Team USA

[Brooklynite10]

Who selects the Olympic team ? Who ever does made a huge mistake this year. How can you not have Brian Leetch on this team. I didn't expect them to take the gold this olympics, but leaving Leetch off the roster just might be the reason that they miss out on the bronze or silver. I understand that he had an injury during the selection period, but you still have to include him on as a reserve just in case he recovers in time; as he has. In my opinion, BIG MISTAKE !

[RichardGraham]

Hi Wolves10,

With the talent in the NHL, I don't know how you'd pick a Team USA and not leave off scores of great players. It's a job I wouldn't want to have -- how are you going to please everyone? It's impossible.

However, Brian Leetch is a great player; there's no doubt about it.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[Brooklynite10]

What other players do you feel should have made the squad and who do you think they should have replaced ?

[JohnHockey1798]

I feel they left off the best American born goaltender in Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres. The kid has been playing great all year but because of him being 100% during selection time he did not make it. He was injured and had just started playing again. Also, like Ricahrd said I would hate having the job of picking the team.

John

Toga!! Toga!!

[DannyG]

I remember a couple of Olympics ago, everybody was complaining that Lou Lamorello put a couple of "extra" NJ Devils onto the Olympic roster, including one Billy Guerin...everybody wanted to know how in heavens name a no-skill player like Guerin got picked, even if by his own g.m...then the next year at the NHL all-star game, guess who won the speed skating contest clean away...

Oftentimes, it isn't the best this-or-that in terms of sheer skill, but putting together a mix of players that plays together...

After the Olympics, whoever wins, in every other interview, you'll hear about 'team chemistry,' which is recognized as the most important ingredient for any hockey team, all the moreso the higher up the ladder you go.

Check out the articles and features you see and hear from now through the Stanley Cup and you'll see it over and over.

You leave a player like Brian Leetch off a team roster because a different group of players will (you believe, you hope) work together at a high level and have success...it's a different mix, not necessarily a better one without a player like Leetch.

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[RichardGraham]

Hey Wolves10,

To be absolutely honest, I didn't have time to carefully look at the selections this year. I'm not the guy to ask who should have been on the team and who should have been dropped. I know that Jeremy Roenick was very angry that he wasn't chosen... and then he had an injury soon after.

I agree with Danny that the selections have to be made with chemistry in mind -- it's not always the very best individual players who are chosen. Perhaps Leetch wasn't chosen because he's nearing the end of his career and doesn't have the same speed; I don't know. I remember being hand picked for a high-school age soccer team back in the day and being a bit surprised. I wasn't the highest scorer or the best defender, but the coach saw something in me -- and I blossomed under his tutelage. Maybe the people who picked Team USA were looking for players they could mold.

The bottom line for me is... I don't know.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[ChiMagic19]

I personally think that we probably have the oldest team ever fielded. Where is Herby when you need him!

[GROWL]

This was obviously the downfall of the USA Team. Ryan Miller was the best possible goalie the US had at its disposal and they elected to not take him over three weak goaltenders. US Goaltending was painful to watch in this olympics, particularly when there were games when they completely outplayed their opponents and came away with a loss anyway. Esche was complete garbage against Russia and when I thought it couldn't get worse I watched today's quarter-final game and the horrible performance by DiPietro.

[33]

i'm not sure about some of the coaching moves, or lack thereof either. he waited a little too long today to shorten the bench and the whole tournament was on the line.

[Brooklynite10]

DiPietro was lookin real solid until today. I was telling a friend right when the tourney started, "Dipietro can steal games and look like the best goalie in the world, but if he has an off game, he can also look like the worst. It's just unfortunate he picked today to look like a 3rd string goalie. Miller would have been a wise choice because he would have been much more consistent

[CoachFoo]

At this time, American Olympic hockey is totally un-watchable. Mens and womens. I would be much more excited to see college kids again. Watching the NHL players jumbled up on different teams........nothin to get excited about. But the American men just seem not to REALLY care.
The USA women's evaluators did a horrible job. What a soft team. Gunn is not nearly the best goalie either.