2005 World Hockey Championships

[Troll King]

The first set of games were played earlier today, and with the NHL still in purgatory, the pool of talent for this year's team rosters is larger than ever. Though many prominant players are skipping this tournmanet, it still promises to produce some entertaining hockey. So what do you think, hockey fans? Will Canada score the three-peat? Will the Americans' youth movement bring them a medal? Can Alfredsson fill the gap left by the absent Forsberg and Sundin? Will the Russians finally function as a unit? Which Jaromir Jagr will the Czechs see, the one from the Penguins or the one from the Rangers?

Here are the preliminary round groupings:

Group A:
Russia
Slovakia
Belarus
Austria

Group B:
Canada
Latvia
Slovenia
U.S.A.

Group C:
Finland
Denmark
Ukraine
Sweden

Group D:
Switzerland
Czech Republic
Germany
Kazakhstan

[Nethila]

this year's canadian team isnt as stacked as last year =/

[Exotic]

slovakia, latvia, finland, czech are my top contendors

[Sleepy Weasel]

Is the way you listed them the seeding? For instance, is the US really the 4th seed in pool B? Or is that just random.

[Troll King]

The teams are listed as of the current standings on TSN.ca. Only 4 games have been played (and therefore, half the teams haven't yet played a game) , though so it the order doesn't mean much at this point in time. Those teams who haven't yet played were listed at the bottom of each group.

[Ronin]

Canada will win (I'm biased), we got a lot of great young players there. Also Telqvist will have to steal games for Sweden them to really go far, I don't think the forwards can carry them. The Czechs are the other top contender, they have a solid lineup from top to bottom. Slovaks have lots of firepower as do the Russians, I don't think that will carry them into the gold medal game. US and Finland have younger, grittier teams than normal which bodes well for the future, and I wouldn't expect them to medal this year. Belarus and Austria should surprise some teams.

I am mad at the game times, it's 11:15am for games throughout the week. Then they replay them at midnight that day. Finally looking forward to some hockey, get into it, then realize you can't watch it.

[Sleepy Weasel]

I wish more sports were televised at midnight. I love the fact that I can turn on espn at midnight and catch the end of an NBA playoff game. Watching late night sports is awesome.

[Jeansi]

Finland - Denmark sure was a sad show. Thank God I don't remember anything from yesterday after the first period.

[PredatoR_FNM]

Im not expecting enything from Finland, thats why they will win the cup :/

No, for real..our team sucks

[Jeansi]

Ahaha rofl the last link in your sig pred

[Miku19]

The boat actually went underwater and got through? lol

Finland always chokes, mark my words.

[Jeansi]

Playoffs started, time for the predictions!

(yes, I know I'm half a day late)

Final: Canada-Sweden
Canada wins
Bronze game: Finland-Chech

[froedrick]

most of you guys don't know much about hockey it would seem.

[404 Not Found]

As long as Brodeur is playing for Canada...I would like to say Canada takes it again!

[Jeenyuss]

I didn't get a chance to watch this morning's game but I'm glad Thornton got us that goal in the 3rd. Hopefully we'll be able to take Russia as well.