USA Hockey: Team 2006

[Lou is God]

At head coach: Stanley Cup Champion John Tortorella. Great with youth, and will play an attacking style that was simply not evident against Finland.

Is he american, because if so good call there.

 

[devildan]

Gomez has never player RW, he's played C and LW. I doubt you'll see him move because he's much more effective at center.

Gomez played RW a little at the beging of the 02-03 season. If you remember, this was when Elias was being tried out at center for a little bit.

 

[Classic Devil]

Gomez played RW a little at the beging of the 02-03 season. If you remember, this was when Elias was being tried out at center for a little bit.

Elias, as I recall, was decent at center... but Gomez was miserable on wing.

 

[BAuldie]

I think the Americans are one there way down a bit once the likes of Tkachuk and Modano are past their prime. Don't get me wrong, they will still be a good team but I don't think they'd be top 3 for a bit. There seems to be a lack of snipers and all of they youngsters are good players for sure but very few have superstar written all over them potentially.

Granted the drop off won't be nearly as dramatic was Swedens when Sundin, Forsberg, Alfredsson and Naslund are all past their prime.

 

[devildan]

Elias, as I recall, was decent at center... but Gomez was miserable on wing.

Both were pretty crappy in their new positions, but the point is that Gomez HAS played RW before.

 

[Classic Devil]

Both were pretty crappy in their new positions, but the point is that Gomez HAS played RW before.

Are you sure it was RW? I could've sworn it was LW...

 

[newschool]

You have got to be kidding me with this Mark Eaton crap.

Talk about homerism at it's best.

Eaton isn't even a second pair defensmen in the NHL, on a legit playoff team.

You look at the top 12 defense cores in the league, and Eaton is a 5 or even 6 on those teams.

Yeah, a team like Nashville canget away with him as their 4th best defensmen, but in all reallity, the guy is a 5/6 defensmen.
Heck, even on Nashville last year, he's their 4th best defensmen AT BEST, and maybe 5th.
Certainly Timmonen,Zidlicky, and Hamhuis are better, and even at this point in his career, York might be better.
This is a VERY average defense core we are talking about as well.

Mark Eaton won't even EVER get a sniff of playing international hockey for Team USA.

Book mark it, write it down, whatever.

Mark Eaton, Mark I am a really good THIRD PAIR defensmen.
That's funny.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

You have got to be kidding me with this Mark Eaton crap.

Talk about homerism at it's best.

Eaton isn't even a second pair defensmen in the NHL, on a legit playoff team.

You look at the top 12 defense cores in the league, and Eaton is a 5 or even 6 on those teams.

Yeah, a team like Nashville canget away with him as their 4th best defensmen, but in all reallity, the guy is a 5/6 defensmen.
Heck, even on Nashville last year, he's their 4th best defensmen AT BEST, and maybe 5th.
Certainly Timmonen,Zidlicky, and Hamhuis are better, and even at this point in his career, York might be better.
This is a VERY average defense core we are talking about as well.

Mark Eaton won't even EVER get a sniff of playing international hockey for Team USA.

Book mark it, write it down, whatever.

Mark Eaton, Mark I am a really good THIRD PAIR defensmen.
That's funny.

It's already been written down. He's played for the U.S. in past World Championships and was approached this year to do the same, but declined. I don't think anyone's suggesting he's an elite player, but he is a good defenseman, and serves as a safety valve, which is nice when you pair him with an offensive guy.

 

[newschool]

World championships don't compare to the world cup or olympics.

A large number of NHL'ers are still playing in the playoffs during the world championships.
Then you have the guys who are injured, and the guys who are so tired from an NHL season they just don't want to play.

I should have made it more clear that I meant olympics and world cup.
I guess I expected people to be responsible and realize I didn't mean the world championships, where countries send off their "C" teams.
You don't get the top, or even second teir guys for a world championship roster.

Eaton will NEVER make an olympic or world cup roster for the USA.
The guy is a solid third pair defensmen in the NHL.
There are a TON of guys ahead of him for the US in big time international events.

