US team announced

[Zine]

Wow. talented team on paper. Our offense could be lethal.
Only weak points could be in goal and a pretty young defense (only 2 '86s and even an '88 made it).

 

[FLYLine27*]

Peca off the top of my head.

A big reason Peca was selected was because of his Face off ability. I believe that had more pull over him being a grinder.

 

[oil slick]

A big reason Peca was selected was because of his Face off ability. I believe that had more pull over him being a grinder.

That and pk... which I would definately consider choosing forwards. Ability to pk has little correlation to offensive flair... but I'm not sure whether these American junior players selected ahead of offensive players are good at pk.

 

[William H Bonney]

A big reason Peca was selected was because of his Face off ability. I believe that had more pull over him being a grinder.

You can be a grinder and be good at face offs.

 

[FLYLine27*]

You can be a grinder and be good at face offs.

I didnt say you couldnt. I said I felt a bigger reason he was on the team was because of his face off skills and not so much as they just wanted a grinder on the team.

 

[penkil2]

Pineault

Pineault was out with a pulled groin plus a hip pointer and missed a number of games. He returned a few weeks ago and is doing well.
16games- 9g, 11a = 20 pts.

 

[RangerBoy]

Are they the same people that picked the team when we won gold? Yes, with the exception of Walt Kyle.

If Marc Andre Fleury doesn't implode in the third period and Al Montoya doesn't stand on his head to even keep the game close going into the third,Canada wins the gold

Montoya wasn't going to be the #1 goaltender but Jimmy Howard was unable to play w/his injury

Brandon Dubinsky has been one of the top players in the WHL since the middle of last season.Dubinsky is a tenacious player.A leader on his team

Michael Sauer is quality player

Walt Kyle shouldn't expect a Christmas gift this year from his old boss in Edmonton and New York-Glen Sather

 

[penkil2]

There's lots of American talent in the CHL that got left of the team that you could make a very good argument for being on the team. Go look at the thread about non-NCAA guys that posters expected to make the team. My point is that there was COMPARABLE (read, not necisarily better) talent available in the CHL and they chose to go with the camparable NCAA guys. I'm not unhappy with this, as I said: I like the team. But I think there is definatly a bias towards NCAA players that factored into some of these decisions.

The USA Team historically picks the team mostly from the NCAA. Playing in the CHL doesn't mean a player is any less American and should be given the same chance to play for the USA. Picking 2 - 88's over other exceptional players is questionable.

 

[joe_shannon_1983*]

A big reason Peca was selected was because of his Face off ability. I believe that had more pull over him being a grinder.

Peca was taken for his grinding defensive play.

Nieuwendyk was the guy that they took to specialize in face-offs.

 

[NYR469]

really disappointed that dubinsky and sauer didn't get picked, but i'll admit there is bias there being they are ranger prospects. i can ***** all i want about 'politics' and how they tend to not pick CHL guys. and true or not, the reality is if it were other guys bump and ranger prospects added i wouldn't complain...

overall pretty solid team

 

[puck swami]

The USA Team historically picks the team mostly from the NCAA. Playing in the CHL doesn't mean a player is any less American and should be given the same chance to play for the USA. Picking 2 - 88's over other exceptional players is questionable.

These coaches are team building, not necessarily picking the best players.

On Team USA, If a CHL player is demonstrably better than any NCAA player for a given role, the US will take the CHL player without question. The 'problem' comes when you have players of very comparable skills and abilities - that's where you are likely to see the NCAA player get the nod over the CHL player, and usually its because the coach knows the NCAA player better or they think the team chemistry will be better by having a majority of players who know each other well.

The same thing happens on Team Canada in reverse. The NCAA player had better be demonstrably better than the CHL player, or the NCAA player isn't going to be picked. When the a CHL player and a NCAA player are equal, Canada is going to take the CHL player, for the same reasons that the US coach is likely to take a college player.

Both Team Canada and Team USA often pick a very young player or two that will see little ice time, but who they think may be a future leader in their programs in future years.

