On Tuesday, January 16 the ice-rink of the Steel Arena filled with players for the start of the 51st edition of the annual ice-hockey tournament which in the coming weeks will decide who will be the holders of the U. S. Steel Košice President's Cup. At the same time there was the official opening of the XXII Winter Sports Games for U. S. Steel Košice employees.

In the first hockey duel the Management team were beaten 3:0 by the Transport Division. After this match the tournament opening ceremony took place, featuring a performance by the girls of the Košice Figure-skating Center followed by the opening speech given by USSK President Scott Buckiso, who had also played on the Management side in the first game. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the Company's top management and labor unions.

Then the tournament continued with another two matches, in which Maintenance lost 4:0 to the Radiators and Pipes team, and the Steel Plants beat Production Support convincingly 7:0.

The ice-hockey tournament goes on with the rest of the first-round matches, in which all 12 teams get to play each other, and culminates on February 15 this year with the final games deciding the medal-winners.