The world's top 16 ice hockey teams are ready to rumble again at the annual world ice hockey championships, which slide into action in Moscow tomorrow.

Reigning world champions Sweden, who also won the Euro Hockey Tour this season, come into the event aiming to confirm their status as the world's ice hockey superpower and win a second consecutive world title for the first time.

Meanwhile a set of challengers are determined to throw down the gauntlet and provide the Turin Olympic champions with tough opposition.

Last year's runners-up the Czech Republic, bronze medallists Finland, who clinched their only world title in 1995, and traditional powerhouse Canada, who finished fourth last year, are also ready to fight for the title.

This season's Euro Hockey Tour runners-up Russia, who are hosting the championship, also dream of reclaiming the glory that accompanied almost every display by the all-powerful Red Machine before the fall of the Soviet Union.

Few of the European ice hockey giants have announced their final line-ups, as they are still able to boost their squads with players from sides eliminated in the first round of the NHL's Stanley Cup.

The world's top 16 teams will start their quest for the title in four preliminary round groups.

Sweden top Group A, which is based in Moscow. They are up against Switzerland, Latvia and Italy.

Czech Republic head Group B, which is based in Mytishchi, a small town just outside Moscow. They will play against the United States, Belarus and Austria, who was promoted to the top division last year.

Canada will fight it out with the 2002 world champions Slovakia, as well as Norway and Germany, who also returned to the ice hockey elite after last year's win in the lower division, for the top place in Group C, also in Mytishchi.

Finland face Russia in Group D, also to be played in Moscow, alongside Ukraine and Denmark.

The bottom teams in each group then go on to play in a separate group to decide which two sides get relegated to the second tier of world ice hockey.

The top three squads in each group proceed to the qualification round, where the teams from groups A and D play-off against each other and those from B and C do likewise to decide the eight quarter-finalists.

The title winner will be decided in the final match on May 13 in Moscow.

(China Daily via AFP April 27, 2007)