International Hockey

It may have only been one game, but the USA has to be thrilled with their start at the 2012 IIHF World Hockey Championships.

They absolutely embarrassed the French in a 7-2 win on Friday.

France kicked off the scoring with a goal by Nicolas Besch in the 12^th minute of the game, but was quickly equalized four minutes later by Kyle Okposo of the New York Islanders. Four combined goals in the second period and the US were in a commanding 4-2 position heading into the third period. Three more goals in the final period were just icing on the cake.

Sure France isn’t the favorite to win the 76^th annual event (that dubious distinction belongs to Canada, who are coming off a 3-2 win over Slovakia), but the Americans have to be thrilled with the way this year’s event has kicked off.

It’s no secret the players in this tournament would rather be playing for the Stanley Cup, but the World Championships allow players to give Olympic officials an up-close look at their talents and ability to compete on the international stage.

In the past, America has had little success at the event, medaling only twice in the last 20 years (bronze in 1996 and 2004). The last time the US won gold was in 1933.

So why is this year different?

For one, the team has three members of the 2010 Olympic team with Jack Johnson, Bobby Ryan and Paul Stastny, which will give some much-needed experience on a team with mostly young players.

Another huge plus is goaltending.

For the first time in years, there is a legit No. 1 goalie with Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings on board. In what looks to be a hotly contested race to land on the 2014 team alongside Jonathan Quick and Ryan Miller, you can expect Howard to give his full effort to the World Hockey Championship festivities.

That will ultimately be the big difference for the Americans. If Howard gets hot and the veteran captains can keep the young guns focused, USA is going to be right in the mix for a gold medal.

Canada, Russia and Sweden all stand in their way, but with a terrific mix of stars, role players and a great goaltender, this US squad can match up against anybody in this tournament.

We’ll know for sure if they’re for real after their big test against Canada on Saturday. 

The 2012 IIHF Word Championship team rosters can be viewed here.

Schedule available here, with all Team USA games broadcast on NBC Sports.

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter

After losing to Team Canada in the gold-medal game at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, American hockey went through quite a dry spell. Most of the great American players were on their last legs, so there were certainly some growing pains over the next several years.

The USA achieved some success in the World Junior Championships, though, and that eventually translated to the senior level as the United States earned silver yet again in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

One tournament that Team USA has never really excelled in, though, is the IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships. This is an annual tournament that begins during the second round of the NHL playoffs and largely features NHL players whose respective seasons are over, as well as professionals and amateurs from across the world.

For whatever reason, the American selection committee generally tends to treat the tournament as a proving ground for young and unestablished players rather than a competition that they truly want to win. That is bolstered by the fact that they haven't medaled since winning a bronze in 2004, and haven't done better than that since winning the gold way back in 1960.

Since this is the last chance for teams to improve their world ranking ahead of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, though, it appears as though the United States is taking things a bit more seriously. They finished fourth in 2009 as a tuneup for the 2010 Olympics, so there is some hope for American hockey fans.

Here is a complete breakdown of how the red, white and blue can realistically expect to fare in the 2012 World Hockey Championships in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.

More Top-Flight Talent Than Usual

As mentioned previously, Team USA generally likes to use the World Hockey Championships as a means of breaking in young players and giving established NHL players who have never played for Team USA a chance to do just that. Although there is certainly still some element of that on this year's roster, there is also a lot more top-level talent than fans have grown accustomed to seeing.

The forward group is headed by Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche, Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks, Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens and Kyle Okposo of the New York Islanders. All of them have had a lot of success at the NHL level, and both Stastny and Ryan were on the 2010 Olympic team. Also, not only are they all skilled, but they're all at least 6'0" and 200 lbs., so they will be able to impose their will physically too.

On defense, good soldier Jack Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets will captain the team as he is never one to turn down an international tournament. Along with him, the blueline boasts rising star Cam Fowler of the Ducks, as well as the Dallas Stars' Alex Goligoski, who has become one of the league's better puck-moving defenders.

