Your Guide to the Ice Hockey World Championships 2024!

It's finally time for the Ice Hockey World Championship 2024! This year's championship significantly raises expectations for the upcoming hockey games. We've seen a whole bunch of NHL stars join in the recent weeks, and there's still a chance that more NHL players will join the championship.

Before the Ice Hockey World Championship 2024

Much of the focus, as always, lands on the NHL stars, especially for this championship since many players have joined from the world's top hockey league. It's not just Sweden that comes to the game with a lot of NHL experience, but also the USA and Canada have teams dense with NHL players. The host nation, the Czech Republic, does not have the same NHL breadth. But star power does not always mean success, and the Czech national team will have strong support from the stands, and we must not forget that top players in the European leagues are of very high caliber!

Group A

The teams in Group A for the 2024 tournament include Denmark, Finland, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Austria.

1. Canada

The favorites of the group, Canada, come to the championship with an NHL-packed squad. The Canadians are also the reigning champions after defeating Germany in last year's final.

In goal, the Canadians have St. Louis Blues' goalie duo Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer at their disposal. Both had really good seasons in the NHL, and the starting goalie, Binnington, is a keeper of very high caliber when he is in the zone. Canada probably has the best goalie pair of the championship, a solid foundation to stand on. The defense is also strong. Here are talents like Owen Power (Buffalo), Bowen Byram (Buffalo), Olen Zellweger (Anaheim) mixed with more experienced men like Jamie Oleksiak (Seattle), Colton Parayko (St. Louis), and Damon Severson (Columbus). The defenders may not match the quality of Sweden, but especially the younger talents Zellweger, Byram, and Power are offensively skilled and definitely add threat from the blue line.

Canada's forwards also maintain a fine class for the championship. Not least the poster name Connor Bedard will surely be on many lips during the tournament. But there are other players worth keeping an extra eye on. Michael Bunting, Dylan Cozens, Adam Fantilli, Dylan Guenther, Jared McCann, Dawson Mercer, and Andrew Mangiapane to name a few established names in the NHL playing at a high level. Also worth watching is Macklin Celebrini, who is expected to go as number one in the draft in a few months.

Canada's team is good and should be ranked at the top of Group A. At the same time, I don't think it's the best team of the championship. The goalie duo is indeed good, and the defenders are offensively fine, but there are some gaps in the defense that will put high demands on Binnington to "bail out" Canada when they face strong opposition. They have some fine two-way forwards in Canada that stand up well in the NHL, but behind Bedard and McCann, it's a bit unclear where the goals will come from. Canada should be considered one of the given medal candidates and they could very well make it all the way to a final, but they are not my favorites in the tournament.

2. Czech Republic

The host nation for the Ice Hockey World Championship! The last time the Czech Republic won the World Championship gold was in 2010, that time the championship was played in Germany, now the Czech national team dreams of repeating the feat in front of the home fans.

In goal, the Czech Republic has brought in three NHL goalkeepers. Karel Vejmelka (Arizona), Petr Mrázek (Chicago), and Lukas Dostal (Anaheim). Solid goalkeepers who have all made plenty of matches in the NHL. They do not belong to the top of the league even though Vejmelka occasionally holds a really high class. In front of the goalkeepers, it's a mixed bag. Most defenders are players from the domestic league. However, they are very experienced defenders, and Michal Kempný, Tomáš Kundrátek, and Libor Hájek have tried NHL play earlier in their careers. The Czech Republic also has two active NHL defenders in the squad; Radko Gudas and Jan Rutta. Not exactly finesse players. At the same time, no one really likes to tangle with Gudas who plays physically and is painful to encounter. Unlike Canada, the Czech Republic has no defenders who directly seem to add much offensive flair to the team, but instead, there is plenty of defensive skill that might make it difficult to score on the Czechs.

Speaking of experience, we find the eternally young Roman Červenka also in this year's edition of the Czech national team. Despite his 38 years, he continues to be pivotal in the Swiss league and matched this season's 12+28 in 47 matches with his Rapperswil. He is joined by a lot of players from the Czech league but also a couple of NHL players; Dominik Kubalik, David Kämpf, and Ondrej Palat are what the Czech Republic has fetched from the NHL. The trio comes from very mediocre seasons and instead, I think it's more interesting to keep an eye on Färjestad's successful signing ahead of the season, David Tomasek, who won the top scorer in the SHL.

