Hlinka-Gretzky: rain and fog invade the arena for the final

The final of the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament took place today, pitting Canada against the Czech Republic. The tournament pits the best under-18 players on the international scene against each other.

The tournament showcased the best hopefuls for the next draft, including the prodigious Michael Misa, eligible for the 2025 draft.

In short, Canada was trying to win the tournament for the 24th time, while the Czech Republic was trying to win for the first time since 2016.

The problem was that a few hours before the start of the match, it rained in the region of Braclav, the town hosting the tournament final.

And the rain was so heavy that it caused serious problems inside the Fosfa Arena, to the point where there was a ton of fog on the ice 90 minutes before the start of the match.

And as misfortune never comes alone, fog and condensation weren’t the only weather phenomena the arena had to contend with: it actually started raining inside.

Not exactly ideal conditions for a match, we agree.

The good news, however, was that the ventilation cleared away most of the fog before the match started, so both clubs were able to play the final. The Czechs scored first, but the Canadians responded with two second-half goals.

At the end of the third period, the Czechs tied the score with a beautiful power-play goal.

CZECHIA TIES IT UP LATE IN THE THIRD 😳 #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/HxOLDwLasn

– TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 5, 2023

So we needed overtime to decide between the two clubs. And let’s not forget that this tournament is played 3-on-3, not 5-on-5.

The two teams exchanged good scoring chances, and it wasn’t until the very end of overtime that the winning goal was scored: Malcolm Spence grabbed the disc and scored the golden goal with a handful of seconds left in the fourth.

BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS! 🏆

CHAMPIONS FOR A SECOND YEAR IN A ROW! 🏆#HlinkaGretzkyCup | #CoupeHlinkaGretzky pic.twitter.com/wN8Yhxnmqo

– Field hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) August 5, 2023

In short, a 24th title for Canada, defending its gold medal won last year. Well done, despite the weather conditions that almost derailed the game.

Highlights

– Alex Newhook answers a few questions from CH fans.

Not easy to pick a number when legends have already worn it 🤷‍♂️#GoHabsGo | @RDSca pic.twitter.com/XZvIXCw6Lj

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) August 5, 2023

– Signature in Philadelphia.

– It’s nice to see athletes being able to admit their mental health issues. My text on the subject.

– Too bad.

– That’s right.