To round things out, the goaltending depth is a bit weak, but Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard will hopefully be the only backstop the Americans need.

Best Goaltending in Tournament?

Segueing off that point, there is a very real chance that the Americans will best the tournament's best goalie in the form of Howard. The Syracuse, N.Y. native was spectacular for the Red Wings and was a big reason for their regular-season success. He posted a record of 35-17-4 with a 2.13 goals against average and a sparkling .920 save percentage.

He and his team didn't get the job done in the playoffs as they were knocked out in the first round by the Nashville Predators, but Howard's loss is Team USA's gain. Looking at the other rosters, Team Canada's Cam Ward is the only other goaltender who really compares, and his numbers were a far cry from Howard's this season.

Other NHL goaltenders include Finland's Kari Lehtonen, Sweden's Jhonas Enroth and Russia's Semyon Varlamov, but Howard has a better pedigree than any of them. The United States proved in the Olympics that a hot goaltender can carry you a long way in a tournament, as the Buffalo Sabres' Ryan Miller was fantastic for them, and they'll look for a similar effort from Howard.

Lunch-Pail Players Will Go to Work

A team made up exclusively of grinders isn't going to do too well in this tournament as most nations boast a ton of talent, but a good mix can certainly go a long way. I already discussed who the key offensive players will be for the Americans, but there are also plenty of hardworking players who will occupy the third and fourth lines and will need to make life difficult for the opposition.

Justin Abdelkader of the Red Wings, Joey Crabb of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Patrick Dwyer of the Carolina Hurricanes, Jim Slater of the Winnipeg Jets and Nate Thompson of the Tampa Bay Lightning are all gritty players who are willing to hit, kill penalties and do whatever is asked of them to win a hockey game.

Abdelkader and Crabb are big guys who love to lay the body, while both Slater and Thompson are excellent face-off guys who will come in handy in big moments. The Americans also have a wildcard in Ryan Lasch. He is the only non-NHL player on the team, but he was the leading scorer this season in SM-liiga (Finland's top league) with 62 points in 59 games.

He'll be comfortable on what amounts to home ice in Helsinki and will be accustomed to the larger, international ice surface, so he is another anonymous player who could pay big dividends.

Intriguing Reinforcements Waiting in the Wings

Team USA currently has a 23-player roster, but they will be permitted to add two more players over the course of the tournament to make it a grand total of 25. They already have their three goaltenders, so they can bring in two skaters of any kind. Those players are almost certain to come from teams knocked out in the second round of the NHL playoffs, and there are some solid options.

The most pressing need for the Americans is another top-six forward with scoring punch. Assuming the three teams that are currently trailing in their respective series are knocked out, they could provide some much-needed talent to the American squad.

The St. Louis Blues have David Backes and T.J. Oshie, the Nashville Predators have David Legwand and Paul Gaustad, and the Washington Capitals have a good young defenseman in John Carlson who would add some good depth to the back end.

Also, regardless of what happens in the series between the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils, there is talent galore as the Flyers boast James Van Riemsdyk and the Devils could provide a bona-fide star in Zach Parise.

There's no telling who will or won't accept an invitation, but Team USA is all but guaranteed to add two important pieces over the next week or so.

Final Prediction

Considering that the Americans had to play to avoid relegation in this tournament two years ago, they should consider baby steps to be a success. They were able to make it to the quarterfinals last season before losing to the Czech Republic, so the semis should be their target in 2012.

Playing in the semi-finals guarantees a medal game of some sort, and that would be a major win for Team USA. There are other teams with more all-round talent such as Canada, Russia and Sweden, and both Finland and the Czech Republic will be tough to get past as well, but there is no doubt that the USA is in the medal mix.

That is a lot more than you could say about them over the past couple years, so this should be a fun tournament to follow. I'm picking them to finish fourth and to lose to Russia in the bronze-medal game. While missing out on the medal would be somewhat disappointing, it would be yet another stepping stone toward becoming a perennial contender in this tournament.

