Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
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- 4,144
Which team in your mind was the best the USA ever iced. This does not include the 1980 Olympic team. It was called a Miracle for a reason, that team wouldnt have beaten any of these others. But take your pick between the four.
1991 Canada Cup team - Had a very good team on paper and evidently on the ice too. Hull was the Hart trophy winner, Modano and Roenick were both young but still good, Chelios, Suter and Leetch rounded out an impressive defence. Lafontaine was in his prime, Mullen and Janney were decent players. They just couldnt beat a Canadian team that had a bit more heart but looked very similar on paper. Richter was at the begining of his career but he was still pretty good. They lost both games to Canada in the finals, 4-1, 4-2.
1996 World Cup team - This will probably be the #1 choice. Amonte, Modano, Guerin, Leclair, Weight, Tkachuk, Leetch, Richter all were in their primes. Hull, Lafontaine, Suter, Chelios were just barely out of their primes. Deadmarsh was the yougn gun, D. Hatcher played surprisingly well. Sure Canada was missing Lemieux, Bourque, Kariya, MacInnis, Roy, and Francis for all various reasons but even so they hardly had a team that couldnt win. USA finally beat big brother for the first time ever. Winning two games in Montreal to come back in the series was classic. Richter played unreal. The USA was young very fast and skilled.
1998 Olympic Team - Well they didnt even make the semi finals. They got bounced out in the quarter finals 4-1 by the Czechs. This I think was supposed to be the BEST USA team ever but they big time underacheived. Losing to Sweden and Canada in the round robin they never recovered. On paper this could look like the best. they had basically the same team adding Bryan Berard.
2002 Olympic team - They played extremely well going into the Gold medal game against Canada. They looked okay early on in the game but I felt got outplayed by Canada especailly in the 5 on 5 department. Again this was basically the '96 World Cup team. Take out Lafontaine and put in Drury. Roenick was in there as well. The probelm was the defence was old, the forwards were getting old and Richter couldnt steal THE game for them anymore. Don Cherry said before that game that they were the best USA team ever. In this team's defence the '02 Canadians were far better than the '96 team and USA was right there with them for much of the game.
My pick: the 1996 World Cup team. Hard to bet against a team that beat Canada twice on Canadian soil. Too many good players in their prime on that team.
1991 Canada Cup team - Had a very good team on paper and evidently on the ice too. Hull was the Hart trophy winner, Modano and Roenick were both young but still good, Chelios, Suter and Leetch rounded out an impressive defence. Lafontaine was in his prime, Mullen and Janney were decent players. They just couldnt beat a Canadian team that had a bit more heart but looked very similar on paper. Richter was at the begining of his career but he was still pretty good. They lost both games to Canada in the finals, 4-1, 4-2.
1996 World Cup team - This will probably be the #1 choice. Amonte, Modano, Guerin, Leclair, Weight, Tkachuk, Leetch, Richter all were in their primes. Hull, Lafontaine, Suter, Chelios were just barely out of their primes. Deadmarsh was the yougn gun, D. Hatcher played surprisingly well. Sure Canada was missing Lemieux, Bourque, Kariya, MacInnis, Roy, and Francis for all various reasons but even so they hardly had a team that couldnt win. USA finally beat big brother for the first time ever. Winning two games in Montreal to come back in the series was classic. Richter played unreal. The USA was young very fast and skilled.
1998 Olympic Team - Well they didnt even make the semi finals. They got bounced out in the quarter finals 4-1 by the Czechs. This I think was supposed to be the BEST USA team ever but they big time underacheived. Losing to Sweden and Canada in the round robin they never recovered. On paper this could look like the best. they had basically the same team adding Bryan Berard.
2002 Olympic team - They played extremely well going into the Gold medal game against Canada. They looked okay early on in the game but I felt got outplayed by Canada especailly in the 5 on 5 department. Again this was basically the '96 World Cup team. Take out Lafontaine and put in Drury. Roenick was in there as well. The probelm was the defence was old, the forwards were getting old and Richter couldnt steal THE game for them anymore. Don Cherry said before that game that they were the best USA team ever. In this team's defence the '02 Canadians were far better than the '96 team and USA was right there with them for much of the game.
My pick: the 1996 World Cup team. Hard to bet against a team that beat Canada twice on Canadian soil. Too many good players in their prime on that team.