Wednesday marks the beginning of the final 100 days before the 2010 Winter Olympic cauldron is lit during the opening ceremony in Vancouver. The men's ice hockey tournament, pitting professionals from numerous leagues -- especially the NHL -- will be one of the most highly contested events, not to mention a sought-after ticket. 

To help mark the occasion of the 100 day countdown to Feb. 12, the announcement dates for the final 23-man rosters of each of the 12 nations in the hockey tournament was revealed by the International Ice Hockey Federation, each a mini celebration of the sport itself. 

The first nation on deck is Belarus, which will announce its roster on Dec. 23. The busiest day for Olympic roster news is Dec. 30, when the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and Switzerland name their players. The last two nations in the lineup are Canada on Dec. 31, coinciding with the Canada vs. United States preliminary-round game from the World Junior Championship tournament in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan. The United States will unveil its roster on Jan. 1 during the annual NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic game from Fenway Park, pitting the Bruins and Flyers. The announcement will be made on the nation-wide NBC broadcast. 

On their respective date, each nation must announce a list of 20 skaters and three goaltenders to participate in the Vancouver Games.

Unlike previous Olympics, there will not be taxi squads in Vancouver. This means that injured players can not be replaced. After the teams' roster announcements in December or on Jan. 1 and leading up to Feb. 15, roster changes may only be possible in the event of injuries or exceptional and valid reasons.

The preliminary round runs from Feb. 16-21. The qualification round for non-playoff teams is Feb. 23. Quarterfinals take place on Feb. 24 and semifinals on Feb. 26. The bronze medal game is Feb. 27, and the gold medal contest on Feb. 28.

On Feb. 22, the off day between the preliminary round and the playoff round, the IIHF will stage a ceremony to honor the 22 members of the Triple Gold Club, the most exclusive club in hockey consisting of players who have won Olympic gold, the IIHF World Championship and the Stanley Cup. Sweden has the most members with nine, followed by Russia (six), Canada (five) and the Czech Republic (two). The Triple Gold Club ceremony is a joint effort by the IIHF, the NHL and the NHLPA.

The XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver will take place from Feb. 12-28, 2010.

Contact Rocky Bonanno at rbonanno@nhl.com