It may not be the Olympics, the World Junior Championships or even the old World Cup of Hockey, but the annual World Hockey Championships are set to begin from the Nordic gems of Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland on Friday.

The World Hockey Championships are a yearly event that begins during the second round of the NHL playoffs. The rosters are largely filled with NHL players whose teams failed to make the playoffs or were eliminated in the first round, although, there will also be plenty of professionals from other leagues across the world, as well as some top amateurs.

While it may not be a true representation of each country's hockey prowess, the World Hockey Championships are a great way to whet the appetite of any fan of international hockey since countries are only able to field their very best teams every four years for the Olympics.

With all of that said, here is your guide for the World Hockey Championships, complete with groupings, a full schedule and when and where you can catch every single contest.

Where: Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland

When: Friday, May 4 through Sunday, May 20

Watch: NBC Sports Network (will air all USA games, one semi-final and the final)

Live Stream: IIHF.com

Groups (Top four from each group advance to medal rounds)

Group H

Belarus

Canada

Finland

France

Kazakhstan

Switzerland

Slovakia

United States of America

Group S

Czech Republic

Denmark

Germany

Italy

Latvia

Norway

Russia

Sweden

Schedule (via IIHF.com) 

FRI, MAY 4

1              5:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     United States of America vs. France

2              5:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Germany vs. Italy

3              9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     Canada vs. Slovakia

4              9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Czech Republic vs. Denmark

5              1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki     Belarus vs. Finland

6              1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm Sweden vs. Norway

SAT, MAY 5

7              8 a.m. ET     Helsinki     Switzerland vs. Kazakhstan

8              9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Latvia vs. Russia

9              12 p.m. ET Helsinki       Canada vs. United States of America

10            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm Sweden vs. Czech Republic

SUN, MAY 6

11            5:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     France vs. Kazakhstan

12            5:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Denmark vs. Italy

13            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     Finland vs. Slovakia

14            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Russia vs. Norway

15            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki     Switzerland vs. Belarus

16            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm Germany vs. Latvia

MON, MAY 7

17            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     France vs. Canada

18            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Czech Republic vs. Norway

19            1:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     United States of America vs. Slovakia

20            1:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Denmark vs. Sweden

TUE, MAY 8

21            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     Belarus vs. Kazakhstan

22            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Latvia vs. Italy

23            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki     Finland vs. Switzerland

24            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm Russia vs. Germany

WED, MAY 9

25            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     Slovakia vs. Kazakhstan

26            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Norway vs. Italy

27            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki     Canada vs. Switzerland

28            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm Sweden vs. Germany

THU, MAY 10

29            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki     United States of America vs. Belarus

30            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm Denmark vs. Russia

31            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki     France vs. Finland

32            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm Czech Republic vs. Latvia

FRI, MAY 11

33            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki      Kazakhstan vs. United States of America

34            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm  Italy vs. Czech Republic

35            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki      Finland vs. Canada

36            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm  Russia vs. Sweden

SAT, MAY 12

37            5:15 a.m. ET Helsinki      Slovakia vs. Belarus

38            5:15 a.m. ET Stockholm  Norway vs. Latvia

39            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki      Switzerland vs. France

40            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm  Germany vs. Denmark

41            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki      Kazakhstan vs. Canada

42            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm  Italy vs. Sweden

SUN, MAY 13

43            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki      Finland vs. United States of America

44            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm  Russia vs. Czech Republic

45            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki      Switzerland vs. Slovakia

46            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm  Germany vs. Norway

MON, MAY 14

47            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki       Belarus vs. France

48            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm   Latvia vs. Denmark

49            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki       Kazakhstan vs. Finland

50            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm   Italy vs. Russia

