Canada will gear up for their World Juniors gold medal defence against Russia.

Team Canada’s lone pre-competition game at the World Juniors will be a rematch of last year’s gold-medal game against Russia, which Canada won 4-3.

The game kicks off a pre-competition doubleheader on TSN that also features the Czech Republic taking on Slovakia. The action gets underway tonight at 6pm et/3pm pt on TSN3/5, TSN Direct, and streaming on TSN.ca.

Canada is bringing one of their deepest rosters in years to the World Juniors. All 14 forwards and six of eight defencemen are NHL first-rounders, led by 2019 third overall selection Kirby Dach, who missed last year’s World Juniors while playing with the Chicago Blackhawks, and 2020 second overall selection Quinton Byfield, who was part of Canada’s gold medal-winning squad a year ago.

Byfield is one of six returning players this year alongside fellow forwards Dylan Cozens, Connor McMichael and Dawson Mercer, and defencemen Bowen Byram and Jamie Drysdale.

Cozens finished tied for sixth in points in last year’s tournament with two goals and seven assists while McMichael was tied for fourth in goals with five.

A number of prospects are tied to Canadian teams, as well. The Calgary Flames lead the way with two in forwards Connor Zary and Jakob Pelletier. Also up front are Cole Perfetti, who was drafted 10th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2020, and Dylan Holloway, who went 14th overall to the Edmonton Oilers in the same draft.

On defence is Montreal Canadiens prospect Kaiden Guhle, selected 16th overall in the most recent NHL Draft.

There is still a question mark in net for Team Canada where the competition for starting goalie is wide open ahead of the tournament according to TSN analyst Ray Ferraro. A pair of 2020 draft picks, Dylan Garand and Devon Levi, and 2021 draft-eligible Taylor Gauthier are vying for minutes between the pipes for Team Canada.

There will be no such question for Russia, who will be led by top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov, who was selected 11th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators.

Other first-rounders on Russia’s roster include forwards Vasily Podkolzin (Vancouver Canucks), Rodion Amirov (Toronto Maple Leafs), and Yegor Chinakhov (Columbus Blue Jackets), and defenceman Shakir Mukhamadullin (New Jersey Devils).

The Leafs also have fourth-rounder Mikhail Abramov, while the Flames have second-rounder Yan Kuznetsov on the roster.

Top prospect Daniil Chayka, who was 13th on TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie’s first 2021 draft rankings, is also part of Russia’s World Juniors roster.

The Czech Republic feature Canadiens prospect Jan Mysak, who was drafted in the second round in 2020.