By Lance McCaskey

Staff Writer

The International Ice Hockey Federation, or the IIHF, started the 2012 World Championships this morning in Helsinki, Finland, with a game between France, and the United States.

The World Championships, similar to Junior World Championships, are a competition between any country who can qualify through a leveling tournament. The best from each country, excluding those currently engaged in the NHL playoffs, are selected for their selective teams, and given a chance to earn world-wide supremacy in the sport of hockey. Today marked the beginning of round robin play. The teams are grouped into groups of four, and every team in each group plays the other three. The top two from each group advance to a single elimination, bracket style tournament. The United States won their first game this morning, in a seven to two blowout over the France National Team. Their next game is this Saturday, as they take on boarder rival Canada. All United States games will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.