TUE, MAY 15

51            5:15 a.m. ET Helsinki      Canada vs. Belarus

52            5:15 a.m. ET Stockholm  Norway vs. Denmark

53            9:15 a.m. ET Helsinki      Slovakia vs. France

54            9:15 a.m. ET Stockholm  Czech Republic vs. Germany

55            1:15 p.m. ET Helsinki      United States of America vs. Switzerland

56            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm  Sweden vs. Latvia

PLAY-OFF ROUND QUARTERFINALS

THU, MAY 17

57            6 a.m. ET Helsinki                  TBD         

58            7:45 a.m. ET Stockholm         TBD         

59            11:30 a.m. ET Helsinki            TBD        

60            1:15 p.m. ET Stockholm         TBD        

PLAY-OFF ROUND SEMIFINALS

SAT, MAY 19

61            7:30 a.m. ET Helsinki             TBD         

62            11:30 a.m. ET Helsinki            TBD         

PLAY-OFF BRONZE MEDAL GAME

SUN, MAY 20

63            9 a.m. ET Helsinki   L61                          vs.                           L62

PLAY-OFF ROUND GOLD MEDAL GAME

SUN, MAY 20

64            1:30 p.m. ET Helsinki             W61                         vs.                           W62

Teams to Watch

Canada

As is the case in every international tournament, Canada will be a force to be reckoned with in this year's tournament. The Canadians have disappointed in the World Championships in recent years, particularly last year when they failed to medal, but they have a roster stacked with NHL talent that promises to be the most complete in the competition.

Not only are they strong between the pipes with former Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Award winner Cam Ward in goal, but their depth of scoring is incredible thanks to stars like Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, John Tavares, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and others. Canada is considered the favorite every year, and that is true once again in 2012.

USA

The Americans generally don't seem to put as much effort into fielding a competitive roster in this tournament as Canada and some of the high-end European nations, but they look to have their best group of talent in quite some time. The Americans managed to reach the quarterfinals last year and finished eighth, but an improvement seems quite possible.

USA's true advantage will be in goal as Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings is one of the best backstops in the entire tournament. On top of that, the Americans have skilled forwards such as Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty, as well as a good defensive corps led by Jack Johnson and Alex Goligoski. The goal for Team USA is likely a medal of any color, and it is certainly possible.

Russia

There is no doubt that the Russians have some holes on their roster as the defense lacks NHL talent and the forward depth is a bit shaky as well, but when it comes to top-flight stars, Russia heads this tournament. Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings will both suit up for Russia, and that automatically makes them contenders for the gold.

The Russian selection committee also seemed to do a good job of getting players who play together in the KHL on the team, so there will be a great deal of similarity. The true key to Russia's success, though, will be Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov. He played extremely well down the stretch this season and will need to be at his best in Stockholm.

Predictions

Gold - Canada

Silver - Sweden

Bronze - Russia

4th Place - USA

While it is a bitter blow for Canada to see its junior team come up short against Russia again, it's no surprise—or shame—to see it happen again.

This current set of Russian players, many of whom played on the great comeback team of last year, have many of the traits that enabled Canadian teams (both at the NHL and junior level) in the past to become dominant champions.

In a way, the Russian and Swedish victories are a tribute to Canadian hockey; six Russians and four Swedes play in the CHL, probably the best junior hockey league in the world.

To a large extent, it is not so much of a story that Canada slipped as the Europeans and Americans finally caught up.

Much of the Canadian defeat can be blamed on the loss of two big edges Canadians used to have over their opposition, goaltending, and intangibles.

It used to be that Europeans only had Vladislav Tretiak and nobody else to play goal. But one look at current NHL rosters will tell the story; many of the top goalies in the NHL today come from outside of Canada.

Canada used to have a large surplus of top goalies, particularly from Quebec, but this big edge they used to have over the Europeans and Americans is no longer there.

In fact, the issue of goaltending and defensive play showed itself ominously for Canada in their second exhibition game against Sweden.

The Swedes scored three quick goals during the final minutes of the first period, and Canada found itself in a hole before it realized what had happened.

