Palat leads the charge in pre-tournament triumph September 15, 2016

Ondrej Palat scored a goal and added an assist, as the Czech Republic defeated Team North America by a score of 3-2. The Tampa Bay Lightning winger would go on to be named the first star of the contest, in what was the final night of World Cup of Hockey prelim games. The tournament officially gets underway on Saturday, where Palat will lead out his Czech Republic squad against Cup favorites, Team Canada.

For more on last night’s game, check out the ice.wch2016 story here.