When Tyler Soy asked Victoria Royals teammate Joe Hicketts about tips heading to the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial U-18 tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, he didn’t get the usual tidbits about the wider ice surface or Europeans using more of a soccer approach when it comes to hockey tactics.
“Joe told me things about how hot it gets because the hotels rooms in Europe have no air conditioning,” said Soy, who scored in Canada’s 5-1 victory over Slovakia on Wednesday in Piestany, which sent the Canadians into a playoff semifinal date Friday against the Americans.
AC is no small detail this time of year. The Hlinka Memorial is one of the few international ice hockey tournaments held annually in summer.
Canada has won the tournament the last six seasons, including in 2013 with Hicketts on the blue-line.
That’s the other thing Hicketts advised his Royals teammate on.
“He told me to represent well,” said Soy.
That’s exactly what Soy and his fellow Canadians have been doing, finishing the round-robin portion 3-0 to place atop Group B and advance to a semifinal Friday at 8:30 a.m. PDT against the United States (2-1 and second in Group A). The victor advances to Sunday’s final against the winner of the other semifinal between the Czech Republic and Sweden.
“It’s been going well and the team is coming together … we keep improving and getting better every game,” said Soy, who has a goal and three assists so far for Canada.
The native of Cloverdale is experiencing what athletes do when they jump from club to country.
“This is a new experience for me and an amazingly huge honour. It is a dream come true to wear the red and white,” said Soy.
He is also enjoying the international game for the advantages it gives a quick, offensive forward.
“I have more room to work down low and that extra half-second of time [on the larger ice surface],” said Soy, the five-foot-11 centre who had 15 goals and 15 assists in his rookie Western Hockey League season for the Royals in 2013-14.
