William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in sports. Today he previews the 2024 Amerigol LATAM Cup, which will take place August 21-25 at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs and the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale.

Juan Carlos Otero says he has considered renaming the Amerigol LATAM Cup because the tournament has grown beyond teams from Latin American and Caribbean countries.

He quickly dismissed the thought.

“We’re not going to change anything,” Otero said. “I’m happy and proud to see that other countries know us by name and, even though it’s called the LATAM Cup, they want to be a part of it. It’s really rewarding and something we hope to continue to grow.”

“Growth” is the key word for the 2024 LATAM Cup, which will be held Wednesday through Sunday at the Florida Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs and the Baptist Health IcePlex, the Panthers’ training facility in Fort Lauderdale.

The tournament involves 52 teams representing 17 countries and territories, including Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.