For those who know their hockey, the players I list are not young. The Czech Republic chooses to go with a very experienced, albeit somewhat aged squad. The youngest player is David Spacek, born in 2003, who together with goaltender Lukas Dostal is the only players born in the 2000s. Experience goes a long way, but the Czech national team does not exactly scream speed and flair. However, these gentlemen know what is required to go far and with the fans behind them, it will be tough to meet the Czechs. A medal is not to be excluded, but World Championship gold seems doubtful.

3. Switzerland

Switzerland is always highly interesting behind the traditionally stronger hockey nations. Swiss hockey continues to do well, and while their domestic league snatches SHL stars, they continue to have good regeneration in their own ranks. The squad they put on the ice this championship looks very exciting after the announcement that several of their NHL stars are joining!

On Sunday, the news came that Patrick Fischer got yes from several NHL players, and heavy names at that. Roman Josi, one of the world's best defenders in recent years, again averaged over 1 point/game with his Nashville Predators and is again nominated for the Norris Trophy, will be there. Jonas Siegenthaler will also be there, a defender with fine qualities that is often talked about too little in the NHL. In goal, Switzerland has Akira Schmid from the New Jersey Devils organization. A goalkeeper who has a future ahead of him, but still does not hold a stable level in the NHL, oscillating between the NHL and AHL.

Switzerland has also got yes from Nico Hischier (Devils), Pilipp Kurashev (Blackhawks), and Nino Niederreiter (Jets). Opponents will need to keep a close eye on Nico Hischier. Hischier made 27+40 in the regular season this season with the Devils. Kevin Fiala is still unclear for play as he is currently waiting for the birth of his child. But I also want to emphasize Kurashev who in a pale Chicago Blackhawks together with Connor Bedard was a bright spot. The now 24-year-old Swiss made 18 goals and 36 assists, somewhat of a breakthrough season and it's obvious that he has taken a step forward. Offensively, Switzerland looks really jaunty and with plenty of players in the domestic league who maintain high quality, this is a team and an offense to be very wary of.

4. Finland

We move to our hockey-crazy neighbors in the east. Finland is always to be reckoned with in championship contexts but unlike Tre Kronor, it is far from full of NHL players, instead, there are many players from the domestic league (Liiga), mixed with a lot of SHL names and some really interesting talents we should take a closer look at.

We start with the goalkeepers. Emil Larmi, Lassi Lehtinen, and Harri Säteri are the trio that Finland has brought to the World Championship. The first two are found in Växjö and Modo while Säteri now plays in the Swiss league. All three have plenty of experience from the national team and rarely disappoint. The defenders that Finland brings are like the Czech Republic a seasoned edition. Here we find among others Oliwer Kaski and Rasmus Rissanen from SHL. We also have Olli Määttä from Detroit Red Wings and Mikko Lehtonen who played in Oskarshamn a few seasons ago. Like the Czech Republic, it is a set of defenders that does not exactly scream speed and flair. It is also far from any world stars and even though the defenders should stand up well against the simpler opposition, I'm not sure they will hold up against the more offensively skilled teams. I feel doubtful that this is good enough for more prominent placements.

There is a bit of NHL presence among the forwards in Finland. Mikael Granlund (San Jose), Jesse Puljujärvi (Pittsburgh), and Valtteri Puustinen (Pittsburgh) all played in North America this season. Behind these, we find among others Jere Innala who made a success with Frölunda and was one of the playoffs' best players with a whole 11 goals! We also find Ahti Oksanen (Oskarshamn) and Hannes Björninen (Örebro) who have played in SHL a couple of seasons and have special qualities. Most interesting in the squad, however, is Konsta Helenius, 17 years old, who has impressed greatly with Jukurit in the Finnish league and played to one of the goals against Tre Kronor in the dress rehearsal before the World Championship, where he also scored a goal in the shootout.