Much of the same happened in the semi-final game, but only worse. Canada found itself down 6-1 before staging a desperate too-little-too-late comeback to make the score a tense 6-5 defeat.

Still you don't give up six goals in a game and expect to win.

Canada used to have a big edge in the intangibles; first displayed by Phil Esposito during the famous Canada-USSR match of 1972.

The Russians and Swedes have always sent talented teams to junior and Canada Cup/Olympic play, but while they had high level hockey skills, they ignored other factors that allowed Canada to pull out dramatic victories.

But these current Russian and Swedish teams are paying more attention to these intangible factors that were key parts of past Canadian victories.

Now they play with emotion and toughness.  

The Russians played with a never-give-up attitude last year, which allowed them to pull off their dramatic comeback last year. This year they played with poise and refused to panic when Canada had made its own desperate comeback.

All these intangibles once gave Canada a huge advantage over its opponents. It was on display again in the dramatic, final game at the Vancouver Olympics.

But the Europeans are finally paying attention to this aspect of hockey. Certainly this new generation of Russian and Swedish players is going to make a greater impact on the NHL when they enter the league.

Not all North Americans were unhappy with yesterday's outcome.

The Washington Capitals have got to be overjoyed to see their prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov score a hat trick against Canada.

And Canada will certainly forgive Nail Yakupov, who had four assists and currently plays for the CHL Sarnia Sting, if he gets drafted by one of Canada's seven NHL teams.

Most of Sweden's and Canada's players have already been drafted by NHL teams, but the bulk of the Russian team has yet to be selected.

So the Russian players were playing for their NHL futures, perhaps another of those intangibles that gave them the edge over Canada.

The heroic play of Sebastian Feuk, the 6'2" goalie from lackluster Team Denmark, has made him one of the early stories in this year's World Juniors. The 18-year-old's incredible glove save against Team USA made every highlight reel in North America. 

Now the Danish netminder is looking towards the game of his life tomorrow against the powerhouse Canada.

We talked to him after his squad faced the Czech Republic.

Coming into this tournament, how well did you predict your team would do?

Well, we knew we had to play against very good teams so in the end it's about the relegation. We want to stay up here for sure.

In your first game against the USA, you made an incredible glove save that was the TSN Sportscentre highlight of the night. Tell us about that save?

Haha, it was just a fast reflex and luckily I saved it. I was shocked when I saw it on the Highlight of the Night after the game. I didn't see it coming. But it looked pretty damn nice on TV.

Against the Czechs you were under a lot of fire as well. You stopped 37 of 44 shots and were named Player of the Game, how was that game from your perspective?

It was nice to get some credit for the effort. But it was not an acceptable 3rd period at all. Letting in 4 goals. Garbage goals. I was not happy about that.

Your play so far in this tournament has gotten you much praise from TSN commentators and everyone on Twitter. Did you expect to be the most popular player on the team coming in to this?

Well, the tournament is not over yet and many things can still happen. I did not expect this at all. It is just amazing and I'm really enjoying it. :-)

Your English is very good for a Dane, why is that?

We have to learn English from when we're 9-10 years old in Denmark. Almost all of us speaks it good. Well, all I know is that we're better than the Swedes in English.

What goalies do you idolize? 

My idols are Henrik Lundqvist and Pekka Rinne. I like the way they play and stop the puck. I like other goalies too but when I watch the NHL highlights I always look for those two guys to see how they did.

So as of right now you are without a club team. What happened?

Yes, I'm a goalie without a team at the moment. It obviously didn't work out for me in Timrå. I went on a tryout in Herlev Eagles (Den), and suddenly they said they didn't want to sign me. Hm... Okay fine. Came to me as a shock.

What about your equipment?

Almost everything is "new" to me. It is old equipment that I used last year and two seasons ago. Obviously my helmets white color turned yellowish. My dad painted it. He did a good job I think, since it was his first time.

So anyways, what club do you think you will go to after the World Juniors? Your play in this tournament should get you a lot of interest from teams.

