The schedule and locations for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey's pre-tournament action were released jointly by the NHL and NHLPA today. Training camps for all eight teams will start on Sept. 4 and 5 and each team will play three pre-tournament games across Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Below are the locations for each of the training camps, with Canada's being held in Ottawa at the Canadian Tire Centre.
| Team | Location | Arena |
| Canada | Ottawa | Canadian Tire Centre |
| United States | Columbus | Nationwide Arena |
| Sweden | Gothenburg | Scandinavium |
| Russia | TBD | TBD |
| Czech Republic | Prague | O2 Arena |
| Finland | Helsinki | Hartwall Arena |
| Team Europe | Montreal/Quebec City | Bell Centre/Videotron Centre |
| Team North America | Montreal/Quebec City | Bell Centre/Videotron Centre |
The tournament will be divided into two groups and will officially start on Sept. 17, concluding with a best-of-three series between the top two teams that starts on Sept. 27. The groups are as follows:
| Group A | Group B |
| Canada | Russia |
| United States | Sweden |
| Czech Republic | Finland |
| Team Europe | Team North America |
The 12 pre-tournament games will kick off on Sept. 8 and run through until Sept. 14. Team Canada will play Team USA twice (in Columbus on Sept. 9 and in Ottawa on Sept. 10) before finishing off their pre-tournament action against Team Russia in Pittsburgh on Sept. 14.
Below is the full pre-tournament schedule. All of Team Canada's pre-tournament games will be broadcast nationally in primetime on Sportsnet.
Thursday, September 8
Team Czech Republic vs. Team Russia - Ice Palace; St. Petersburg
Start time TBD - Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Team Sweden vs. Team Finland - Hartwall Arena; Helsinki
Noon ET/7 p.m. local - Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Team Europe vs. Team North America - Videotron Centre; Quebec City
8 p.m. ET - ESPN2, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Friday, September 9
Team Canada vs. Team USA - Nationwide Arena; Columbus
7 p.m. ET - TBD, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Saturday, September 10
Team Finland vs. Team Sweden - Scandinavium; Gothenburg
Noon ET/6 p.m. local - Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Team Russia vs. Team Czech Republic - O2 Arena; Prague
10:30 a.m. ET/4:30 p.m. local - Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Team USA vs. Team Canada - Canadian Tire Centre; Ottawa
7 p.m. ET - Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Sunday, September 11
Team Europe vs. Team North America - Bell Centre; Montreal
6 p.m. ET - Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Tuesday, September 13
Team Finland vs. Team USA - Verizon Center; Washington, DC
7 p.m. ET - ESPN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Wednesday, September 14
Team Czech Republic vs. Team North America - CONSOL Energy Center; Pittsburgh
3:30 p.m. ET - Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Team Canada vs. Team Russia - CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh
7:30 p.m. ET - ESPN2, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Team Sweden vs. Team Europe - Verizon Center; Washington, DC
7 p.m. ET - Sportsnet, TVA Sports 2
For those who don't live in Toronto, the pre-tournament schedule presents a chance to likely see -- barring injury or a dramatic drop in their play -- Morgan Rielly (Team North America) and James van Riemsdyk (Team USA) in action on the international stage.