The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, which kicks off on August 8, brings together some of the top Under-18 hockey players in the world each August. This year, four Minnesotans will take part, representing Team USA.

The tournament, named for deceased Czechoslovakian hockey legend Ivan Hlinka, features games being split between locations in Breclav, Czech Republic and Bratislava, Slovakia.

This year, the tournament’s 26th in existence, Team Canada will seek its ninth straight tournament championship, and enters as the team to beat.

Canada downed Sweden in last year’s title game 7-3, with Russia claiming the bronze in a 4-3, come-from-behind win over Finland. The United States team took fifth place, defeating the co-host Czech Republic squad.

Canada will look to emerge from Group A, joined by the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Sweden.

The United States is a member for Group B, followed by Slovakia, Finland and Russia.

Roseville’s Mikey Anderson, Edina’s Clayton Phillips and Lakeville’s Ryan Poehling and Austin Pratt will represent the State of Hockey in the tourney, donning the red, white and blue for the U.S. squad.

There are currently 16 players who have made college commitments on the roster. Phillips’ 2016-2017 listed team is the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League, while Anderson skates for the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks. Both players are University of Minnesota commits.

Brannon McManus of Newport Beach, Calf. (Omaha Lancers) is another Golden Gopher commit, and Charlie Davorany of Wausau, Wis. (Fargo Force) is committed to Minnesota-Duluth.

Poehling accelerated his high school education to join St. Cloud State for the coming year, and Pratt played his eighth grade and freshman seasons at Shattuck-St. Mary’s before moving on to the Red Deer Rebels of Canada’s Western Hockey League.

Following the current post-regulation tiebreaker trend, overtime will be played three-on-three, with five-minute sessions in group play and 10-minute sessions in the knockout rounds. If there is no score in overtime, a shootout will be the deciding factor.

For more information on the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, click HERE.