 

[NYR469]

just to note, they are a fairly old team (by wjc standards), up front the only guys eligible to return next year are kessel, skille, ryan, and gerbe and of those 4 good chance that kessel and ryan will be in the nhl and therefore not available...in net this is schneider's final year. the blueline is much younger and chris butler is the only guy that won't be eligible next year (although they could easily lose jack johnson and brian lee to the nhl)...so in other words team usa has to take care of business and get the job done NOW because there won't be a next year for this squad. things will look a lot different next year.

 

[bleedgreen]

even though paukevich is a good choice as a big role player, i still find it surprising. he hasnt been effective imo at all this year - not really as a role player even. i dont know if the bina thing is still bothering him or what, but he hasnt been himself this year. even if he was scoring, he wouldve only made the team as a checker. he can definitely be effective in that role, hopefully being on that kind of stage gets him going.

 

[puck swami]

even though paukevich is a good choice as a big role player, i still find it surprising. he hasnt been effective imo at all this year - not really as a role player even. i dont know if the bina thing is still bothering him or what, but he hasnt been himself this year. even if he was scoring, he wouldve only made the team as a checker. he can definitely be effective in that role, hopefully being on that kind of stage gets him going.

Paukovich is getting better each weekend, although it isn't showing up on the scoresheet yet. He is still struggling to shoot well and score goals, but his skating, smart physical play and sense of discipline are improving rapidly. He had a very effective weekend series last weekend against Colorado College where he made a lot of things happen for his teammates, and if he can bang and create space for Team USA, that's all he needs to do. I think playing for Team USA should help him improve as well.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Is anyone surprised at the two players that made last years team and are still eligible for this years team that were not selected; Adam Pineault, and Shawn Weller

Anyone know reasons for Pineault not being selected? Did injury play a part?

Strange, especially considering Weller is having a MUCH better season this year than last.

 

[HabLover]

Wow. talented team on paper. Our offense could be lethal.
Only weak points could be in goal and a pretty young defense (only 2 '86s and even an '88 made it).

I would say I'm glad that Team USA didn't take guys like Thelen, Lashoff, Dubinsky, Yandle, etc. Definitely an advantage for the other countries.

I don't understand some of Team USA's thinking, but I guess they still have some excellent talent up from that they are going to have to really rely on. Team USA is still going to be one of the younger teams at the tourney as year after year they seem like they just have to bring along a bunch of 17 and 18 yr olds! I am not totally impressed with the overall team as some real good players(Dubinsky is good) were left off for some youngsters. I mean remember last year with Brian Lee, he was like a deer in headlights out there and had like maybe 2 shifts all tourney! Erik Johnson get ready!

Overall, the forwards look good, I am not sure about the Defence, especially if they get an injury or two, I just think they could have had more depth and the goaltending, well, Schneider sucked last year and I think Frazee was pretty good at the U18's and he could be the guy! They could suffer at this position, but should have enough offence to get by in most games.

 

[Doomsday Device]

Peca was definately a grinder.

Apart from that, IIRC there weren't many. I think Shanahan, Smyth, and Nieuwendyk were added for their grit... not that they weren't good forwards, but I think there were forwards skipped with more offensive pop for them.

Peca had 60 points that year. Zamuner had 26 the year he was selected. I think they were a different breed of player.

 

[DarthSather99]

This team should knock the stuffing out of the Canadian team. The Americans are getting better every year. Look at the projected top players in the draft. Most are Americans.

According to McKeen's the top 4 defensemen in the draft in the 06 draft are American.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I'm not upset really about Dubinsky missing out.

More about Sauer who I definately feel is better than most of the USA defense at this stage in his career.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I would say I'm glad that Team USA didn't take guys like Thelen, Lashoff, Dubinsky, Yandle, etc. Definitely an advantage for the other countries.

I don't understand some of Team USA's thinking, but I guess they still have some excellent talent up from that they are going to have to really rely on. Team USA is still going to be one of the younger teams at the tourney as year after year they seem like they just have to bring along a bunch of 17 and 18 yr olds! I am not totally impressed with the overall team as some real good players(Dubinsky is good) were left off for some youngsters. I mean remember last year with Brian Lee, he was like a deer in headlights out there and had like maybe 2 shifts all tourney! Erik Johnson get ready!

