Though it had been obvious for some time that this announcement was going to come eventually, the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup has now been officially canceled for 2020. Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney released a statement:
The health and safety of players, staff, officials, fans, family, volunteers and the general public is of the utmost importance to Hockey Canada, and although this was a difficult decision to make, we believe it is in the best interest of everyone involved given the uncertainty at this time
The tournament had been scheduled for August 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer Alberta and is the first big scouting event for the 2021 draft class. Its cancelation will only make it more difficult for teams to get an early read on targets for next year, though there will still be plenty of time to see the players with their respective club teams.