It was a test event for the 1988 Winter Olympics, and featured the national hockey teams of Canada, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union and the United States.
In addition to Hrdina, Brett Hull, Dominik Hašek, Joe Nieuwendyk, Zarley Zalapski, Cliff Ronning, Viacheslav Fetisov and Sergei Makarov, among others, suited up for their respective national teams.
[7] The Czechoslovaks rebounded the next night with a 6–3 victory over the Canadians in a game that left the home squad feeling much better than following the loss to the Americans.
[10] The final game of the round robin saw Czechoslovakia embarrass the United States 11–2 on the strength of a Jiří Hrdina hat trick.
[11] As a result, the Czechoslovaks earned a match-up against the Soviet Union for the gold medal, while Canada would face the Americans for the bronze.