Overall, the forwards look good, I am not sure about the Defence, especially if they get an injury or two, I just think they could have had more depth and the goaltending, well, Schneider sucked last year and I think Frazee was pretty good at the U18's and he could be the guy! They could suffer at this position, but should have enough offence to get by in most games.

No offense, but I think your confusion stems from a lack of familiarity with many if not most of the U.S. players from the NCAA. I don't expect you to know guys like Nate Davis, Chris Butler, Mark Mitera, or Matt Niskanen, but I can tell you they are every bit as capable as the guys you named. Besides, much of this team played together on the U.S. U18 team, a pattern that led to great success for the U.S. two years ago. Again, this is a TEAM optimally-suited for a short tournament, not an All-Star squad, although the fact there's 18 NHL draft picks, many of them in the first round, and several more (Kessel, Mueller, Johnson, Mitera) that will be top 15 NHL draft picks this year which seem to indicate a fairly talented roster.

As for the goaltending, I'm not sure why Schneider continues to get lambasted. He was the back-up last year, and while he didn't fare well that has no bearing on how he'll do this year. He's also playing well at the moment (with the exception of his last start), and with such a strong defense in front of him should be just fine.

 

[therealdeal]

This team should knock the stuffing out of the Canadian team. The Americans are getting better every year. Look at the projected top players in the draft. Most are Americans.

According to McKeen's the top 4 defensemen in the draft in the 06 draft are American.

You could be right, but remember, Canada doesn't have its two best players, who already made their NHL club, and would most certainly be impact players in this tourney.

This is the problem with the WJC, it never actually has the best U20's, its a shame.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I'm not upset really about Dubinsky missing out.

More about Sauer who I definately feel is better than most of the USA defense at this stage in his career.

I would have liked to see Dubinsky on the team as well, but let's be honest, is his absence all that critical? No. Is he playing all that better than a guy like Nate Davis (who has had a great year at Miami)? No. As for Sauer, it's the same story. He's played well (while in the line-up), but durability is a question and again, guys like Butler and Niskanen are playing just as well.

 

[MN_Gopher]

People miss chemistry in the selection too. Johnson, Johnson, Mueller, Skille, Kessel all played together. The last years a guy like Stafford gets picked over Earl. Earl is way better offensivly. Stafford is a team player. He will jell much quicker with any 2 forwards out there. Earl if his timing is off, is not nearly as good. In a short tournament you want players like Stafford.

And wasn't there some coach that won a big game some years back that said " I am not looking for the best players, i am looking for the right players."

 

[Jackets16]

Well goodie for Dowell, this is a short tournament and each team brings the best they have. This isn't a 3 week Olympics where a few role players wouldn't hurt. And is even Paukovich a role player? Or are this what your saying because he obviously has limited offensive talent?

come on, you have to be one of the dumbest people ive ever seen post.

you dont pick the team based on stats.

you dont just pull out a stat sheet from every league and highlite the guys with the most points. do you?

if you did, why are their camps and tryouts, etc?

you pick the team based on the best COMBINATION, best MAKEUP, what you think will work the best on the ice and off it. what you think will create the best CHEMISTRY?

do you think every top scorer played on the miracle team?

 

[Spectacular_Bid]

People miss chemistry in the selection too. Johnson, Johnson, Mueller, Skille, Kessel all played together. The last years a guy like Stafford gets picked over Earl. Earl is way better offensivly. Stafford is a team player. He will jell much quicker with any 2 forwards out there. Earl if his timing is off, is not nearly as good. In a short tournament you want players like Stafford.

And wasn't there some coach that won a big game some years back that said " I am not looking for the best players, i am looking for the right players."

Well put, I've quoted Herbie a few times on here about the same thing, because this tournament is so short you have to have good chemistry. Think about this, Porter, Davis, Fritsche, Paukovich, Schneider, J. Johnson, Gerbe, Skille and Kessel all took silver in the U-18's two years ago. They lost to a VERY good Russian team that included Malkin. Last year Kessel, Skille, J.Johnson, Mitera, E.Johnson, Mueller, Frazee and Gerbe all won gold at the U-18's. It's tough to argue with that success.