Yeah I really hope to get some offers so I really can continue my career.

Looking ahead to your game Thursday against Canada, a game where millions of people will be watching... What do you need to do to make Thursday a success?

To play more like a team and decrease the mistakes. If we do that we might be able to make a good result against Canada, and the spectators will be on their side this time.

What about you personally?

I'm just gonna do what I did the last two games. Fight for every puck and try to take as many pucks as possible.

Tell us about your game, what kind of goalie are you?

Butterfly goalie. My strengths is my skating and moving on the ice. Weakness is the physical. I have to get stronger. And my reflex's could be faster. 

What do you like best about Canada?

The hockey culture. The "Canadian-Danish fans." I really like that.

On Thursday against Team Canada you get to live every kids dreams of having over ten million people watch you play hockey. What do you feel about that?

Yes. I'm really really excited about it. I'm just trying to enjoy it as much as I can. Its a good experience and memory for me.

Thank you Sebastian for the interview and good luck in the rest of the tournament!

Thanks Ty :-)

There’s trouble brewing in the small state of Indian Hockey. Or maybe it’s gold rush fever. You cannot have smoke without a fire unless it’s dry ice. What would you call that—a smoke screen? But I digress.

The launch of the World Series Hockey (League) by Nimbus Sports and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) on Tuesday, the 28th of December, 2010 witnessed another twist in the faceoff between the FIH approved Hockey India and the Indian government recognised IHF.

Hockey India is the current arbiter of the team selections for international tournaments. (The IHF fell out of favour with the international administrative body (FIH) because of its inability to bring the men’s and women’s representation under a single umbrella.)

Hockey India will be discomfited by the signing on of virtually the entire men’s team by the WSH.

Indian captain Rajpal Singh, penalty corner specialist Sandeep Singh, star defender Sardar Singh, Shivendra Singh, Arjun Halappa, Gurbaj Singh, Adrian D’Souza, Bharat Chetri, V.S. Vinaya, Bharat Chikara, Prabodh Tirkey and Tushar Khandekar are amongst the stellar recruits.

Other recruits include V.R. Raghunath, Diwakar Ram, Ravipal Singh, Sarvanjit Singh, P.R. Sreejesh, Rupinderpal Singh, Vikram Kanth, Danish Mujtaba, Birendra Lakra, Gurvinder Singh Chandi, Mandeep Antil, Roshan Minz, S.V. Sunil, G.M. Hariprasad, Adam Sinclair and S.K. Kuttappa.

The WSH is modelled on the lines of the IPL. It will have 8-10 franchises. Players will be picked based on draft. 37 leading India players have been signed up. Slots for another 60 foreigners have been reserved.

The first edition is scheduled for November 2011. Players will be categorised into three brackets: Rs. 5 lacs, Rs. 7 lacs and Rs. 10 lacs. Top players can earn up to Rs. 40 to Rs. 50 lacs through additional fees and endorsements.

The Nimbus deal with the IHF is for 15 years and Rs. 30 crore has been guaranteed to the IHF irrespective of the success or failure of the league.

The first four franchises are to be extended invitations to become founding members. Financial clout will be the criteria for selection by the IHF and Nimbus Sports. The next four to six franchises will be decided based on procedures set up.

The launch of the WSH has set off reverberations in neighbouring Pakistan. Top hockey exponents there have expressed interest in participating in the league.

Pakistani players have visited India before for the now-defunct Premier Hockey League.

Nimbus chairman Harish Thawani has said that the league will welcome players from Pakistan provided it gets the go-ahead from the government authorities to do so.

For the national sport, this is a bonanza that will benefit the cash and awards starved players. Cricket has been the major beneficiary of sponsorship from the corporate giants. Though the scale of payments may not be as humongous as offered to cricketers, there is enough in the pot to secure a decent future for existing players.

Sandeep Singh, the ace penalty corner specialist, said: “Something like the World Series Hockey is happening in India for the first time.” 

