Rejoice, hockey fans, because after watching four months of sports played on non-ice surfaces, the coolest sport on Earth is back. Of course, some hockey fans are luckier than others. The followers of these six teams can look forward to seasons which should extend well into the spring.

Detroit Red Wings: The defending champion Wings retained every key player from last year’s Stanley Cup run. Then, they upgraded their team by adding one of the best two way players in the game, forward Marian Hossa. Detroit has it all: a powerful offense led by point machines Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg and a tough defense spearheaded by the grace and guile of Nicklas Lidstrom and punctuated by Niklas Kronwall’s jarring hits. Add in the fact that Detroit is led by Mike Babcock, one of the best coaches in the business, and it’s not a far stretch to think that Hockeytown could be home to the Cup for a second straight season.

Dallas Stars: Losers to Detroit in last year’s Western Conference finals, the Stars snuck up on other teams late in the season with their toughness, goaltending, and clutch scoring. It will be hard for Dallas to take anybody by surprise this season but then again, they won’t have to. With the addition of all-world tough guy Sean Avery, the Stars gained another player in the mold of team captain Brenden Morrow. Morrow, along with Mike Ribeiro and Brad Richards, will shoulder the Stars’ attack while defenseman Sergei Zubov and goalie Marty Turco hope to shine on the defensive end of the ice.

Chicago Blackhawks: While other teams (Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks) are probably safer picks to make it deep into the playoffs, there is hardly a team in the Western Conference with more potential than the Blackhawks. Although the franchise had been mired in mediocrity for years, it missed the playoffs last year by just three points while fielding a team of youngsters and journeymen. Rookie sensations Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are locks to improve on their impressive numbers from last season, and the Hawks made some of the biggest moves of the offseason by signing defenseman Brian Campbell and goalie Cristobal Huet. Campbell will be a big help to the offense as a quarterback from the point. Huet proved during the playoffs with Washington last season that he can be a dominant netminder. With Chicago’s fans once again rabid about their team, this squad is a good dark horse pick to make some noise during the season.

Washington Capitals: The Caps were the NHL’s Cinderella story last season, going from bottom feeders to Southeast Division champions and turning the nation’s capital into a hockey city. This season, Washington expects to be on top from the start. The red, white and blue are led by the best player in the NHL, Hart and Art Ross trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin. High scoring defenseman Mike Green, forward Nicklas Backstrom, and third year wing Alexander Semin, aka the best selling jersey among college students of all time, also contribute to what should be a dynamic offense. These players will be bolstered by the veteran leadership of Sergei Federov, Michael Nylander and captain Chris Clark. Former Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore will be consistent between the pipes and make the Caps forget about the loss of Huet to free agency. Reigning coach of the year Bruce Boudreau’s fast paced, relentless offensive attack schemes make his squad the most fun to watch in the league.

Montreal Canadiens: Montreal had the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season last year. However, the Habs did not meet expectations in the playoffs, barely beating the Bruins in the first round before falling to the Philadelphia Flyers in the conference semifinals. This season, the club’s centennial anniversary, the team and its fans hope to build on that playoff loss and win the Cup for the first time since 1993. Led by the veteran Alexei Kovalev up front and 21-year-old phenom goaltender Carey Price, the Canadiens also feature an impressive supporting cast made up of goal scorer Robert Lang, blue liner Mike Komisarek and Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn. Montreal also added enforcer Georges Laraque to create some toughness on a team derided for a lack of it last season.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Any time a team possesses two of the most complete forwards in the game, it’s bound to be a force to be reckoned with. Such is the case with the Penguins, who feature Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in a tantalizing point producing, playmaking tandem. The defending Eastern Conference champs also have the young but unflappable Marc-Andre Fleury in net, and Jordan Staal and Miroslav Satan to help out the two superstars up front. Brooks Orpik and Hal Gill are the two cornerstones of a defense that is above average, but it is the offense that will carry this team.

Stanley Cup Prediction: Detroit beats Washington in the finals, becoming the first back to back champions since the Wings accomplished that feat in the ’96-’97 and ’97-’98 seasons.