With all the current excitement about the NHL Playoffs, in particularly the Vancouver Canucks, the IIHF World Hockey Championships seem to have got lost by the Canadian media.
The tournament which runs annually during the first and second rounds of the NHL Playoffs is well underway for 2009. Switzerland, after an 11 year break, is playing host this year to the 16 team tournament. Now in its 73rd year, the World Hockey Championships are a big event, with over 300,000 spectators expected live and another 700 million people viewing on television.
As usual Canada remains one of the favourites with a roster comprised of players from NHL clubs who have missed the playoffs and a few players who will be joining the team after an early exit from round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs. With the combination of Dwayan Roloson and Chris Mason in goal, young up and comers like Luke Schenn, Drew Doughty and Shea Weber on defence and offensive powers like Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Steven Stamkos the Canadian squad will be looking for nothing less than gold.
Round one wraps up April 29th before the contenders move on and the final wraps up May 10th. TSN is broadcasting the games in Canada. Let’s make sure we all get beyond our country as the boys go for gold (again)!
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