By Matt Canamucio, Sports Network NHL Editor

For the third time in Olympic history, the men's ice hockey tournament will feature the use of National Hockey League players.

The format began with the 1998 Games in Nagano and continued with the very successful tournament at Salt Lake City four years later. Led by Dominik Hasek, the Czech Republic won the '98 gold with a thrilling victory over Russia, but it wasn't until the '02 Games when the NHL-Olympic partnership was truly grasped by those in North America.

The '02 tournament watched Canada and the United States hop on a collision course with each other. Each team had its own subplots -- Canada's quest to end a 50-year drought and the Americans' attempt to capture Herb Brooks' second gold -- and the squads ultimately met in the gold medal game. Canada posted a 5-2 victory in the match, on the same date it won the nation's last gold 50 years earlier.

Canada's gold medal in 2002 sparked its resurgence as the dominant force in international ice hockey. Since the dramatic triumph, the Canadians have won a pair of IIHF World Championships and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Overall, ice hockey in the Olympic Games dates back to 1920, when the tournament was part of the Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The Winter Games then began in 1924 at Chamonix, France.

Twelve countries will compete in this year's tournament: Canada, United States, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland.

TOP CONTENDERS AND CURRENT CHAMPIONS

The Canadians will seek their first string of back-to-back gold medals since winning in 1948 and '52. The last team to win successive Olympic titles was the Soviet Union/Unified Team, which won in 1984, 1988 (as Soviet Union) and 1992 (as Unified Team).

The United States enters the tournament with a fresh group of faces, vastly different from the core group that helped win the 1996 World Cup and silver at Salt Lake City. Young head coach Peter Laviolette takes the late Brooks' spot on the bench, as the Americans attempt their first gold since 1980's Miracle on Ice.

Hasek and the Czechs will try to re-claim the gold they won eight years ago in Nagano. Once again Jaromir Jagr, who is back on the map as one of the NHL's elite, leads the offensive attack, while youngsters like Ales Hemsky, Petr Prucha and Martin Erat get their first tastes of Olympic action.

Sweden won gold with a thrilling shootout victory over Canada in 1994, but hasn't medaled since then. After opening the '02 tournament with a blowout victory over Canada, the Swedes' hopes were ultimately dashed by an upstart Belarus team in the quarterfinals. This year's roster has several holdovers from past Swedish teams, like Peter Forsberg, Markus Naslund, Mats Sundin, Nicklas Lidstrom and Daniel Alfredsson, among others. Overall, the Swedes showcase a very veteran group, with only one player -- goaltender Henrik Lundqvist -- under 24.

Russia picked up bronze in '02, marking its first medal since the Unified Team's gold in Albertville. The days of the Red Army and winning 8-of-10 golds at one point are over, but that doesn't mean the Russians won't contend. In 2002 it was a phenom named Ilya Kovalchuk giving the team a teenage presence, while this year budding superstar Alexander Ovechkin will be the one to watch. One name missing from the '06 roster is Sergei Fedorov, who removed himself from consideration so he could rest a groin injury that has nagged him all season.

Finland will be led by a resurgent Teemu Selanne, who has re-ignited his production with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim this season. Finland never has what appears to be a top team "on paper," but usually finds itself in the hunt -- winning bronze in 1994 and '98. The Fins made their most recent splash on the international stage by finishing second to the Canadians at the 2004 World Cup.

U.S./CANADIAN OUTLOOK

All you need to know about the Canadian team is that Carolina's Eric Staal and Ottawa's Jason Spezza, two of the NHL's breakout stars this season, were relegated to being taxi squad members. Without Mario Lemieux in the fold, Joe Sakic will captain Canada's attempt for a repeat, and Pat Quinn returns as the head coach.

Todd Bertuzzi, whose selection was a controversial one, is among a pack of powerful forwards that also includes the likes of Jarome Iginla, Joe Thornton and Rick Nash. Executive Director Wayne Gretzky also accounted for the speed needed on the larger ice surface, tagging Martin St. Louis, Simon Gagne and Ryan Smyth for the lineup.

Defensively the group is very similar to the corps we saw in Salt Lake City, while Martin Brodeur returns as the starter in goal, with Roberto Luongo backing him up.

The Americans, meanwhile, return veterans like Chris Chelios, Mike Modano, Bill Guerin and Doug Weight, but many of the holdovers are on or near the downside. There is an obvious lack of superstardom throughout the rest of the roster, with mid-level stars like Brian Gionta, Craig Conroy, Brian Rafalski and Jordan Leopold being relied on very heavily.

The U.S. roster gets even less experienced as you scroll down to the goaltender section. Neither Rick DiPietro, Robert Esche nor John Grahame have previously participated in Olympic competition.

WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY

Women's ice hockey makes its third appearance at the Olympic Winter Games in Torino.

The event debuted at the 1998 Games in Nagano, where the United States posted a shocking 3-1 victory over Canada in the gold medal game. Four years later, the Canada avenged the loss with a 3-2 decision in Salt Lake City, earning the nation the first half of its gold medal sweep in ice hockey.

The United States, however, enters this tournament as the reigning world champion. Last spring the Americans posted a thrilling 1-0 victory over Canada in a shootout, winning their first-ever IIHF World Championships tournament.

Overall, eight teams will once again compete for the gold at the Olympic Winter Games. In addition to the United States and Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland and Italy comprise the field.

Preliminary action kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 11, while the playoff round begins on the 17th.

TOP CONTENDERS AND CURRENT CHAMPIONS

Canada has been the dominant presence in women's hockey since it has taken to the international stage over the last 16 years. The Canadians have won eight of the nine IIHF World Championships held since the tournament began in 1990, with the loss to the Americans in 2005 as the only blemish.

The United States, meanwhile, hasn't dominated the Worlds like its neighbor to the north, but since winning silver in Salt Lake City the Americans have had moderate success on the international stage. Aside from last year's world championship, Team USA took home silver in the 2004 Four Nations Cup and '04 Worlds. The club also won silver and gold medals, respectively, at the '02 and '03 Four Nations Cups.

Finland has long been viewed as the third-best country in the world when it comes to women's ice hockey. The Finns won bronze in Nagano and finished fourth at Salt Lake City, losing to Sweden in the bronze medal game. In World Championship action, Finland has won the bronze all but two times -- with 2001 and '05 as the exceptions.

Sweden has emerged as a solid women's hockey team in recent years, winning bronze in both the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and the '05 IIHF World Championships.

U.S./CANADIAN OUTLOOK

U.S. head coach Ben Smith will stand behind the bench for this third Olympics, and he'll bring with him a team that possesses a strength of experience. Angela Ruggiero, Jenny Potter, Katie King and Tricia Dunn-Luoma will participate in their third Winter Games, while 10 other skaters will make their second straight Olympic appearances.

Ruggiero, a defenseman, enters the tournament as one of the American stars. Since Salt Lake City, the Harvard alum has won the 2004 Patty Kazmaier Award, which goes annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women's hockey. She has also signed on to play for the Montreal Axion in the National Women's Hockey League.

Canada, meanwhile, returns 13 players who claimed gold against the U.S. at Salt Lake City. Only two players on the experienced roster have not represented the country in either the Olympics or World Championships.

The face of women's hockey in Canada remains forward Hayley Wickenheiser, who has been a member of the national team since 1995. Since Salt Lake, Wickenheiser made history by becoming the first female player to record a point in a men's professional game, as she played briefly for Kirkkonummi Salamat of the Mestis league in Finland.