WJC: 2022 Team USA Roster Talk

[Deep Blue Metallic]

The USA Hockey devil's advocate viewpoint is Leaman led us to gold in 2021. He was part of the problem this go around but wasn't the only problem. I mean, they went 4-1. Pooped their pants at the worst moment but that can happen in single elimination.

He certainly wasn't entirely the reason for last night's loss, but his refusal to try different lines when the team was clearly struggling against an inspired, weaker opponent was baffling.

His refusal to bench the obviously injured Hughes was negligent. It hurt the team and risked aggravating his injury. Shameful.

Tom Fitzgerald should be blistering a few sets of ear drums at USA Hockey today.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

You are a genius to think this was a best on best tournament. It wasn't due to the IIHF/Hockey Canada clown show in December.

Yeah but Canada was missing more than anyone in this tourney (which is ALWAYS the case). They sent an absolute juggernaut in December

even Slovakia and Germany was missing more then the US

You can blame hockey Canada if you want but USA just wasn’t strong this year.

 

[William H Bonney]

even Slovakia and Germany was missing more then the US

No

 

[OldScool]

we call this "sour grapes"

I call it facts. The fans in Canada and Edmonton don't care about this rehashed version in August. I hope they do care about the next one in December. This one just doesn't feel right and I think everyone involved and watching can admit that.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Wow, they're having an WJC!

 

[MM917]

In all honesty this is a throwaway tournament. The real one should have happened in December but the ridiculous Covid rules and the inept management of both Hockey Canada and IIHF ruined that. The USA roster we weak because their best players are training for their upcoming seasons and made the smart decision to stay home verse playing a watered down tournament in Edmonton in August. Fans don't even care.

I am not sure you would have liked the results of a "real one" any better. The Canadian team would have walked through the competition if that were the case.

It likely still happens this way but nobody was hurt more by the delay of the tournament than Canada.

 

[OldScool]

Yeah but Canada was missing more than anyone in this tourney (which is ALWAYS the case). They sent an absolute juggernaut in December

even Slovakia and Germany was missing more then the US

You can blame hockey Canada if you want but USA just wasn’t strong this year.

How did that juggernaut work out in the last one for the Canadian team? US was missing KEY PLAYERS...other teams not so much. Arguably the best center, best defenseman and best goalie of the entire tournament opted out for USA.

I am not sure you would have liked the results of a "real one" any better. The Canadian team would have walked through the competition if that were the case.

It likely still happens this way but nobody was hurt more by the delay of the tournament than Canada.

Hahaha....remember the talent on the last Canadian junior team....they lost too.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Missed that last two USA games, was Mazur as good as his stat line/early game performances?

 

[William H Bonney]

It doesn't matter who was or wasn't here. They lost and they only have themselves to blame. The hypotheticals on how things would have gone differently if they had gone with different roster, had less defections, had fans in the stands, etc. don't mean anything. They can't be proven.

Missed that last two USA games, was Mazur as good as his stat line/early game performances?

He was one of the team's best players. If more guys showed up like him they'd still be playing.

 

[MM917]

How did that juggernaut work out in the last one for the Canadian team? US was missing KEY PLAYERS...other teams not so much. Arguably the best center, best defenseman and best goalie of the entire tournament opted out for USA.



Hahaha....remember the talent on the last Canadian junior team....they lost too.

Considering we have the most titles it has worked out pretty well.

Canada had two defensemen better than anything any other country can offer opt out in Power and Guehle. The best player and top 4 pick in Wright opt out, guys like Perfetii, Bourque, Gauthier and Neighbours better than 90% of US players opted out.

It sucks that the US lost a few guys but they aren't near the level of the players Canada is missing.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Yeah but Canada was missing more than anyone in this tourney (which is ALWAYS the case). They sent an absolute juggernaut in December

even Slovakia and Germany was missing more then the US

You can blame hockey Canada if you want but USA just wasn’t strong this year.

Hopefully this anomalous tournament sets the highwater mark for no-shows. Almost every strong nation was affected. No excuses for Team USA there.

What hurt the USA team most, however, was missing the goalie who would have certainly been our starter. One of the typical strengths of the team was instead a glaring weakness. That likelihood was thoroughly discussed here before the tournament started, and our fears were unfortunately realized.

 

[William H Bonney]

Why are we talking about Team Canada in the Team USA thread?

 

[OldScool]

Considering we have the most titles it has worked out pretty well.

Canada had two defensemen better than anything any other country can offer opt out in Power and Guehle. The best player and top 4 pick in Wright opt out, guys like Perfetii, Bourque, Gauthier and Neighbours better than 90% of US players opted out.

