I think a lot of people are being a bit short sighted. The US has been a very good producer of hockey players for a long time, although they have never been as good as Canada, and to a lesser extent some of the years with the Soviets/Russians. However, to say the US will never catch up is very biased and illfounded.
I respect that opinion, but I disagree. I think within the next 10-15 years, the US player production and skill level will continue to rise at the pace it is going now. It will only get better. Will they catch the Canadians? Maybe. They should at least get pretty close. Will they pass them? Most likely not. But beyond that 10-15 years, I wouldn't be surprised if they continue to invest in development like they have been.
The reason I suggest this is two fold. One, USA hockey has been extremely active in developing their younger players. USA hockey has invested a lot of money and time in improving the pipelines in the US. This funding has put a lot of new talent on the ice that wouldn't have been gaining experience in the past. Money and investment in younger players is what will continue to improve the overall talent pool of the American game. Secondly, the continued growth of NCAA hockey. NCAA hockey finally is on TV, and has a substantial following in many communities. While in the past there were solid college programs, now many new options for players to continue their sport and game have grown. Plus, college hockey has made leaps and bounds to developing potential NHL and AHL players. The top junior league in Canada is still odds on the best hockey production facility, and the place to get the most experience, but the NCAA is starting to keep more of the top American players and even bring in some Canadians. If NCAA hockey continues to grow, and gain in popularity, there are more options for the hockey players who start playing in the US to continue playing.
The reason most American athletes do well is not some inherent talent or aptitude for sports, but the prevelance of a collegiate and developmental system for them to partake. Football players from the US are good because they have options for experience and competition from High School and College. Baseball players have local teams, collegiate teams and high school teams. Basketball has AAU, High School and College. Hockey has had high school and college in the past, but not compared to what is out there now.
I think a good comparison to the US development should be soccer. USA soccer has always been decent, but lately has continued to pump funding into development at the youth level. They have had many camps and training schools to select out the top players and propel them to the international level. You see that currently with the rise of the young US soccer players. They're 8th in the world right now, which is a long way to go, but they should still continue to get better. While I don't think US soccer can catch the Brasils or the Englands anytime soon, the US funding and talent pool is going to continue to grow.
Hockey is similar to their soccer development. Except in hockey, the US is already in the top 4.
I'm not saying it will be tomorrow. I'm not saying next week. I'm saying, eventually, the US hockey production and quality of player should rival that of other nations in the world. Yes, Canda, the US and Russia (along with other countries) will all have their superstars, but I think from top to bottom the US squad will be extremely good.