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A clean sweep then today for WORLD HOCKEY over the writers at NHL.COM with the roster predictions for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games this coming February in Vancouver :

• WH 16 – NHL.com 15 — CZECH REPUBLIC
• WH 17 – NHL.com 15 — FINLAND
• WH 18 – NHL.com 17 — SWITZERLAND

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I was under the impression that Canada were to release their roster December 31, however, apparently it is out.

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Another razor thin margin with the final tally for Slovkia’s Olympic squad ending 19-18 in favor of NHL.com and ROCKY BONNANO.

Bonnano, it should be noted, accurately included both PAVOL DEMITRA and MIROSLAV SATAN on his Slovak roster.

Next up — a whole bunch of teams.

Four in all, including three — CZECH REPUBLIC, FINLAND, SWITZERLAND — involved in the informal contest with NHL.com here.

Sweden national team coach BENGT-AKE GUSTAFSSON did not include defenseman DOUGLAS MURRAY (2) on his Olympic roster for the San Jose Shark's offensive abilities on the blue line. Here, at the 2008 IIHF World Championships in Canada, Murray cashes a Czech Republic forward at the bench.

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Close shave with Sweden’s Olympic roster as the final score of 17-16 with respect to correct roster predictions would indicte. Adam Kimelman of NHL.com is just nipped by WORLD HOCKEY.

The third-string goalie goes WH’s way today.

In the end, perhaps, Detroit Red Wings forward JOHAN FRANZEN was just one player too many with questionable physical fitness on Kimelman’s roster.

Next up, Slovakia.

(WORLD HOCKEY will present predictions for Latvia and Norway, who are due to release their rosters the same day as Slovakia, December 29, as well, if not as part of the informal contest with NHL.com)

Two young superstars, EVGNEY MALKIN (71) and ALEXANDER OVECHKIN (8), will be actively seeking a Russian restoration of power at the Olympic ice hockey tournament in Vancouver this February.

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The back-up goalie ends up the difference as MIKE MORREALE of NHL.com ends with a total of 21 out of 23 for Russia’s Olympic squad.

Forwards ALEXANDER FROLOV and OLEG SAPRYKIN were Morreale’s only misses.

WORLD HOCKEY ends with a score of 20 out of 23. Salavat Yulayev Ufa’s goaltender ALEXANDER EREMENKO and defenseman VITALI PROSHKIN as well as the Los Angeles Kings’ forward Frolov were the incorrect picks.

Next up — Sweden, who are scheduled to announce their roster December 27.

Belarusian defensemen VLADIMIR DENISOV (right) and ALEXANDER RYADINSKY (left) double-team Czech Republic forward TOMAS PLEKANEC at the 2009 IIHF World Championships. Denisov, 25, has two years' experience at the American Hockey League level playing 66 games (2 go 6 as, 8 pts, 111 pim) for the Lake Erie Monsters in 2007-08 and 62 games (5 go 15 as, 20 pts, 117 pim) for the Hartford Wolf Pack last season.

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Alright then. The informal contest between this blog and NHL.com to pick the Olympic rosters has unofficially begun. All eyes now turn to the scoreboard…

BILL MELTZER of NHL.com actually had two extra players on his final prediction for Belarus, which was posted here at this blog.

However that manifested itself, the bottom line today is that 17 of Meltzer’s 25 chosen players have appeared on the Olympic roster released by the Belarus Ice Hockey Federation today. Including the two extra players, this would mean 68% of Meltzer’s player projections came through.

WORLD HOCKEY (i.e., Rolf) correctly forecast 17 of 23 players appearing on the final Belarus Olympic roster released today for a score of 73.9%.

Next up — Russia, who are scheduled to announce their roster on Christmas Day.