Cassie Campbell says no country can rival Canada's goaltending tandem of Charline Labonté (pictured) and Kim St-Pierre. (Antonio Calanni/Associated Press)

Few could blame the Canadian women's hockey team for feeling superior these days – the undisputed queens of the sport are as dominant as ever heading into the world championships in Winnipeg and Selkirk, Man.

But the Canadians, who are coming off a gold-medal performance at the 2006 Torino Olympics and a Four Nations Cup crown, will be competing beginning Tuesday with a large chip on their shoulders. For the first time in the team's glorious history, it will be attempting to reclaim the world title instead of defend it.

After an unprecedented run of eight straight gold medals dating back to the tournament's inception in 1990, Canada lost a heartbreaking final to the Americans in 2005 in Linkoping, Sweden.

The defeat was especially tough on the veteran players, who had never sported anything other than gold medals around their necks.

Current HNIC commentator Cassie Campbell was a member of the Canadian team that lost at the worlds in 2005. She knows her former teammates are hungry for some redemption in 2007. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

"Without question, the loss is a [motivating factor]," said Hockey Night in Canada analyst and former national team captain Cassie Campbell.

"I mean we didn’t allow a goal in the entire tournament and lost 1-0 in the shootout. So I think that left a bitter taste with a lot of the players. Also, we lost the last time we played in Winnipeg to the U.S. prior the Olympics, and we didn’t play very well in front of the hometown crowd. So I think the girls are going to use both those things as motivation."

However, Canada isn't the only nation with something to prove. The American women are still feeling the after-effects of their stunning defeat to Sweden in the semifinals of last year's Olympics. The devastating loss left many to ponder if the gap between the second best team in the world and the rest of the field had gotten smaller.

So are Canada and the U.S. destined to meet in the final for the 10th consecutive time, or can viewers expect another monumental upset? While Campbell fully expects the two countries to battle for gold in the end, she doesn't dismiss the Swedes or Finland as contenders.

Here is a rundown of this year's field, including Campbell's take on all nine teams and some players to watch.

BATTLING FOR GOLD

Canada
Credentials: Two-time reigning Olympic champions, eight world titles
World Ranking: 1st

The Canadians faced an unexpected contender in the final at the Olympics, but the result remained unchanged. Canada cruised to its second straight gold with a convincing 4-1 win over its Swedish counterparts. The women continued steamrolling through the competition again at the Four Nations Cup several months later, surrendering only two goals en route to a ninth title. Simply put, this team has no weaknesses along its deep roster.

Campbell's take: "The Canadians have four lines that can contribute offensively, and they have the best goaltending in the world without question in Charline Labonté and Kim St-Pierre. Both those girls are capable of being No. 1. All of their lines can create offence yet still play good defence. They have a combination of defensive defencemen and some good offensive puck movers back there as well. They are just so consistent and they prepare. I think it will be difficult to beat them and there’s no question they're my gold-medal pick."

Player to watch: Meghan Agosta
"I’ve never seen a player come into the program like she did last year and dominate," said Campbell. "Given the confidence that [Agosta] received from experiencing her first Olympic Games, she could really do some damage at this championship. I think you’re really going to see what she’s capable off."

Krissy Wendell may be the best women's hockey player in the world right now. (Brian Kersey/Associated Press)

United States
Credentials: 1998 Olympic gold medallist, 2005 world champions
World Ranking: 2nd

The Americans gained a small measure of revenge at the Four Nations Cup, crushing Sweden 7-0 in the preliminary round. However, their 5-2 loss to Canada in the final suggests their play isn't at the same level as the squad that won the worlds two years ago. The U.S. team is also coming off a 2006 season when popular captain Cammi Granato was surprisingly released before the Olympics, a move that drew widespread criticism.

Campbell's take: "[Releasing Granato] was a huge blow to the psyche of that team and a huge mistake on the coach's part. They still have Krissy Wendell, which is big advantage. The Americans are also getting Jenny Potter back after she delivered her second child. She is a gifted offensive player. I think the weakness is their defence, which is going to hurt them."

Player to watch: Krissy Wendell
Campbell says Wendell was by far the best player at the Four Nations. "From what some of my former teammates and other people are saying, she dominates games. She's someone that you can say is probably the best player in the world right now."

PLAYING FOR BRONZE

Sweden
Credentials: 2006 Olympic silver medallist, 2002 Olympic bronze medallist, six-time medallist at the world championships
World Ranking: 3rd

Campbell's take: "They’re big, skilled and can wear down their opponents physically. But they have to capitalize on mistakes in order to upset teams that are better. Obviously they have a great goaltender [Kim Martin], although she had surgery this year, so she’s not playing at 100 per cent. The big thing for the Swedes right now is getting support from their federation in order to push them to that next level."

Player to watch: Maria Rooth
"Her skill is ridiculous," explained Campbell when asked about Rooth. "She's probably the most skilled player in the world, but is always overlooked. She’s sort of a typical European player with a ton of playmaking ability, and if you give her offensive opportunities, then you’ll find them in the back of the net. She doesn’t miss too many chances."

Finland
Credentials: 1998 Olympic bronze medallist, seven-time bronze medallist at the world championships
World Ranking: 4th

Campbell's take: "Finland is a young team and lost a lot of their superstar players over the last four or five years. Unfortunately, the team is in a rebuilding stage but is very fast, skilled and tenacious. I also think they have a chance to upset Sweden to move into that bronze-medal spot."

THE DARK HORSE

Russia
Credentials: 2001 world bronze medallist
World Ranking: 6th

Campbell's take: "Russia came over in 1997 with not enough skates and sticks for their players, and then in 2001 they win the bronze medal. They have some team chemistry and players that play together throughout the season that maybe gives them a bit of an advantage in that department."

THE REST

Germany
Credentials: Placed fourth at the 2001 world championships
World Ranking: 5th

Campbell's take: "The Germans have always been one of those teams that can play with Canada or the U.S. in the first period, then drop off. A lack of commitment to physical fitness has always been their issue."

Campbell says Chinese goaltenders are always tough to play against. (Doug Benc/Getty Images)

China
Credentials: A pair of fourth-place finishes at the world championships
World Ranking: 7th

Campbell's take: "The Chinese always had a great goaltender and we used to call them the Great Wall of China. This is a team that plays all year long together. The fascinating part about this team is that every single player is left-handed. They skate well, but it’s still a country that is learning about hockey."

Switzerland
Credentials: Finished seventh at the 2006 Torino Olympics
World Ranking: 8th

Campbell's take: "[The Swiss] are sort of a typical non-hockey nation that's slowly getting better on the men's side and women’s side, but you still look for them to finish sixth or seventh."

Kazakhstan
Credentials: Placed seventh at the 2005 world championships
World Ranking: 9th

Campbell's take: "Kazakhstan is another one of those countries that is growing, but are held back with some social issues concerning females, and I don’t expect them to finish higher than ninth."