Hlinka Gretzky Cup canceled amid pandemic

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The 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.

“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," chief executive officer Tom Renney and president and chief operating officer Scott Smith said in a statement.

The International tournament was scheduled to take place Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. It's held annually to showcase the sport's top under-18 talent.

The event was also reportedly canceled in part because the Edmonton Oilers want to keep their arena available for the NHL's possible return this summer, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Canada has captured gold at the event 22 times since the tournament's inception in 1991 but was defeated by Russia in last year's final.