The 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup is ready to start on Monday as the eight teams finish preparations for the tournament. On Saturday, two pre-tournament games are scheduled: In Trnava, the Slovaks host Canada, while in Břeclav, the Czechs host the USA.
The tournament starts on Monday, but on Saturday fans in Trnava and Břeclav will get an early look at some of the team´s that will compete in this year´s tournament, including all three of last year´s medalists.
At 17:00 CET (11:00 ET) in Trnava, Slovakia, Anton Bartánus´s Slovakian team will host heavily-favoured Canada, coached by Stan Butler. The Canadian team will be aiming for an unprecedented eighth consecutive Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup title. Live commentary will be available in Slovak here
Starting 90 minutes later, fans in Břeclav will be able to get a look at the team that will set out to defend their silver medal from last year. At 18:30 CET (12:30 ET), Robert Reichel´s Czech U18 team will host Derek Plante´s American team, who won the bronze last year. For fans in the Břeclav area, tickets are only CZK 70. But those unable to attend the game will still be able to see it via live video stream.