Olympics: Team USA 2022

[Big Phil]

“You never know with Kane and such” “I'd worry about him as much as anyone on that team.”

Great your onboard then. Totally the opposite of what you previously wrote.

No, no, no. I was speaking as a Canadian saying this, not from the Team USA lens. As for me, Kane is the one who scares me the most, from an opposition standpoint. As a Canadian I mean. When I said I "worry" about him I mean that if it is under a minute and he is slinking into our zone he is a guy I worry about scoring against us the most. More than Matthews, more than Eichel. Now you can probably see why I was confused. That original thought on Kane was looking from an opposition lens.

 

[ElLeetch]

I like him, him and Larkin have had chemistry when together at the World Championships in my opinion. Also have been good pk tandem, so a fringe special teams benefit. I just think ultimately he is outgunned for a spot. That is actually a good sign, a player of Kreider's caliber never used to be left at home for something like this. But I won't be upset if Kreider does make it. He offers a lot as a player. He plays a consistent, hard game with a lot of pace. But there is just a lot more talent in the program than there used to be.
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In a vacuum, player-for-player, he may not be one of the top 12 forwards the US team can offer, but that not how a team is made. you don't outfit an army with just one gun type.

 

[ElLeetch]

Since it is Hockey Day in America, I would like to name MY top 10 American Born players all-time -modern era

#1. Patty Kane- GTFO here- he is the best and will be the best when said and done
#2. Patty Lafontaine- He was Kane in an era of Goliaths- his stats are insane- just too injured
#3. Chris Chelios- Warrior- doesn't matter what you think of him, the guy was a warrior
#4. Mike Modano - He was a 50 goal scoring center right out the gate-think Matthews but better skater
#5. Brian Leetch - all around one of the most complete dmen to ever play the game
#6. Keith Tkachuk- was a beast on ice, one of the best snipers of his era
#7. Jeremy Roenick - injuries slowed down what was a HOF career
#8. Doug Weight- crazy slick passing, underrated shot and defense -was excellent all around C
#9. Ryan Miller-amazingly athletic and elite in his prime-was a beast
#10. Mark Howe/Rod Langway - I have Howe above Housley- he was insane - if you never saw him play, I only saw highlights, he was legit. Langway was the Sec of Defense- was a shut down beast..probably needs to be higher.

HM: Tony Amonte, John Leclair, Phily Housley, Tim Thomas, Bill Guerin, Kevin Stevens, Derian Hatcher, Mike Richter, Brian Rafalski, Neal Broten, Joe Mullen, Dave Christian, ...

you could have just said Patty Kane + 1996 World Cup Roster

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Big Phil gonna Big Phil...it is all good we know why he is here trying to diminish this group. He be scared!

USA has the chance at a great team here..Canada is always Canada they will be at the top as well. Just hope we get to see it.

US defense is wicked smaat!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I think if Pavelski is playing at a similar level next season he makes the team. So versatile and would be a boon to the PP.

 

[SENSational]

Put the damn Chucks together, Brady is the perfect player to wreck havoc against Canada. This can easily be the best team USA has ever put together.

 

[NorCalhockey]

Do we know what the tv times will be for hockey in the Beijing Olympics?
I recall crazy live game times on the West Coast when the World Cup was held in Japan/Korea in 2002 (like somewhere between midnight to 3:00am Pacific time zone).
Will the IOC/IIHF try to accommodate North America in the Beijing Olympics for the hockey games (men and women)?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Do we know what the tv times will be for hockey in the Beijing Olympics?
I recall crazy live game times on the West Coast when the World Cup was held in Japan/Korea in 2002 (like somewhere between midnight to 3:00am Pacific time zone).
Will the IOC/IIHF try to accommodate North America in the Beijing Olympics for the hockey games (men and women)?

Likely middle of the night/early morning on the West Coast and early morning/late morning on the East Coast.

 

[NorCalhockey]

Likely middle of the night/early morning on the West Coast and early morning/late morning on the East Coast.

If this holds true....UGH! At least Olympic hockey isn't as long as a World Cup tournament. I suppose I could deal with a crazy sleep schedule/lack of sleep for a couple of weeks.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

If this holds true....UGH! At least Olympic hockey isn't as long as a World Cup tournament. I suppose I could deal with a crazy sleep schedule/lack of sleep for a couple of weeks.

Beijing is 13 hours ahead of the East coast and 16 ahead of the west coast. If they have the games in the same arena, it was 4:30 hours apart for the start times in the last Olympics. If they have the games in separate arenas, they can have them at the same time.

I guess its possible they could have the the games early afternoon in North America. Maybe have them 12PM local time in different arenas, which would have them start at 11PM Eastern and 8PM Western, as a best case scenario for North America.

But thats about as good as it could get. For what its worth, there were three regular start times spread throughout the day in 2018, so if they use the same plan, we'll likely get various different times. Maybe each coast gets one or two favorable start times, and then one or two terrible start times. However, that was an Olympics without the NHL, so maybe the NHL has some pull in the start times for 2022, if they are sending their players there.

