Zurich, Switzerland (My Sportsbook) - Dany Heatley and Steve Stamkos each scored a pair of goals, leading Canada to a 6-1 rout of Belarus in the opening game of the 2009 World Hockey Championship.

Heatley added an assist for Canada, which lost to Russia in last year's gold medal game in Quebec City. Jason Spezza notched a goal and two assists for the Canadians, while Mike Fisher also scored.

Dwayne Roloson made 23 saves for Canada, which will also play Slovakia and Hungary in Group A.

Slovakia gave up a two-goal lead in the third period, but Lubos Bartecko's goal with just 13 seconds to play gave the Slovaks a 4-3 win over Hungary on Friday. Marcel Hossa of Phoenix had a goal and two assists for Slovakia.

Stamkos, the first overall pick of last summer's draft by Tampa Bay, netted a pair of goals in the first period to give Canada a 2-0 lead. After a scoreless second, Ottawa teammates Spezza, Fisher and Heatley added goals just over six minutes apart in the third to make it a laugher.

Mikhail Grabovski of the Toronto Maple Leafs netted the lone goal for Belarus to break up the shutout bid for Edmonton's Roloson with 7:16 to play before Heatley scored again just 1:21 later for the final margin.

The defending champion Russians also opened play Friday and cruised to a 5-0 victory over Germany in Bern.

Oleg Saprykin and Atlanta Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk scored just 1:23 apart in the first period to stake Russia to a 2-0 lead. Ilya Bryzgalov of the Phoenix Coyotes turned aside all 20 shots he faced to earn the shutout.

Russia will also play France and host Switzerland in Group B.

Switzerland got 14 saves from Toronto goaltender Martin Gerber and a first period goal from Martin Pluss to take a 1-0 win over France on Friday.

The United States opens Group C play Saturday in Bern against Latvia. Sweden and Austria are also part of the Americans' group. Group D, which also starts Saturday, features Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway and Denmark.