Finland always plays collectively strong hockey and stands up for each other. What this squad lacks in quality, they can surely compensate for in hard work, the question is just how far it will take them? In a Group A that has more talented teams and a highly motivated Czech national team with the fans behind them, I believe Finland risks ending up a bit off course, especially if they were to lose the opening match against just the Czech Republic. I'm not too optimistic and don't really see any upside other than that we know the Finns often perform well in these contexts, but with this squad at their disposal, medals seem doubtful.

5. Denmark

The Danish team, like Norway, the United Kingdom, and Austria, will have a very hard time asserting themselves against the very likely top 4 nations above. Therefore, I do not delve quite as deeply when it comes to these four national teams. However, Denmark has on a couple of occasions in recent years threatened better teams when they have had a good day at work. In the Ice Hockey World Championship 2022, Denmark made a proper bang when Canada was defeated 3-2. This World Championship, as we have noted, has a much higher level on the top teams and the gap feels significantly larger than in previous years. They also lack their superstar Nikolaj Ehlers.

Since the last World Championship, Denmark has changed the national coach. It is now the former Rögle profile Mikael Gath who after five seasons as head coach in Kristianstad took over after Heinz Ehlers.

Denmark has some players who stand out. We find among others Mikkel Aagaard from Modo, Joachim Blichfeld from Växjö, Nick Olesen from Oskarshamn, and Patrick Russell from Linköping. We also find Modo's new signing for next season, Alexander True in the squad, who tried NHL play a few games (mainly AHL). The young HV71 talent Oscar Fisker Molgaard born in 2005 has qualities and should be able to assert himself. There is SHL experience and Denmark should not have too much trouble disarming the teams below, but it will require something very special to really challenge for a top-4 placement. However, if any team outside the "given" top four can do it, it should be Denmark who at least has a chance, albeit a small one.

6. Norway

Norway, as usual, has nothing to do with any playoffs. However, two weeks ago came the announcement that their superstar in the NHL, Mats Zuccarello, is making a comeback in the national team. He flies directly to Prague and will play his first match in the national team jersey since the Olympic qualifiers in 2021. This obviously strengthens Norway's chances significantly to win a couple of matches which is important to avoid relegation. During the World Championship 2023, Slovenia and Hungary were relegated.

Behind the superstar is a team filled with players from the domestic league, as well as players from Hockeyallsvenskan. There are, however, a couple of entries from SHL. Jonas Arntzen, the goalkeeper from Örebro, had a good season and will act as a stable outpost for Norway. Thomas Berg-Paulsen with a season in Malmö is also found in the Norwegian national team. Even former Rögle player Johannes Johannesen will join the Norwegian national team after having finished the season with Pelicans in Finland.

7. Austria

There is almost always a player in these smaller hockey nations who stands out. In Austria's case, it almost exclusively concerns Marco Rossi. The 22-year-old Minnesota forward is the team's focal point. After having had a breakthrough season with 21 goals and 19 assists, the young Austrian is predicted a bright future in Minnesota Wild.

Austria has a younger generation of hockey players coming up that looks interesting. Behind Rossi, we find also Vinzenz Rohrer, born in 2004, and now a regular player in ZSC Lions in Switzerland. This season it was 7 goals and 12 assists in the regular season and an additional 2+2 in the playoffs. Also, David Maier with a past in Södertälje's youth operation is interesting to keep an extra eye on. Otherwise, it is mainly Dominic Zwerger and Bernd Wolf who play in the Swiss top league that are noteworthy. The rest of the players we find in the domestic league and Austria will likely have to fight with the United Kingdom to stay in the A-World Championship next year.

8. United Kingdom

Do you remember Liam Kirk? For those who remember the Ice Hockey World Championship 2021, the young Brit, then playing in Hanhals IF in HockeyEttan, made headlines when he, together with the Canadian, Andrew Mangiapane, scored as many goals in the group play (7 goals) and topped the goal scorer league. Since then, Kirk has managed to try playing in the AHL, playing in Liiga (Finland) to now be a regular player in HC Litvinov in the Czech highest league. There he has made a success and besides his 19 goals in the regular season, he also became the highest scoring player in the playoffs with a whole 9 goals in 13 matches!

Behind Kirk, the Brits essentially just have to rely on players from the domestic league. A league that is very mediocre if I may express myself kindly. The key for the United Kingdom will be to defeat Austria, nothing that is an impossibility, but they will at the same time be clear underdogs when they eventually clash on May 21.