 

[MNRube]

Put the damn Chucks together, Brady is the perfect player to wreck havoc against Canada. This can easily be the best team USA has ever put together.

Both Tkachuks and Greenway would give the US a very heavy team.

 

[canuck2010]

Suck it up guys! This is hockey, not Tennis or Golf or Wrasslin'. You watch it when its on, neither sleet nor snow nor Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders will deter you from your mission.

 

[Big Phil]

Do we know what the tv times will be for hockey in the Beijing Olympics?
I recall crazy live game times on the West Coast when the World Cup was held in Japan/Korea in 2002 (like somewhere between midnight to 3:00am Pacific time zone).
Will the IOC/IIHF try to accommodate North America in the Beijing Olympics for the hockey games (men and women)?

I can remember Nagano, Japan in 1998. I recall waking up at 3am Eastern standard time to watch a live game. I am not a coffee drinker, so I always had some hot chocolate. Then I would go back to bed. So I can clearly remember waking up at ungodly times then and then still sleeping before waking up on a weekday. You do what you have to do. If I recall, the Gold medal game was on a Saturday night at 11:45pm EST. I didn't watch it, but I seem to remember clearing my schedule back in 1998 to make sure nothing would get in the way of that.

It was so much different 4 years later in 2002. I can remember some afternoon games and I remember the gold medal game was at 2 or 3pm EST on a Sunday.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

 

[Rabid Ranger]

A little more time has passed and here's my current trends:

Positive: I think guys like Pacioretty, Tuch, Kreider, and Guentzel are playing themselves into strong consideration

Negative: I have to wonder about a guy like Gaudreau. Very skilled but he's been a bit adrift the past couple of seasons. He's really top-six or bust, even on a best on best international team and I just don't know if he brings enough all-around to warrant a spot at this time. I'm also going to eat crow and say goaltending is not as much of a strong point as I had originally envisioned. I'm fairly confident in Hellebucyk as he tends to play well even behind a porous Jets' defense but John Gibson has been a disaster this year. I think he makes it but who else is out there? Demko?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think he makes it but who else is out there? Demko?

Demko, Bishop, Oettinger, and Petersen I would think are battling for the third spot.

 

[JiggsNY]

A little more time has passed and here's my current trends:
Negative: I have to wonder about a guy like Gaudreau. Very skilled but he's been a bit adrift the past couple of seasons. He's really top-six or bust, even on a best on best international team and I just don't know if he brings enough all-around to warrant a spot at this time.

I know what you mean with Gaudreau. I think he has definitely trended into bubble category. Especially now that so many of our young guys are breaking through (DeBrincat, Farabee etc), and so many of our older guys are sticking around and having revitalizing seasons (Pavelski, Wheeler, Pacioretty, Kreider, etc). Like you said Johnny hasnt seem to have been in full form for a couple years now, and if other guys are scoring as much or more than him then their other attributes like penalty killing, defense, physical play might end up being tie breakers.

 

[JiggsNY]

Also think Adam Fox is going to push for a spot, he has to be one of the top candidates to break into the team.

 

[JZCislesHockey]

I think Lee makes it if he comes back strong from knee surgery, he was on pace for a career year when he went down and he captains one of the best teams in the league. Brock Nelson and, if he keeps trending upwards, Oliver Wahlstrom could also be dark horses.

 

[mphmiles]

Also think Adam Fox is going to push for a spot, he has to be one of the top candidates to break into the team.

Fox should be a no brainer at this point. He’s legitimately a top 10 player at his position right now, and can play in every situation.

 

[topshelf15]

The US has depth ,not only on the team right now... But the kids the have developing along with B squad guys ..Makes them a lock to medal

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I know he probably isn't in the conversation but Hanifin has looked excellent under Sutter in Calgary.

 

[Dooble08]

I think Lee makes it if he comes back strong from knee surgery, he was on pace for a career year when he went down and he captains one of the best teams in the league. Brock Nelson and, if he keeps trending upwards, Oliver Wahlstrom could also be dark horses.

They are nice players, but LW is fairly deep for USA. I think Lee has a tough time making it knee injury or not.

Wahlstrom probably won't have enough of a body of work for USA to consider him. I think it would be fun to have a all young player line of him, Jack Hughes, and Joel Farabee. But I don't think any of them make it.

 

[NorCalhockey]

The US has depth ,not only on the team right now... But the kids the have developing along with B squad guys ..Makes them a lock to medal

Boy is this a change of the times. Usually, it's only Canada who can field two competitive teams due to an embarrassment of riches. Nice that Team USA finally has this "problem"!

 

[DInTheB]

Also think Adam Fox is going to push for a spot, he has to be one of the top candidates to break into the team.

Fox and McAvoy should anchor the top two pairings, with Weresnki, Petry, Slavin and Carlson rounding out the top six.