Every January in the course of the last eight years eight teams come to Minsk in the winter says between the New Year and the Orthodox Christmas to take part in Christmas International Tournament of Hockey Amateurs for the Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus, a vivid and memorable sports festival, and feel the famous Belarusian hospitality.

Tournament history dates back to year 2005. Since then 12 different countries have participated in the event: Austria, Belarus, Germany, Kazakhstan, Canada, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Finland, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Sweden. This year team Slovenia will join the group.

Christmas Tournament unites different teams and different people. Some of them are real stars who have experienced the heat of ice battles of Olympic Games and World Championships and who are idols and examples to others. Some are true amateurs for whom this huge event becomes an exciting and memorable experience.

Every year the January games attract more and more attention, and the 10th anniversary tournament will become a final rehearsal for the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship that Belarus will host in May 2014.

Participants of the 8th Christmas International Tournament are ice squads from Austria, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovenia and Sweden. As usual, teams will be divided into two groups. Results of the preliminary stage will define those who play in the decisive games: the best teams of both quartets will meet in the final and two second-best teams will play for bronze.

Just like in the previous two years, three ice rinks will be involved. Group A will play its matches in the Sports Palace, Group B – in the Ice Palace, and the games of the final day – gold medal game and bronze medal game – will take place in 15-thousand-seat Minsk-Arena.

The upcoming tournament will mark some changes: all games will last 60 minutes (3 periods of 20 minutes each). Punishment for infractions will also be changed: every foul will result in a two minute penalty instead of a penalty shot.
However, Christmas Tournament games are always won in a fair play. And on January 7th only the strongest team will get gold medals and the trophy of the Christmas International Tournament of Hockey Amateurs for the Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus.

You can track the events on the special page of the tournament.

Game schedule.

Organizers of the 8th Christmas International Tournament of Hockey Amateurs for the Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus:

- Republican State and Public Association "President`s Sports Club"
- Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus
- Belarus Ice Hockey Association
- Minsk City Executive Committee

The genaral partners of the tournament are:
- Belarusian Potash Company
- Priorbank

General information partner:
- National State TeleRadioCompany of the Republic of Belarus.

Press office of the
Republican State and Public
Association "President`s Sports Club"