Showing Some International Love: The Lesser Known U20's

While yesterday was Canada's last intra-squad game, and while TSN* (and - to a lesser extent - other media outlets here) will be non-stop about the team until the damn tournament is over, we here are going to focus on the lower U20 tournaments (or as its known: the place where teams come from to lose 50-0 to Canada).

*Quick side note: TSN really needs someone with a smidge of international hockey knowledge to tell them that the U20's don't count in the world ranking. Stop with the "Swiss is top 7 material" in an essentially meaningless tournament.

U20 Division 1 Group A - Belarus (host), Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Ukraine

My Predictions:
1 (Promotion)- Belarus
2- Latvia
3- Ukraine
4- Italy
5- Japan
6 (Relegation)- Great Britain

While Latvia (the main tournament's relegation from last year) will prove some tough competition, Belarus has a shot to get promoted since they get home-ice advantage. The promotion will most likely go the winner of their game. On the other side of the spectrum, I expect Great Britain to fall back to Division 2, mostly because Japan and Italy are mainstays at this level.

U20 Division 1 Group B - Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Slovenia (host)

My Predictions:
1 (Promotion)- Austria
2- Slovenia
3- Denmark
4- Kazakhstan
5- Croatia
6 (Relegation)- Lithuania

The U20 Austria team is too much like there senior team: too good for Division 1, not good enough for the top division. I can see Slovenia making a push for the top with Denmark (and possibly Kazakhstan) as an outsider looking in. The battle for last will be between Croatia and Lithuania. I'm picking Lithuania to go back to Division 2 (admittingly I'm a bit bias on this one)

U20 Division 2 Group A - Belgium, Estonia (host), France, Iceland, Netherlands, Spain

My Predictions:
1 (Promotion)- Iceland
2- France
3- Estonia
4- Belgium
5- Netherlands
6 (Relegation)- Spain

France and Iceland will be the battle for the promotional spot. I'm giving Estonia third place mainly by default, Belgium would improve while the Netherlands slip because the competition seems higher than last year. Spain will get knocked down to Division 3.

U20 Division 2 Group B - Australia, China, Hungary, South Korea, Poland, Romania (host)

My Predictions:
1 (Promotion)- Poland
2- Hungary
3- Romania
4- Australia
5- South Korea
6 (Relegation)- China

Poland will regain its spot in Division 1, although Hungary might be able to put up a challenge. Between the other four, even though Australia seems likely to go back to Division 3, I've heard there program is improving. Romania had a decent showing last year, so it comes down to the two Asian teams. South Korea finished higher last year than China and I can't see that changing.

That's it for now, and unless I start caring about the top division, the next time you'll see something like this will be at the end of the month since the Division 3 (ya, that's as far as that goes) group starts in January.