It sucks that the US lost a few guys but they aren't near the level of the players Canada is missing.

Homer.....Sanderson is better than Guehle but go on.....USA was missing the goalie which is kind of important don't you think? Beniers is better than anyone Canada was missing....

 

[MM917]

Why are we talking about Team Canada in the Team USA thread?

Sorry I saw the excuses made by one poster and replied I realize this is not the thread for that discussion.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Deleted my snark.

 

[MM917]

Homer.....Sanderson is better than Guehle but go on.....USA was missing the goalie which is kind of important don't you think? Beniers is better than anyone Canada was missing....

Sanderson is not better than Guehle. Berniers is not better than a number of the forwards I listed above, but keep pretending that is the reason you lost. LOL

 

[William H Bonney]

Talk about Team Canada in their thread.

 

[Guttersniped]

worst USA team since when?

You can say the same sentence about almost any team in this tournament except Latvia.

Goaltending was a real weakness when Commesso was going and now the US was one of the 5 countries without a drafted goalie in the tournament.

The team relied a lot on Hughes and his injury was simply a bit of bad luck plus Berard was an idiot when he was a player the team needed out there.

The complaints about rosters are eternal. Yeah, it seems like playing for Providence College always help a guy make the team under Leaman. Shocking.

The team didn’t have any big goal scorers like Canada, Mazur isn’t Bedard or McTavish. Someone like Knies or Samoskevich needed to get hot along with Coronato for this to work.

Cooley is very young, he wasn’t going to be the guy and I don’t know if having Nazar, or whomever, there would have helped (but I’m not arguing against it).

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

How did that juggernaut work out in the last one for the Canadian team? US was missing KEY PLAYERS...other teams not so much. Arguably the best center, best defenseman and best goalie of the entire tournament opted out for USA.



Hahaha....remember the talent on the last Canadian junior team....they lost too.

Lol is all I can say. Missing players for each team…

Canada: Jamie Drysdale, Quinton Byfield, Seth Jarvis, Cole Sillinger, Owen Power, Kaiden Guhle, Cole Perfetti, Jake Neighbours, Justin Sourdif, Xavier Bourgault, Mavrik Bourque, Dylan Guenther?, Shane Wright

USA: Matty Beniers, Jake Sanderson?, Drew Commesso

Germany: Tim Stutzle, Lukas Reichel, John-Jason Peterka, Florian Elias, Noah Dunham, Jussi Peterson, Justas Bottner, Yannick Burghart, Jakub Borzecki, Fabrizo Pilu, Julian Lutz

Slovakia: Simon Nemec, Juraj Slafkovsky, Filip Mesar, Martin Chromiak, Adam Zlnka, Samuel Knazko, Marko Stacha, Jakub Kolenic, Samuel Krajc, Jan Lasak, Rastislav Elias

Sweden: Sweden: Lucas Raymond, William Eklund, Alexander Holtz

USA did not have a strong group this year. Enough said.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

The US wasn't the only team affected by players not showing up. Canada is missing legit like 13 players, Slovakia's big 3 players didn't come, Sweden missing Raymond,Holtz and Eklund. All the teams are in the same boat and whining and moaning that the tournament doesn't mean anything when you bow out in the quarters just screams someone being a bad loser and can't just admit it wasn't their tournament. It happens to every nation at some point. Just move on to next year lol.

 

[OldScool]

Sanderson is not better than Guehle. Berniers is not better than a number of the forwards I listed above, but keep pretending that is the reason you lost. LOL

I didn't lose a thing. I am not a player on the team. The real tournament for this year is in December not this watered down retread attempt.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Is there a reason the USA doesn’t have a permanent coach like with their u18 and u17 teams? Yes obviously it’s not a full year team like the others but I feel that would help move away from disasters like this one

 

[nbwingsfan]

In all honesty this is a throwaway tournament. The real one should have happened in December but the ridiculous Covid rules and the inept management of both Hockey Canada and IIHF ruined that. The USA roster we weak because their best players are training for their upcoming seasons and made the smart decision to stay home verse playing a watered down tournament in Edmonton in August. Fans don't even care.

Every team had their best players not show up. Did you see how many didn’t come from Canada?

It’s a bad looks team USA hockey no matter how you put it

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I didn't lose a thing. I am not a player on the team. The real tournament for this year is in December not this watered down retread attempt.

I am sure all the 19 year olds on the roster didn't really care that much because the real tournament is in December right?

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Is there a reason the USA doesn’t have a permanent coach like with their u18 and u17 teams? Yes obviously it’s not a full year team like the others but I feel that would help move away from disasters like this one

You answered your own question. He'd be twiddling his thumbs for most of the year.