Group B

Group B in the 2024 tournament consists of France, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Germany, and the USA.

1. Sweden

Sweden has presented the best defensive setup in this World Championship. Victor Hedman, Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Karlsson, Jonas Brodin, and Marcus Pettersson need no introduction. They are top-class players who are all stars for their respective teams in the NHL. Pettersson and Brodin might be somewhat overshadowed by the other three, who are marquee names in the NHL, but both are of extremely high caliber and should not be overlooked.

Behind the defenders, there's even more NHL quality. Samuel Ersson took over as the first-choice goalkeeper at Philadelphia Flyers after Carter Hart left. Filip Gustavsson was together with Marc-Andre Fleury 1A/1B and played 45 games this season. His future colleague knocking on the door to the NHL, Jesper Wallstedt, is also included in the lineup. He would probably have played in the NHL regularly next season had it not been for Marc-Andre Fleury signing a new 1-year contract with the Minnesota Wild. Sweden should have no issues with the goalkeeping this tournament, and the trio should be considered one of the strongest in the championship.

Some of the tournament's best goalkeepers and the best set of defenders in the tournament. So, what about the forwards? To date, Sam Hallam has presented nine forwards. André Burakovsky, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Johansson, Adrian Kempe, Isac Lundeström, Victor Olofsson, Lucas Raymond, Pontus Holmberg, and Fabian Zetterlund. Not bad! Eriksson Ek comes from a new record season with Minnesota Wild, where he scored 30 goals and assisted 34. Lucas Raymond continues to excel with 31 goals and 41 assists on his account with Detroit Red Wings this season. Fabian Zetterlund has been exposed to the limelight properly and acted as playmaker on the first line with San Jose Sharks as well as steering in the powerplay, totaling 24 goals and 20 assists. We also have offensively skilled Adrian Kempe who was hot in the playoffs with Los Angeles Kings, scoring 4 goals in 5 games. During the regular season, it was 28+44, almost 1 point/game, impressive!

There is still room for Sam Hallam to further strengthen the squad. William Nylander would be a dream name to bring in, but we haven't heard anything yet. William Karlsson, who just got knocked out of the playoffs with Vegas Golden Knights, is dealing with injury issues and is unlikely to join. Unfortunately, neither will Filip Forsberg nor William Eklund who declined.

Group B will be about two teams, Sweden and the USA. We beat them on goalkeepers and defenders but will struggle to match the Americans in terms of the depth of quality they have in the forward group. It remains to see what Hallam brings in to fill the last spots in the squad, but we already have quality enough to challenge for the gold. However, I would have liked to see another top player to wholeheartedly believe in it.

2. USA

As just mentioned, the USA is the major challenger in the group. The Americans have assembled a superbly fine squad and should be considered along with Tre Kronor and Canada as favorites for the gold.

In goal, it will be about Alex Lyon, the Detroit Red Wings goalkeeper who is currently only backed up in the American team by 19-year-old Trey Augustine. He is indeed predicted a bright future, but should Lyon have any injury problems, it would be a heavy burden for the inexperienced Augustine to shoulder, who is currently playing in NCAA (College Hockey).

Among the defenders, there are some gems that will surely be overlooked by the layman. I'm thinking mainly of Alex Vlasic, belonging in Chicago Blackhawks, who showed signs of really fine defensive skills in an otherwise very shaky team. Also, super talent Luke Hughes will put the Swedish defense to the test with his fine passes. Besides the youngsters, we find experienced Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, and Jeff Petry. Werenski comes from his career-best season with Columbus Blue Jackets with 11 goals and 46 assists, so the USA has offensive threats from the blue line.

Where it becomes really interesting, however, is when we take a closer look at the team's forwards. Brady Tkachuk, Brock Nelson, Johnny Gaudreau, Cole Caufield, Matt Boldy, Joel Farabee, and Trevor Zegras are all established at a high level in the NHL. They are joined by a couple of very interesting future names in the form of Will Smith and Ryan Kunin, two players who are expected to go very early in the draft. Recently, however, came the heavy news that Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings star, is dealing with an injury and had to decline.

