WJC: What's right with USA?

[Pavel Buchnevich]

eh they might have a couple down years soon give them a chance next year only because on home soil (next year roster is already a major downgrade) but the next crop of players coming out for them in next couple years are a notch down from t he ones in last 3-5 years

I don't accept your premise.

2004's were a wagon. Okay, fair enough.

2005's really weren't. They just had a few great players, and those players got a lot better over time (don't know why you're acting like these players can't/won't get better as they did).

You're complaining about the talent of the players and fail to recognize they will return the leading scorer at the tournament.

 

[TonsofPuppies]

This outsider's view is that Hockey Canada is everything that is bad about the Old Boys Club Of Inefficient Cronyism: "We lost, but we got paid and had a bunch of fancy free dinners in the meantime. Next year, our buddies can do it too!"

Hopefully you can get it fixed soon.

Canada produces so much talent that there will always be some years where the amount of talent available simply overpowers bad coaching / management. The 2022 team that Cameron coached is one such example. Next year could be a scenario like that. But HC simply doesn't learn from their mistakes. This year's WJC was a carbon copy of the 2006 Torino olympics debacle and we're still here nearly 20 years later dealing with the same garbage. lol

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

they go with the best team they can possibly assemble. That's all. Its a best of one.
USA know its pointless to outhit the opponent. At the end of the game the team with more goals will win the game, not the team with more hits. Wow its actually quite insulting now that I see how the USA assembles their team, compare to what we do up in the north. I think its similar to how the Russians would assemble their team. They will ice an talented team, only in Canada, do we try to assemble a don cherry goon in em type of group . Well done USA. Now its Canadas turn to learn a thing or 2 from the Americans.

I think this is being overdone.

Canada has the most talent to choose from and they massively f***ed up their roster this year with the grit and toughness strategy, but most years they probably don't select a bad roster comparatively to what the other nations are selecting. And remember the last WCH where the USA chose Glendening and all these bums for the 4th line because Torts wanted it and the team bombed? Yeah, they aren't immune to these decisions.

There actually were some bad roster decisions for this US team, but they won the tournament, so it doesn't really matter. Canada definitely made some of their worst roster decisions ever this year, but I think this idea that Canada just doesn't select their best team and the USA and all the other teams do isn't exactly true on a historical basis.

 

[wickedwitch]

David Carle is reason #1 on that list. Coaching is where the biggest difference is.

 

[Signupnow]

They are better at hockey than everyone else, that’s what is right.

Why wouldn’t they be? Largest economic power and much more resources than any other nation. They should be the best every year no question as they will be at soccer in the next 20 years.

NCAA is also the place to play now and Canadians are realizing that.

Soccer is not very likely. A lot of these Soccer players coming from everywhere in the world. South America, they are fighting for their families survival, Europe has a big history of soccer too and a population somewhat like USA.

So that some diabetic Americans are going to compete in the worlds biggest sport because they can compete in a small niche sport for rich kids in some rich countries is not very likely as they go home and be comfortable in the couch until the next day eating a pepperoni pizza with the insulin pen in the other hand.

In South America they play from morning to midnight from the age of like 4.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

2013 in Ufa when there was an NHL lockout. Not surprised you forgot about that one.

To be fair, Canada had a forgettable performance, despite having all their best talent available.

Johnny Gaudreau took them to school that year. Something poetic about a 4th round pick showing up 5 of the top 9 picks from the same draft year (RNH, Huberdeau, Strome, Scheifele, Hamilton).

 

[Mathieukferland]

They take their best players and Carle is a great coach with an NHL future

 

[SanDogBrewin]

USA Hockey finally understood, many years ago, High School and College Hockey wasn't enough.

 

[kyle44]

High level talent combined with good coaching and an unparalleled familiarity with one another. I did this very quickly so there could be errors here but, from my count, of the 25 players on this years roster:

(10) played at least one game with the 2021-22 U-17 NTDP (Augustine, Nelson, Fischer, Leonard, Minnetian, Burnevik, Buium, Moore, Fortescue, Perreault)

(8) played at least one game with the 2022-2023 U-17 NTDP (Burnevik, Stiga, Ziemer, Hagens, Hensler, Hutson, Plante, Eiserman)

(7) played on the U-17 team that won gold in 2022-2023 (Stiga, Ziemer, Hensler, Hutson, Plante, Eiserman, Hagens)

(15) played at least one game with the 2022-2023 U-18 NTDP (Augustine, Slukynsky, Terrance, Burnevik, Fischer, Hagens, Fortescue, Hutson, Minnetian, Eiserman, Buium, Nelson, Moore, Leonard, Perreault)

(14) played on the U-18 team that won gold in 2022-23 (Augustine, Slukynsky, Terrance, Fischer, Hagens, Fortescue, Hutson, Minnetian, Eiserman, Buium, Nelson, Moore, Leonard, Perreault)

(7) played at least one game with the 2023-24 U-18 NTDP (Hensler, Hutson, Plante, Ziemer, Stiga, Eiserman, Hagens)

(8) played on the U-18 team that won silver in 2023-24 (Hensler, Hutson, Plante, Ziemer, Stiga, Eiserman, Hagens, Connelly)

(7) played on the U-20 team that won gold in 2023-24 (Augustine, Nelson, Fortescue, Buium, Leonard, Moore, Perreault). (8) if you count Hillebrandt.