 

[miss hockey]

Can you read Miss Hockey??
So, I'd love to know where you are coming from with my "old defense."

You say the core should be 23-33, the average age of the defense is 27.8.

you´re right i cant read or count =) =)

sorry about that my bad :lol

 

[Westlander]

I don't think the US will be able to field a competitive team in 2006 either. I think the USA's next time in international events is in either 2008 or 2010.

Our next big wave of talent is about 16-22 years old right now. DiPietro, Komisarek, Suter, Parise, O'Sullivan, Schremp, Montoya, Whitney, Johnson, Kessel, etc. are the core future, IMO. Most of them are still teenagers, which means they still need about 5 (or more) years to hit their stride.

There's not a lot of talent in the 23-28 range. There's Leopold, Martin, Gomez, Legwand, Malone, Miller, Cole, Mara, Berard, and a few others I'm probably forgetting. But there's just not a lot of depth, or any superstar players that stick out.

By 2006,2008 or whenever the next big international tournament is, I think the US will be very competitive, although probably not among the favourites to win. It might be awhile before we see a US team match the peak that they reached in 1996, but there is no reason why they should not be competitive. Youth, determination, and a good goaltender can take you pretty far, and they should have all those things. And, if they can play a solid team game, it's not necessary to have 12 superstars in the lineup. Look at Finland.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Gomez has never player RW, he's played C and LW. I doubt you'll see him move because he's much more effective at center.

He played RW with Brylin and Holik in the 2002 season before getting injured.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Are you sure it was RW? I could've sworn it was LW...

Its was LW with Langenbrunner on the right side if I remmeber correct.

 

[Big Phil]

All I can say is that back in 2002, the USA had arguably their best team ever iced. Even better than 1996 you could say. They had to win that tournament or else come 2004 or even 2006 they would be too old I remember thinking back then.

Now the best young player they have is Scott Gomez at almost 25. Not bad, for team Germany. Compare that to all of the young guys on Canada's team and USA looks very weak in the future. Its not a god thing when you have the same core of players from '96 that you do in '04. Its okay if their good enough but the US has no young guys to pick up the slacks. They are lucky to be even getting fourth right now.

And I don't think Schremp, O'Sullivan, Parise, etc. are ever going to be near the core of players like the over the hill Amonte, Modano, Roenick, Guerin, Weight, Hull clan. The fact they were in the semis makes them look good actually, it may not happen for a while. And Robert Esche is good, but he doesnt scare anyone.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

All I can say is that back in 2002, the USA had arguably their best team ever iced. Even better than 1996 you could say. They had to win that tournament or else come 2004 or even 2006 they would be too old I remember thinking back then.

Now the best young player they have is Scott Gomez at almost 25. Not bad, for team Germany. Compare that to all of the young guys on Canada's team and USA looks very weak in the future. Its not a god thing when you have the same core of players from '96 that you do in '04. Its okay if their good enough but the US has no young guys to pick up the slacks. They are lucky to be even getting fourth right now.

And I don't think Schremp, O'Sullivan, Parise, etc. are ever going to be near the core of players like the over the hill Amonte, Modano, Roenick, Guerin, Weight, Hull clan. The fact they were in the semis makes them look good actually, it may not happen for a while. And Robert Esche is good, but he doesnt scare anyone.

Thanks for your concern. Somehow, I think the U.S. will get over a decade of producing average to above average hockey talent and kick it up a notch by 2010. We're no Canada, but then again, we don't have to be.

 

[Rocky Saginuts]

First of all, it's very doubtful there will be NHLers at the Olympics. With this lockout, there is practically no chance the owners and players will be on the same page to the extent they can work out the logistics (let alone insurance, marketing, etc). 24 months aint that far away ya know...

Besides, there is no secret the league is trying to promote the World Cup as the new cash cow. Having them play in the Olympics 2 years before and after only cheapens the WC. In other words, they have no control over the IOC (same thing goes on with soccer).

As far as the US team goes, they made a poor decision to field an old team; not just for this tourney, but also from the perspective of getting top level experience for their young guys for the future. I would have had Parise and Montoya there, if only to learn from the older generation (Canada did it with Lindros in 87).

