200×85 20th Anniversary – Part III

Over the past 20 years, 200×85 has continued to evolve, develop and push the envelope on creating new opportunities for the youth hockey community. Our team has always strived to go bigger and get better, so expanding our horizons was never a question. While we were dreaming up different events across the continent, we knew that there was great potential and opportunity.

In 2004, we took our experiences across the pond to Europe. During the first year, we brought the ‘88 birth year to Germany, the ‘89s to Austria, and the ‘92s to Sweden. The CCM Euro Invite was officially born three years after our maiden voyage, with the inaugural tournament in Moscow, Russia. Since then, the tournament has taken place in cities across the continent, including Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Latvia, Bratislava, Helsinki, and Bled.

Over the years, the CCM Euro Invite has earned its reputation as one of the most unique hockey tournament on the planet. No other tournament can offer the rare blend of competition and culture that these stunning European cities have to offer.

So what makes the CCM Euro Invite so special?

Well, unlike most youth hockey tournaments, the CCM Euro Invites focus equally on both the on-ice and off-ice experience. In addition to intense competition from all around the world, attendees can expect complete cultural immersion, including local food at authentic restaurants and ground transportation led by a local tour guide.

Last summer, teams in Bratislava explored the Red Stone Castle and Bratislava Castle, took a guided city tour of Old Town Bratislava, and even took a boat tour down the Danube River. A fan favorite from the trip was the barbecue dinner that included fabulous local wine and unbelievable cuisine. With free time and travel days built into the schedule, families took mini trips to places like Vienna, Budapest, Warsaw, and more.

With each 200×85 event or experience, our goal is to make a positive impact on our athletes and the youth hockey community as a whole.

This task hasn’t always been easy, but it has been worth it. When our country shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, we kept moving forward. We safely pivoted locations and events to keep kids involved in some sense of normalcy. We kept hotel employees at work and received many thanks for helping housekeepers put food on the table for their families. “To me, that is completely immeasurable and 100% why we kept pushing forward through such trying situations, “ Laura Szczepaniak, Vice President of Travel Operations at 200×85, stated. In just the past five years alone, we’ve doubled our staff size, tripled our hotel partnerships, and added eight new tournaments and multiple development opportunities for our athletes.

We know we’re stronger together – with our 200×85 team, our youth hockey athletes, and the community around us. It’s been an incredible journey and one that we are so thankful for. We’re already looking forward to the next 20 years. Where will we be? We can’t wait to find out, but we know for sure that it’ll be in the service of creating an incredible hockey experience.

Cheers to our 200×85 for 20 incredible years!