The USA has a very well-known team, but I think there are a couple of things to dissect. Several of these well-known players are coming from very mediocre seasons. Gaudreau was a few seasons ago one of the hottest names in the NHL but has been extremely pale during two seasons in Columbus Blue Jackets. Trevor Zegras, who last year made 23+42, has this season been troubled with injuries and only made 6 goals and 9 assists. Brady Tkachuk continues to produce offensively, but loses his head as often as he scores goals. But together with him, Brock Nelson, and Cole Caufield, the team has goal scorers who are of high class. The USA is a given medal candidate and could very well go all the way, but Tre Kronor's defensive setup, better goalkeepers, and marginally weaker forwards still place Sweden above the USA in my ranking!

3. Slovakia

Last year was a failed championship for Slovakia as they missed the playoffs entirely. This year, however, it looks more hopeful and Slovakia is a bit of a wild card in this context!

Besides Slovakia bordering the Czech Republic and likely getting good support from the stands during their matches, they also field an exciting team! From the NHL, we find, among others, Montreal Canadiens young star player, Juraj Slafkovský, who played really well for Montreal along with Caufield and Suzuki. He also scored 20 goals and 30 assists for the 20-year-old talent. We will also find experienced Tomas Tatar, now in Seattle Kraken, a player with soft wrists who can still offer some magic. Martin Pospisil (Calgary Flames), Martin Fehérváry (Washington Capitals), and Simon Nemec (New Jersey Devils) are further NHL players brought in. From the SHL, Slovakia will also have the Leksand duo, Peter Cehlárik and Marek Hrivík who have many games together both with and outside the national team.

Behind the NHL & SHL players, we mainly find players from the Czech league. Several of the Slovak players are leading figures in that league. Robert Lantosi is probably well-known after his time in Sweden. In Bladá Boleslav, he made 20 goals and 27 assists in 50 matches this season. Another player worth mentioning is Pavol Regenda who has been knocking on the door to the NHL but hasn't quite had the quality to secure a spot, he continues to perform well in the AHL. In goal, we will also see players from the Czech league taking turns. Samuel Hlavaj, Matej Tomek, and Stanislav Skorvanek who were recently recruited by Mountfield HK in the Czech Republic. The goalkeepers are hardly the team's strength but should be sufficient enough that it won't become a problem.

I would not rule out Slovakia causing upsets against better nations, watch out Sweden and the USA, this is not a team to take lightly!

4. Germany

Last year's big surprise! Germany made it all the way to a World Championship final where they were defeated by Canada. German hockey is not to be underestimated, the domestic league is of high quality and the Germans have been a talent factory in recent years. This year's edition, however, should have a tougher time as teams around gather strength.

No Moritz Seider this time obviously weakens the Germans' chances. However, JJ Peterka from Buffalo Sabres and Nico Sturm from San Jose Sharks have joined. Peterka showed his offensive skills last year in the World Championship where he scored 6 goals and assisted seven. In Buffalo, the production continued with 28 goals and 22 assists. Behind the two NHL players, we find a plethora of players from the domestic league, DEL. There are also elements from the Swiss top league where Marc Michaelis and Dominik Kahun continue to deliver at a high level. From DEL, we still find Frederik Tiffels and Leo Pfödler who have long been part of the German national team and its successes. Among the defenders, the most interesting player is Maksymilian Szuber, the 19-year-old has done well in the AHL and might very well get a chance to play with Arizona in the NHL in the future if the development continues in the right direction.

This year's edition of the German team is not as interesting as last year. It looks somewhat weaker on paper and when teams around have brought in significantly better players, Germany is unlikely to be a surprise to hold in hand throughout this championship. There is also a risk that the Germans completely miss the playoffs if Slovakia lives up to expectations, for Latvia is a real threat breathing down the Germans' necks.

5. Latvia

Many of us surely remember last year's bronze medalist, Latvia, and the images that were spread after they beat the USA in the bronze match at home. More joy is hardly possible to witness and the whole of Riga celebrated long into the morning! A new World Championship is approaching and a bronze coin is hardly likely for the Latvians this time. The team as such, however, does not differ radically from last year's edition, but as I mentioned earlier, the teams around are so much better that it looks impossible. What could be possible, however, is to snatch a playoff spot from the Germans or possibly the Slovaks.