Having said all that, I think US hockey is in for a tough 5 years or so. Too bad, I miss the Canada-US final rivalry already....

 

[Waveburner]

Couple of things:

1)Pencilling Drury into a 'checking line' is suicide. He's not the worst defensive player around but he's not a guy I'd trust against top performers.

2)Quoting a post 100 lines long and replying with an 8 word response is soooooooooooooo freaking annoying.

 

[Sotnos]

Is he american, because if so good call there.

Tortorella is from Massachusetts. He doesn't have any "ins" with USA Hockey though, so I doubt he'd get the nod if they didn't even bring him on as an assistant this time despite some of the players putting in a good word for him.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

First of all, it's very doubtful there will be NHLers at the Olympics. With this lockout, there is practically no chance the owners and players will be on the same page to the extent they can work out the logistics (let alone insurance, marketing, etc). 24 months aint that far away ya know...

Besides, there is no secret the league is trying to promote the World Cup as the new cash cow. Having them play in the Olympics 2 years before and after only cheapens the WC. In other words, they have no control over the IOC (same thing goes on with soccer).

As far as the US team goes, they made a poor decision to field an old team; not just for this tourney, but also from the perspective of getting top level experience for their young guys for the future. I would have had Parise and Montoya there, if only to learn from the older generation (Canada did it with Lindros in 87).

Having said all that, I think US hockey is in for a tough 5 years or so. Too bad, I miss the Canada-US final rivalry already....

What kills me is "experts" like you pissing on the team the U.S. iced at the World Cup this year when we were 1/2 a period away from going to the championship! It wasn't age or lack of talent that prevented us from getting there, merely two bad defensive lapses, that's it! I wonder what you would have said if the better team had won the match-up you had against the Czech Republic? There is no doubt a golden age of American hockey has passed, but it's not like we're totally going in the dumper. Goaltending and defense in particular look better than they ever have, it's the forward position where there are questions, and even there it's not like we're dead. We'll be fine thank you very much.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

All I can say is that back in 2002, the USA had arguably their best team ever iced. Even better than 1996 you could say. They had to win that tournament or else come 2004 or even 2006 they would be too old I remember thinking back then.

Now the best young player they have is Scott Gomez at almost 25. Not bad, for team Germany. Compare that to all of the young guys on Canada's team and USA looks very weak in the future. Its not a god thing when you have the same core of players from '96 that you do in '04. Its okay if their good enough but the US has no young guys to pick up the slacks. They are lucky to be even getting fourth right now.

And I don't think Schremp, O'Sullivan, Parise, etc. are ever going to be near the core of players like the over the hill Amonte, Modano, Roenick, Guerin, Weight, Hull clan. The fact they were in the semis makes them look good actually, it may not happen for a while. And Robert Esche is good, but he doesnt scare anyone.

You piss on the players that led USA to the WJC gold medal over team Canada.....not really smart.

 

[Reilly311]

if Ryan Malone isn't on anyones list, please, send me the crack you are smoking.

 

[Mountain Dude]

You piss on the players that led USA to the WJC gold medal over team Canada.....not really smart.

He's right though, none of them are ever going to be mega-star players.

Edit: Well thats not true, maybe 1 or 2 will be stars, but to think that a majority of them can be made a best-on-best team in something like the Olympics or World Cup is laughable.

 

[Reilly311]

He's right though, none of them are ever going to be mega-star players.

how many will be stars off canadas roster? By your logic, none of them will be.

 

[Mountain Dude]

how many will be stars off canadas roster? By your logic, none of them will be.

Maybe Crosby, if you're 19 and still playing in the junior tournaments, you're probably not going to be "the next big thing". Because if you're actually that good, you can already compete when you're 19.

Ie. Rick Nash.

 

[devildan]

He played RW with Brylin and Holik in the 2002 season before getting injured.

ugh how could i forget. He scored like 40 points in 50 games after starting out the season horribly before Holik broke his hand heading into the playoffs.