
Only some two weeks till they drop the puck in Ufa on Dec 26th.
Grupp A: (playing in Sports Palace, Ufa, capacity 5001)
Sweden, ruling champs
Finland
Czechs
Switzerland
Latvia
Grupp B: (playing in Ufa Arena, Ufa, capacity 7988)
Russia, hosts
Canada
Slovakia
USA
Germany
Happy to see Latvia playing in the top division. I have a soft spot for their happy go lucky offense is all that matters brand of hockey, and their fans are just the best. Whenever Latvia plays, there is a party in the stands.

With just some two million inhabitants and not much of a hockey league (their best team, Dynamo Riga, plays in the Russian-based KHL), I was worried that they might have problems developing new players, but apparently not!

Group winners go straight to the semifinal while teams ending second and third play quarter finals first.
I forecast Sweden as winners of Group A. Not sure if it will be Canada or Russia in Group B.
Thoughts?