By Troy Gillard (Twitter: @Troy_Gillard)

Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament action Saturday

Aug 3, 2018 | 7:38 PM

The best young hockey players on the planet are set to battle it out at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The tournament, formerly known as the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup and held in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is being played in North America for the first time at Rogers Place in Edmonton and the Servus Arena in Red Deer.

“We are extremely excited to bring a world-class event to Canada this year, and to replicate the success the Czech Ice Hockey Association and Slovak Ice Hockey Federation have in hosting this tournament,” said Al Coates, executive director of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Hockey Canada. “[This] is truly a best-on-best event that showcases the premier players under the age of 18. The event signifies the start of the hockey season as players strive towards achieving their goal of being selected at the 2019 NHL draft, and we look forward to hosting all teams and players as they compete for gold in Canada.”

Pre-tournament action gets things going Saturday with four games. Slovakia and the United States play at the Nexsource Centre in Sylvan Lake, Sweden and Finland battle at the Penhold Multiplex, and Russia takes on Switzerland in Lacombe all three games start at 3 p.m.

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Canada then takes on Czech Republic at the Servus Arena in Red Deer at 7 p.m. This will be Canada’s only game in Red Deer as they will play their round robin contests in Edmonton.

Team Canada announced its 22-player roster for the tournament on Wednesday. Five of the players are from Alberta: Taylor Gauthier (Prince George Cougars / Calgary), Matthew Robertson (Edmonton Oil Kings / Sherwood Park), Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades / Fort Saskatchewan), Peyton Krebs (Kootenay ICE / Okotoks), and Dylan Holloway (Okotoks AJHL / Bragg Creek).

“The players who will wear the Maple Leaf at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup are highly-skilled and fast. This will be some very entertaining hockey for fans in the building and those tuning in,” said Alan Millar, Moose Jaw Warriors GM and member of Team Canada’s management group. “We’re looking forward to a great tournament on home ice.”

Red Deer Rebels fans will have their eye on Russian forward Oleg Zaitsev, the team’s first pick in this year’s CHL Import Draft and a player expected to be a big factor for his country at the tournament.

Russia, Finland, Czech Republic and the United States are competing in Pool B at the Servus Arena with preliminary round games happening Monday through Wednesday.

 (With file from Hockey Canada media release)