There will be some very familiar names representing different teams in the World Cup. Some of the stars include Sydney Crosby for Canada, Patrick Kane will represent the United States, Alex Ovechkin from Russia, and Nicklas Backstrom with Sweden, among others.
There are a few potential contenders for the World Cup of Hockey title, reports CTV News. Going into the hockey tournament, Canada is the likely favorite to win it all. They are the gold medal winners from the last Olympics. Canada arguably has the deepest and most talented roster heading into the World Cup. They have a lethal combination of speed, size, and skill.
Sweden will pose a threat to Canada's hockey supremacy with a formidable defense and quality goaltending. The Swedes can also muster some offense when needed.
The United States may have the best goaltending in the World Cup. They will need to produce some more offense if they hope to contend.
Russia's roster is full of talented skaters. However, they will need to work as a cohesive team to have a chance to make it past their group.
Finland is usually competitive in world hockey tournaments. The Finns have a promising young team but may not have the necessary experience to win it all.
Team North America may be the cinderella club to watch in the World Cup of Hockey. They will be an exciting and talented young team to watch. However, their lack of experience, especially in goal and on defense, may hinder their chances at going all the way in the competition.
The Czech Republic has a young roster that will be too thin on talent to have a shot. Team Europe will feature an older lineup, but also won't have enough overall talent to progress against the stiff competition.