Hockey Canada announced on Tuesday the cancellation of the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scheduled for Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“The health and safety of players, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers and the general public is of the utmost importance to Hockey Canada, and although this was a difficult decision to make, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone involved given the uncertainty at this time," read in a statement on behalf of Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney and president Scott Smith.
Held every summer since 1991, the tournament showcases the top under-18 players from the United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. Considered a major precursor to the following year's draft, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup gives NHL teams a chance to look at the top prospects as they compete head-to-head.
Last year, Russia defeated Canada in the championship game; Sweden won the bronze after defeating rival Finland. Among the players who played — and are expected to get the call at the 2020 draft — were Canadians Quinton Byfield, Jamie Drysdale and Cole Perfetti, who led the tournament in scoring with eight goals and four assists in five games.
A non-IIHF tournament, the 2021 edition will be held in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and will return to Alberta in 2022. Edmonton and Red Deer hosted the tournament for the first time in 2018.
The cities will also serve as the home of the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. scheduled to begin on Boxing Day.
With the cancellation of the tournament, the question arises: Does this open the door for Edmonton to serve as a hub city? ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reported last week that Edmonton was an early front runner.
Oilers Chairman Bob Nicholson on Apr. 14:
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) April 28, 2020
“Everyone would like to see the Hlinka Gretzky tournament happen, but in fairness, I’d rather see the Edmonton Oilers be in the playoffs in the month of August.”
“We’ve got a world-class arena. We’ve got two sheets of ice. We’ve got a JW Marriott across the street. Going to work there every day, I know that I’m working in a world-class facility,” Oilers GM Ken Holland told The Athletic. “Having an attached practice rink is an advantage if you’re gonna do something like this. Having those extra locker rooms is a real plus. The most important thing is to find the safest locations for our players in terms of the virus.”
Alberta has had some of the lowest numbers regarding COVID-19 in the country. As of April 27, it had 4,696 cases, with 484 of those in Edmonton's zone; Calgary, in comparison, has the largest number of cases in the province, with 3,257.