8 current NHLers that you might not have known played in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup

The NHL season is still a couple of months away from starting, but there's a lot more hockey happening in August than you think.

On August 6th, the Hlinka Gretzky Cup begins.  The best-on-best international hockey tournament features the best under-18 players from the world's hockey powerhouses like Canada, the United States, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Czech Republic.

Some of the best players in the NHL have played in the tournament in the past, too, so this is a chance for hockey fans to get to watch the stars of the future like projected first overall pick in the 2020 draft Alexis Lafreniere.

Speaking of past NHL stars to play in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, can you name these 8 players that have played in the tournament?

Nico Hischier, Mathew Barzal, David Pastrnak, Nathan MacKinnon, Alex Galchenyuk, Johnny Gaudreau, Jeff Skinner, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson all played in the tournament before playing in the NHL.

What players are you most excited to watch at this year's tournament?  Let us know by tweeting us @BarDown or in the comments below.