Asked about risking omission from the national team, he replied “If I am good enough for India, I will be selected.”

The question that is on everybody’s mind: Will Hockey India play spoiler? The administrative body has said that it will not ban players as long as they fulfill their national commitments. What exactly do these commitments entail is not spelt out.  The situation could get a whole lot messier and uglier before it gets better.

Hockey India may not be able to wield as much influence with the Indian hockey players, unlike the BCCI. The BCCI, the richest sports body in the country, was able to retain its top players in the face of rebellion facilitated by the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL). The BCCI used its money power to arm-twist the ICC and affected a ban on players participating in the ICL. It is unlikely that Hockey India will be able to do something similar.

However, pressure from the players' employers may be a factor that could result in desertions by players despite having signed the contracted dotted line. Most sportspersons in India depend on their organizations to support their sporting activities. Hockey players are no exceptions to the rule.

It is believed that Haryana Police and Air India have expressed misgivings about their employees participating in the WSH.

As one unnamed player expressed, “An India cap may still be for just a few years but everyone needs job security in the long term.”

I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There’s a knob called ‘brightness’, but it doesn’t work. Gallagher

As Team Canada gets set to take on the Russians this afternoon, just about every Canadian on the planet will be watching. The World Junior Hockey Championship has become a Christmas tradition for many Canadians and, for some, is bigger than the Stanley Cup.

Canada’s record at the WJC is astounding. Since its inception in 1977, Canada has brought home a total of 26 medals, including 15 gold, seven silver and four bronze—second all-time to Russia’s/Soviet Union’s 28 medals.

Canada is the only team to win five consecutive gold medals, a feat they accomplished twice—1993-1997 and, most recently, 2005-2009.

The 2010 WJC ended with Team USA defeating Team Canada, 6-5 in overtime. John Carlson’s overtime winner will not be forgotten by those who donned the red and white for Canada last year, nor does it sit lightly with this year's team.

Canada’s rivalry with the United States (which is favored to win the gold at this year's WJC) is just heating up, but some of the best WJC battles were played between Russia and Canada, including 12 battles for gold.

Canada has a record of 7-5 in those gold-medal games, including three in a row in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

For Russia, a return to gold is a bit of a pipe dream. Russia hasn’t won gold since 2003, but they have earned three silvers (all losses to Canada) and two bronze medals over the past six years at the WJC.

Russia will be icing a team that features a number of former NHL draft picks, including Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington Capitals) and Maxim Kitsyn (Los Angeles Kings) up front, with Dmitri Orlov (Washington Capitals) heading up Russia’s defense, while Igor Bobkov (Anaheim Ducks) will be solid between the pipes.

Make no mistake about it, despite not having a large group of potential NHL players on their roster and struggling to go all the way recently, Russia is no joke and, given the history between them, Russia should give Canada everything they can handle this afternoon.

Bobkov has struggled with the London Knights of the OHL this season, but played well in last year's WJC, going 3-3 in six games with a 2.45 goals against average and a .930 save percentage.

Missing from this year's edition of Team Russia will be forward Kirill Kabanov who, despite his talents, was left off the team.

Russia will ice a young team, one that will likely feature a ton of speed, skill and passing—which is exactly what we expect from Russia.

Tarasenko scored four goals in last year's tournament and is widely regarded as one of the tournament's strongest players. Suffice to say, Russia will likely go only as far as Tarasenko pushes them. Fact is, this Russian club is thin up front and, outside of Orlov, their defense is lacking.

Canada, while not the favorite to win gold this year, will ice a very deep team that will include 15 former first-round draft picks, including Brayden Schenn, Jared Cowen, Brett Connolly, Carter Ashton and many others.

This is a hardworking team, one that, while not stacked as deep on defense as we are used to, has plenty of firepower up front and appears to be solid between the pipes with Olivier Roy—who is expected to get the start against Russia today— and Mark Visentin.

