Before the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship will take place 13-23 April in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves, some young ice hockey talents are coming to Piestany for the Vladimir Dzurilla Tournament. This sport event is named after the best ice hockey player of 20th century in Slovakia, legendary goalkeeper Vladimir Dzurilla, and it will start on Thursday, 9th February and finish on Saturday, 11th February 2017. It will be a good rehearsal before the championship in April for the teams from Slovakia, Switzerland and Belarus. Besides those three teams Germany will also participate.

“Having three teams out of the elite ones for upcoming Worlds says about the quality of our tournament in Piestany,” said Slovak head coach Norbert Javorcik. The Slovak team won against Germany and Switzerland in Zuchwil in December last year. In Gomel they also took the victory against Germany in November 2016, but lost a game against Belarus. “We did not play well, that is why we lost it. But we want to take the victory from them now in Piestany,” he added.

The Slovak team will be built up from domestic ice hockey players but also eight players currently playing in Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland and Sweden. “We are very glad to have some players that have already been part of the U20 team. They have the experience from playing at the Worlds but in a different higher category. We are building a team that will be very similar to the one for the upcoming U18 World Championship. We will be able to see interactions between our players and we can try our game system. Through the year we have been shaping our team. We are aware enough of the quality of most of our players, but we want to examine some other players. The current nomination does not mean the final decision for April, but it is getting into it,” said the national coach of Slovakia.

16th edition of the Vladimir Dzurilla Tournament U18 in Piestany

Thursday, February 9th: Germany - Switzerland (1.30 PM), Slovakia - Belarus (5.00 PM) Friday, February 10th: Belarus - Germany (1.30 PM), Slovakia - Switzerland (5.00 PM) Saturday, February 11th: Switzerland - Belarus (10.30 AM), Slovakia - Germany (2.00 PM)