By: Adamo Marinelli Dec. 19, 2020
Team Canada - captained by Kirby Dach, a center on the Chicago Blackhawks - appears to be one of the most talented teams on paper in advance of the tournament in Edmonton, Alberta.
Six members of Canada’s Gold Medal team in 2020 have returned in 2021 for a chance to repeat as World Champions.
Team Canada’s roster was finalized yesterday and is loaded with talent at every position, boasting a total of 20 first-round picks from the last two draft classes. In addition, their coaching staff is extremely well renowned.
According to an article on Sporting News by Jackie Spiegel, Team Canada are the heavy favourites to repeat as champions for the first time since they won four consecutive titles from 2005 to 2009.
Team Canada has a chance to win the Gold medal on home soil for the first time since they won in 2015, with Montreal and Toronto hosting the tournament.
Team Canada is ranked by many analysts to have more talent on their roster than the other powerhouse teams like Russia, United States, Finland, Sweden, and Germany.
According to several oddsmakers, Canada is the heavy favourite to win Group A at -225 odds. Finland is their only real competition at +250 odds, Germany and Switzerland are both tied with +2500 odds to win their group and Slovakia is a big underdog with +4000 odds.
Group B is significantly the tougher division to win, with Russia, the United States, and Sweden being the powerhouses atop of this group, each country with excellent rosters filled with talent and depth and great coaching staff. Russia is the favourite to win this group with +135 odds, the United States has +225 odds to win the group and Sweden has +300 odds to win the group. The Czech Republic and Austria remain huge under-dogs.
Both Team Canada and Team Russia are projected to win their groups and are both projected with the highest odds to finish in the top three best teams in the entire tournament; Canada has -500 odds to do so and Russia has -225 odds.
If Team Canada and Team Russia were to meet in the 2021 Gold Medal game, it would make for some interesting betting odds and some exhilarating hockey to watch on T.V.
Canada is the slight favourite to win the Gold Medal over Russia if they were to meet in the Gold Medal game. Canada has +160 odds to win the Gold Medal, Russia has +275 odds. The United States has the next best odds to win it all at +425 according to Draft Kings.
Regardless of how each team looks on paper and what the odds say, it is going to be an amazing tournament when it starts on Christmas day. As team practices continue to get underway, all teams have their sights set on one goal - winning the Gold Medal.
COVID-19 Updates:
On December 18th, eight German players and two Swedish staff members tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Canadian Press.
The IIHF says all eight Germans will remain in self-isolation until Christmas Eve on Thursday.
The two Swedish staff will self isolate until Monday if they are deemed no longer a threat to spread the virus.
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