Czechs look to defend title in 2017, Canadians seek to reclaim

The star of last year’s tournament was Filip Zadina, who led all scorers with 5 goals, including the overtime winner in the semi-finals against Sweden and twice more in the final.

The final was also won dramatically, with Ondřej Machal breaking a 3-3 tie with a power-play goal with less than eight minutes to play. The two teams had met in the group stage with the Americans winning 5-3, but the Czechs won the game that mattered most.

“We talked it over and the coaches showed us what we did wrong and we learning our mistakes,” the winning goal-scorer said after the final. "We erased the mistakes we made in the first game.”

It took many years to finally win the title on home ice, and it won’t be easy for the Czechs to repeat. In the Břeclav Group they’ll have to deal with the Americans again, as well as an always pesky Swiss team. The biggest challenger from within the group, however, might be the star-studded Swedes, who boast a roster that includes Adam Boqvist and several other top NHL draft prospects.

Across the border, the Bratislava Group boasts the always dangerous Canadian squad. Last year they faltered, falling to fifth place, which ended an amazing run of eight straight titles. They will try to regain their crown, led by a returnee from last year’s disappointment and this year’s team captain Joe Veleno.

“I don’t think anyone wants to be satisfied with fifth place,” Veleno told NHL.com. “Obviously you want to be satisfied with first. I’m going to erase everything that happened last year and start from scratch. We’re going to bring some new blood and new experience onto the ice.”

Other teams in Bratislava include Finland, Russia and the host Slovaks, who finished last year’s tournament with a win to finish seventh, and end a seven-year string of last-place finishes.

Following the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup will be easier than ever, both live and in social media. As has been the case the last few years, all games will be streamed live online. Games from Břeclav can be seen at hokejkatv.cz, while games from Bratislava can be seen at the Hockey Slovakia Youtube channel. Of course, you can continue to get updated on all the latest info by following us on Twitter, and new for this year, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup also has its very own YouTube and Instagram accounts.

Starting next year, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup will be co-hosted by the Czech Republic and Slovakia only every second year. The most frequent winner of the event, Canada, will be the organizers in 2018, 2020 and 2022.

“The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup has gained tremendous international prestige and I am convinced that this cooperation moves it to an even higher level,” said Tomáš Král, president of the Czech Ice Hockey Association.

Which of the eight teams will win in 2017? We’ll find out next Saturday!