The 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championships are now underway. Due to the Olympics in February this prestigious event is running a month early. This international event showcases the best young hockey players in the world. Most are Division I college players under 20 years old and are the leading NHL prospects. The games are hosted by Canada in Saskatoon and Team Canada is a favorite to win. Canada has 15 goal medals more than any other team in the tournament.
Teams in Group A include Canada, USA, Switzerland, Slovakia and Latvia. Group B includes Sweden, Russia, Finland, Czech Republic and Austria. In the round robin play, Team USA had a lead against Canada but ended up losing in overtime. In the semifinals Team USA had an impressive showing against Group B leaders Sweden winning 5-2. Derek Stepan of Team USA is the individual scoring leader at this time with 3 goals and 9 assists. Canada has 4 players in the top ten scoring leaders. Team USA has fought back to earn a spot in the gold medal match against Canada. This will be a tough game for Team USA as the crowd will be behind Team Canada.
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