Canadian hockey fans whose team failed to make the playoffs or gets quickly bounced in the first round can still cheer for the national team this week, as the IIHF World Hockey Championships get started in Switzerland.

Team Canada played on home turf in Halifax and Quebec City in last year’s World Championships, but had to settle for silver after falling to the Russians in the gold medal game. The Canadians and Russians head into this year’s tournament as the favorites at Pinnacle.

Team Canada is listed at +218 to reclaim the gold this year and returns with many of the same players who wore the Maple Leaf last year in Halifax. Just a few of the returning players include Shane Doan, Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Martin St. Louis. A few other well-known names on this year’s squad include Drew Doughty, Luke Schenn, and Shea Weber on the blue line, and Matthew Lombardi, Derek Roy, and Steven Stamkos up front. The goalies on the preliminary roster are Josh Harding and Dwayne Roloson, but that could change after the first teams get knocked out of the NHL playoffs. In fact a few more big names, such as Rick Nash, could end up on the roster after the first round finishes up.

The Russians come in just slightly ahead of Canada at Pinnacle at +217. Russia’s chances of repeating as gold medal winners could depend upon how far the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks go in the playoffs. Last year’s Russian squad was filled out by the Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Sergei Fedorov, while Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov started in nets. If the Caps and Sharks don’t get knocked out early Russia would have to get by without those stars this time around. A few NHLers the Russians will have to carry the load this year include Alexander Frolov, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Ilya Bryzgalov.

The only other teams in this year’s field that the Pinnacle oddsmakers are giving a real chance of winning gold are Sweden and the Czech Republic. Sweden is a +530 underdog with the NHL players on the roster including Loui Eriksson, Nicklas Grossman, and Tobias Enstrom for starters. The Czechs are a +668 underdog led by Jaromir Jagr.

Canada’s first game of the tournament is against Belarus, and the Canadians are huge -1900 favorites. Russian gets started versus Germany and they’re also heavily favored at -1400.