In the squad, we find, among others, Rodrigo Abols, now in Rögle, Martins Dzierkals who this season played in Skellefteå and a couple of familiar names from Hockeyallsvenskan in the form of Miks Indrasis (Brynäs) and Rihards Marenis (Nybro). Indrasis had a really fine season with Brynäs and in total, it was 29 goals and 41 assists in the regular season and playoffs. Latvia will, however, lack Rudolfs Balcers who after a few seasons in the NHL now plays in the Swiss top league. Instead, a young talent in Raivis Ansons, has gotten the chance for the first time with the A-national team, playing in the AHL on a daily basis. Also, experienced Kaspars Daugavins will represent Latvia this World Championship, now playing in the Slovak league.

The team's only NHL star we find at the back of the ice. It is 30-year-old goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins who comes from a good season in the NHL with Columbus Blue Jackets. However, I am somewhat skeptical that this team will be enough against, for example, Germany over an entire group play. It is usually stingy matches when Latvia plays and perhaps they can disturb the slightly better teams enough to once again scramble into a playoff, but I do not believe that they repeat that feat when they do not have the whole stand with them this time.

6. Kazakhstan

Well, then it's time for Kazakhstan. Or rather the KHL team Barys Astana as we might as well call them since the bulk of the players come from there. The team's big star, Nikita Mikhailis, however, has changed club address and now plays in the champion team Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Behind him is the experienced Roman Starchenko who some surely recognize.

Just because it says KHL behind many of the players, one should not believe that this is a good team. Barys is a real punching bag in the KHL and has been so for a long time, something the results of the Kazakhstani national team testify about. Previously, Curtis Valk and Viktor Svedberg were also in the Kazakhstani national team and if we rewind to 2019-2020, there was more height in the team that has been undergoing a generational change. The Ice Hockey World Championship 2021 they were close to solving the playoffs to barely stay in the top division of the Ice Hockey World Championship in 2022 and 2023. The team looks thinner now than then, but it is also a team that is incredibly difficult to place. Based on the two previous championships, they are likely to struggle again this time.

7. France

Ligue Magnus is the name of France's top league and that is where most of the French national team usually resides. There are, however, a few exceptions and perhaps we can see France cash in some victories against mainly Kazakhstan and Poland to stay in the top division.

The country's big star, Alexandre Texier, who usually plays in Columbus Blue Jackets will not be in this World Championship representing France. But despite this, the French have an NHL player in the squad. Pierre-Édouard Bellemare who plays in Seattle Kraken. He is not exactly a point machine, but is skilled in the defensive work and elevates himself above the rest of his teammates. It's a bit of a recurring theme for the French team, that all the foreign pros they have are not goal scorers. The exception is Stéphane Da Costa who continues to play in the KHL and is one of their top players. He will surely be France's best goal scorer unless someone unexpected steps up. The foreign pros that France has should however be skilled enough for them to rise above Poland which I believe will be the group's punching bag.

8. Poland

I must be honest, Polish hockey is NOT my specialty! In fact, only five players in the Polish national team do not come from the domestic league and of the foreign pros they have, only two play in the top leagues. Aron Chmielewski and Pawel Zygmunt play in the Czech top league without in any way standing out.

The last time Poland played Ice Hockey World Championship was 22 years ago. Hockey in Poland has not been doing well during the 2000s and has been plagued by a crisis-ridden economy, mismanagement, and weak commercial interest. Hopefully, their advancement to this year's championship can turn the negative trend that has been. Right now, the team is ranked last in the group by all betting companies and it's hard not to agree.

Long-term betting Ice Hockey World Championship 2024

Sweden to win the World Championship gold @ +350 DraftKings

Betting for the first round of the Ice Hockey World Championship

Czech Republic - Finland

As you can see from my review above, I still hold the Czech team higher than the Finnish. I believe that with the fans behind them, they start the championship in the best way and secure a victory!

Czech Republic ML played on DraftKings at -110!

Slovakia - Germany

I am convinced that Slovakia is heading for a better World Championship this year. Germany fields a somewhat weaker squad while the Slovaks have brought in quite a few NHL players along with the final Leksand duo Hrivik and Chelarík!

Slovakia ML @ -125 on bet365!