
Jackson Dorrington is an ’04 defenseman from North Reading, Mass. (Dave Arnold/NEHJ)
USA Hockey will select its team for the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup starting this Thursday.
The 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, taking place Aug. 2-8 in Czech Republic, will feature prospects born in 2004. The Americans going overseas for the first marquee international event of the draft season will be chosen from the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp at Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y.
The event didn’t occur in 2020, due to the coronavirus. As is customary, USA Hockey won’t send its top possible team, as NTDP players aren’t eligible for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The ’04 birth year is deeper and more talented than the ’03s, but there are some question marks.