(6) play on the BC Eagles (Leonard, Perreault, Hagens, Stiga, Fortescue, Minnetian)

When you take talented players that have that much experience playing with one another during the year, as well as extensive experience playing together (and winning) in international tournaments, you are setting yourself up for gold most years.

 

[TonsofPuppies]

To be fair, Canada had a forgettable performance, despite having all their best talent available.

Johnny Gaudreau took them to school that year. Something poetic about a 4th round pick showing up 5 of the top 9 picks from the same draft year (RNH, Huberdeau, Strome, Scheifele, Hamilton).

Also, to be fair, that team was coached by Steve Spott - the dude brought "tanning lamps" to Europe with him. Total clown. Dave Cameron tier. He has been a joke everywhere he's ever been (I think he's running the Dallas Stars PP right now) and yet somehow keeps getting work. Utterly baffling.

 

[eco's bones]

What's right about the USA team starts with USA Hockey and the USNTDP. Year in year out the WJC teams are drawn from these entities and these are players who've played and trained and grow and become friends together for years in some capacity or another. The United States also has the largest population of the competing teams to draw from (or as long as Russia remains out) and that doesn't hurt and bodes well for the United States in future WJC's. I think one of the problems for the Canadians is the teams they put together are more like glorified all star teams and there are some politics involved in choosing the team.....you couldn't for instance not choose any players from the Q. CHL players have heavier game schedules and don't have the same amount of time with each other to build chemistry and the friendships that US players have.

 

[Channelcat]

Better coached, more disciplined. They play a "pro game" while Canada still relies on skill with its helter skelter style which used to work. That being said...... hasn't Canada also won twice in the past 4 years?

 

[Prettyisland]

eh they might have a couple down years soon give them a chance next year only because on home soil (next year roster is already a major downgrade) but the next crop of players coming out for them in next couple years are a notch down from t he ones in last 3-5 years

I live near the prep school that is essentially a feeder to the usntdp.. the talent is not wavering anytime soon. As it stands USA hockeys focus is developing groups of elite players by age group. They don’t care about the rest of the hockey players in the country. That will allow them to dominate these types of tournaments and put out 1-2 truly elite players from every group. That is their focus

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Inject this copium straight into my veins.

At least the argument has changed from our B team could win.

 

[BLNY]

They're fast, skilled, and virtually all of them can shoot the puck. And, perish the thought, the coaching staff lets them play that way.

 

[Chimaera]

I live near the prep school that is essentially a feeder to the usntdp.. the talent is not wavering anytime soon. As it stands USA hockeys focus is developing groups of elite players by age group. They don’t care about the rest of the hockey players in the country. That will allow them to dominate these types of tournaments and put out 1-2 truly elite players from every group. That is their focus

This as I said above is a lot of it. Sure, it helps other teams see some of their top picks in the NHL (though admittedly, a few US kids could be there now too, Leonard for one had an offer and would play for the Caps), but the development program along with coaching is paying massive dividends. The US doesn’t have a ton of kids playing hockey (though it is likely growing a bit) but they’re boosting the top talent who they do have. The scattershot approach to it in other places will limit development.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Well coached, took all the best players available, never get called for very obvious and egregious dives 10+ times per game

 

[SI90]

After the embarrassment of having USA win gold in their home country and Canada not even medal, the Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has decided to resign

 

[Prettyisland]

This as I said above is a lot of it. Sure, it helps other teams see some of their top picks in the NHL (though admittedly, a few US kids could be there now too, Leonard for one had an offer and would play for the Caps), but the development program along with coaching is paying massive dividends. The US doesn’t have a ton of kids playing hockey (though it is likely growing a bit) but they’re boosting the top talent who they do have. The scattershot approach to it in other places will limit development.

It ensures top end talent. You’re far less likely to get a kid “come out of nowhere” in the United States. You’ll get some bottom 6 guys make it after seasoning their craft in D1 ncaa. But American stars are destined to be that and molded from as early as 14 years old

 

[Teemu]

After the embarrassment of having USA win gold in their home country and Canada not even medal, the Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has decided to resign

If you want to rebuild the program, you have to start at the top. The way top.

 

[MNRube]

Well coached, took all the best players available, never get called for very obvious and egregious dives 10+ times per game

Yep, that’s why they won. A conspiracy from refs to ignore their chronic diving. Definitely makes sense

 

[TheBeastCoast]

They paired up a really strong age group with a great coach and this is what you get. I am curious if Carle comes back next year with a slightly less talented group how it ends up going.

 

[TonsofPuppies]

They paired up a really strong age group with a great coach and this is what you get. I am curious if Carle comes back next year with a slightly less talented group how it ends up going.

Carle might get an NHL coaching gig if he keeps it up.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Canada remains at the top of the hockey world… With Bedard, Celebrini and McKenna coming… Hockey Canada is a strong as it’s ever been and will not lose a single game in the 4 Nations tournament or Olympics… Or any other competition that is best on best.

Canada would have won at least 13 of the last 14 WJC if it was best on best no doubt.. Not this USA make a wish tournament

I love canadian tears , and I'm a proud Canadian!!!

 

[Shane Diesel]

I'm going to be sad when David Carle gets lured away from DU to the NHL.