I had the pleasure of watching Visentin play against Finland on Thursday night—he played a solid game, had little to no chance on both goals he gave up and appeared unfazed when challenged by Finland’s top snipers.

Roy is also a very solid, well-balanced goaltender, who should play well against the Russians despite an extended rest.

It’s no secret that Canada feels it will be icing a balanced attack. Canada may not have one standout player on their roster, but they are well-rounded and feature a number of players who can get it done at both ends of the ice.

Brayden Schenn will be given every opportunity to lead this team offensively, as will Zack Kassian and Jaden Schwartz—who may emerge as this year's sleeper for Canada.

To be fair, outside of Schenn, Kassian and Brett Connolly (who has been nursing an injury), just about anyone could emerge as Canada’s hero up front, including the likes of Sean Couturier, Carter Ashton, Quinton Howden or perhaps Ryan Johansen—who has been solid for Canada thus far.

On the backend, Canada’s captain Ryan Ellis is expected to supply offense both five-on-five and on the power play, where Ellis is expected to be the quarterback.

Most of the heavy lifting will be done by the likes of Jared Cowan and Calvin de Hann—both of whom have been playing heavy minutes thus far, especially Cowen, who looked to be out on the ice all night against Finland.

Canada, Russia, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Norway will all be in the same division, which makes today’s tilt between Canada and Russia all the more important. It’s a tough division, featuring (in my mind) three of the top four teams in the tournament (Canada, Russia, Sweden).

Look for Canada to emerge victorious today in what could be a close game, or if Bobkov is off his game between the pipes for Russia, a blowout. I will go down the middle on this one and call it a close game with Canada winning by a score of 4-2.

Go-Canada-Go!

With Brock Beukeboom's busy schedule so far this summer—including the NHL Entry Draft, defenseman camp, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect camp and, most recently, the Hockey Canada National Team Development Camp—there hasn't been much in the way of down-time, except for perhaps the occasional round of golf.

Beukeboom just finished up a stint at the Canadian national team's development camp, held in Saint John, Nfld. He was originally an alternate who was invited after some late scratches, but said that didn't really make a difference in how he played.

"I knew I was an alternate and it's a pretty big honor to be an alternate, especially being a little older than the other kids at camp," he told NHL.com. "If I got the call, I wanted to make the best impression possible, but if I didn't, it would make me work that much harder to get invited. I felt I showcased myself well at the camp."

Beukeboom's father, Jeff, won four Stanley Cups (three with Edmonton, one with the New York Rangers) during a 15-year career. He was a member of the 1985 World Junior Team that won a gold medal. Brock was taken in the third round (No. 63) by Tampa Bay in June. Throughout this offseason, Beukeboom has focused on making himself better as a leader for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League in the hopes of leading his team to the playoffs.

"It's been pretty busy," he said. "I've been away for four weeks, so summer has been short. But at the same time, I'm looking forward to heading back to Sault Ste. Marie and starting the season off really well."

Beukeboom feels that with a lot of players returning from last season's team, which finished fifth in the conference, the Greyhounds have a shot at making a run to the playoffs.

"Last year we finished fifth and this year I think we can finish in the top three of our conference and make a pretty good playoff run," he said. "We have a lot of returning guys, we're going to be young and tenacious. Everyone is going to be eager to get better every day. I'm going to take some of the guys under my wing and lead by example and make sure everyone's doing the right thing."

Beukeboom enjoys golfing almost as much as he enjoys playing hockey, but he says the lack of practice is hurting his game.

"I could be a lot better if I put some time in," he said with a laugh."I'm a pretty avid golfer and I'm trying to get better each day."

Beukeboom says that for many hockey players, golf is a way of staying active without lacing up the skates.

"I know a lot of guys who like to golf and relax," he said. "When you're playing hockey at a high level, you really don't have much of an opportunity to play any other sports, especially contact sports. I think golf is one of those sports where you don't have to worry about getting injured, unless you get hit by a golf ball. It's somewhat of a workout."