only go to that mall so many times (although, that submarine is pretty damn cool).

 

[Jumptheshark]

why the hell he should be born in Sudbury? he is from Most, Cze

That was my reaction. He was a Czech icon

 

[Jumptheshark]

Why are we holding this tournament in Edmonton when he never played on an Alberta team, just Vancouver. This makes 0 sense, and Edmonton is stealing everything always.

What a strange way to bash Edmonton. You might be interested to know while it is called the Ivan Hilinka memorial it actual got its start in Japan of all places and has been held in Mexico. This is the old nations cup tournament

 

[Canadian]

According to a Hockey Canada news release from January 23rd, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament has be renamed the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

 

[Jumptheshark]

According to a Hockey Canada news release from January 23rd, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament has be renamed the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

this is the fourth time it has been renamed--so nothing out of the ordinary

 

[Jamin]

This is rather disappointing. Especially since the last two years when it was played in Bratislava the tourney attracted a relatively big crowd here.

At least in the Slovakia games I've been to that were played at somewhat reasonable times (5:30 p.m. ish) there usually was a crowd of around 1000 people which is very good for u18 in Europe during August.

Since when is 1000 people a good crowd?

 

[smokingwriter]

This tournament should have stayed in the Czech Republic. This smells like another transparent Hockey Canada cash-grab, and I'm saddened that the Czechs allowed this to happen.