Adam Kimmelmann, NHL.com’s deputy managing editor, Guillaume Lepage, NHL.com editor, and NHL.com editor Mike G. Moriali expect Canada and the United States to be in the gold medal game. Kimmelman and Lepage believed Canada would win, while Morell would choose the United States
Canada won the 2022 WJC Golf World Cup in August. No team has won back-to-back championships since Canada won five consecutive championships from 2005 to 2009.
The last time the United States won the WJC Championship was in 2021 when they beat Canada in the final.
Since the adoption of the current format in 1996, the United States has won four of the five times it has faced Canada in the gold medal game (2004, 2010, 2017, 2021). Canada won in 1997.
Each writer also selected the tournament’s best goalkeeper, best striker, and best defender. They also selected a top prospect in the 2023 NHL Upper Deck Draft, but with a twist – they fell short of Canadian forward Conor Bedard, a prospective No. 1 pick.
WJC 2023 will be held from December 26 to January 5 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick. The ten teams will play in two groups. Group A includes Canada, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria, and the preliminary round matches will be held at the Scotiabank Center in Halifax. The United States, Finland, Switzerland, Slovakia and Latvia will play in the second group, with the preliminary round matches to be held at the Avenir Center in Moncton.
The top four from each group will advance to the quarter-finals on January 2. The semi-final matches will be held on January 4, and the championship and third place matches will be held on January 5.
All games will be broadcast live on the NHL Network in the United States and on TSN and RDS in Canada.
Kimelman’s predictions
Group A winner: Canada
Group B winner: United State
a hero: Canada
a second: United State
Third: Finland
Surprise star: Caedan Bankier, F, Canada
Best goalkeeper: Niklas Koko, Finland
Best defender: Simon Nemec, Slovakia
Best striker: Conor Bedard, Canada
Most Valuable Player Eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft (other than Bédard): Adam Fantelli, Canada
Page outlook
Group A winner: Canada
Group B winner: United State
a hero: Canada
a second: United State
Third: Finland
Surprise star: Nathan Gaucher, Ph.D., Canada
Best goalkeeper: Thomas Milich, Canada
Best defender: Olin Zellweger, Canada
Best striker: Conor Bedard, Canada
Most Valuable Player Eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft (other than Bédard): Leo Carlsson, Sweden
Morel forecast
Group A winner: Canada
Group B winner: United State
a hero: United State
a second: Canada
Third: czech
Surprise star: Philip Messar, Slovakia
Best goalkeeper: Tomas Soshank, Czech
Best defender: Luke Hughes, USA
Best striker: Conor Bedard, Canada
Most Valuable Player Eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft (other than Bédard): Adam Fantelli, Canada
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