Showing Some International Love: Deutschland Cup Preview

The sad part about this preview: I completely forgot about this tournament until I was making bets on the Euro Hockey Tour. This tournament has Canada in it for crying out loud! I go to box for two mintues, feel shame.

Most information from Internation Hockey Forums. Better than HFBoards, Amirite?

Rosters

Canada

Goalies: Sebastien Caron (Iserholn Roosters), Tyler Weiman (Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers)
Defense: Shawn Belle (Alder Mannheim), Kyle Cumiskey (MODO), Brett Festerling (Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers), Mark Katic (Eisbaren Berlin), Chris Lee (Farjestad BK), Richie Regehr (MODO), Matheiu Roy (Hamburg Freezers), Marc-Anthony Zanetti (Dusseldorfer EG)
Forwards: Mark Bell (Iserholn Roosters), Dustin Boyd (Barys Astana), Nigel Dawes (Barys Astana), Stephen Dixon (Assat Pori), Carsen Germyn (Straubing Tigers), Connor James (Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers), Yanick Lehoux (Alder Mannheim), Norm Milley (Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg), Adam Mitchell (Alder Mannheim), Matt Pettinger (Straubing Tigers), Karl Stewart (Straubing Tigers), Julian Talbot (Eisbaren Berlin)

Germany

Goalies: Dennis Endras (Alder Mannheim), Dimitrij Kotschnew (Hamburg Freezers), Rob Zepp (Eisbaren Berlin)
Defense: Sinan Akdag (Krefeld Pinguine), Jens Baxmann (Eisbaren Berlin), Florian Ondruschka (Straubing Tigers), Nikolai Goc (Alder Mannheim), Frank Hoder (Eisbaren Berlin), Benedikt Kohl (Grizzly AdamsWolfsburg), Moritz Muller (Kolner Haie), Felix Petermann (EHC Red Bull Munchen), Benedikt Schopper (Grizzly AdamsWolfsburg)
Forwards: Alexander Barta (Rogle BK), Martin Buchwieser (EHC Red Bull Munchen), Garrett Festerling (Hamberg Freezers), Jerome Flaake (Hamburg Freezers), Philip Gogulla (Kolner Haie), Thomas Greilinger (ERC Ingolstadt), Kai Hospelt (Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg), Marcus Kink (Alder Mannheim), Frank Mauer (Alder Mannheim), Marcel Muller (MODO), Daniel Pietta (Krefelder EV), David Wolf (Hamburg Freezer), Patrick Reimer (Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers), Felix Schutz (Kolner Haie), Christoph Ullmann (Alder Mannheim), Michael Wolf (Iserlohn Roosters)

Slovakia

Goalies: Peter Hamerlik (Ocelari Trinec), Jaroslav Janus (Slovan Bratislava)
Defense: Ivan Barinka (Salavat Yulaev Ufa), Marek Daloga (HC Pardubice), Kristian Kudroc (Sibir Novosibirsk), Juraj Mikus (Lev Praha), Michal Sersen (Lev Praha), Tomas Slovak (HC Plzen), Martin Stajnoch (Slovan Bratislava), Richard Stehlik (MODO)
Forwards: Mario Bliznak (Slovan Bratislava), Michal Chovan (Zvolen), Peter Galambos (Bili Tygri Liberec), Marcel Hascek (HC Kosice), Marcel Hossa (Lev Praha), Marek Hovorka (Sparta Praha), Libor Hudacek (Slovan Bratislava), Tomas Marcinko (HC Kosice), Michel Miklik (Slovan Bratislava), Juraj Mikus (Lev Praha), Peter Olvecky (Slovan Bratislava), Branko Radivojevic (Spartak Moscow), Andrej Stastny (Slovan Bratislava), Tomas Zaborsky (Avangard Omsk)

Switzerland

Goalies: Reto Berra (EHC Biel), Martin Gerber (Rogle BK)
Defense: Eric Blum (Kloten Flyers), Alesandro Chiesa (EV Zug), Petrick Geering (ZSC Lions), Robin Grossmann (HC Davos), Clarence Kparghai (EHC Biel), Romain Loeffel (HC Fribourg-Gotteron), Tim Ramholt (HC Davos), Patrick von Gunten (Kolten Flyers)
Forwards: Andres Ambuhl (ZSC Lions), Patrik Bartschi (ZSC Lions), Simon Bodenmann (Kloten Flyers), Dario Burgler (HC Davos), Ryan Gardner (SC Bern), Denis Hollenstein (Kloten Flyers), Inti Pestoni (HC Ambri-Piotta), Kevin Romy (Geneve-Servette HC), Daniel Rubin (SC Bern), Fabian Schnyder (EV Zug), Victor Stancescu (Kloten Flyers), Reto Suri (EV Zug), Julian Walker (Geneve-Servette HC), Roman Wick (ZSC Lions)

Schedule

November 9
Switzerland - Slovakia
Germany - Canada

November 10
Germany - Switzerland
Canada - Slovakia

November 11
Switzerland - Canada
Slovakia - Germany

Predictions

1 - Slovakia
2 - Canada
3 - Switzerland
4 - Germany

Again, kind of dissappointed about the lack of NHL players. As for the predictions, I wish I was more well-versed in this tournament. Going by the rosters, it's basically 3 teams with part-WC rosters (the fourth team starts with "C" and ends in "anada"). Overall, I say Slovakia squeezes out the tournament win, with Canada finishing second, the Swiss in third, and the host Germany in fourth.