Certamente, se houver qualquer coisa que promete particularmente porque os ventiladores americanos do hockey look ahead aos 2010 Olympics em Vancôver, é que essa equipe americana não terá Tim Thomas, Robert Esche, ou Craig Anderson entre as tubulações mas muito provável rather o tandem de Moleiro e de DiPietro. Esche actually had moments of surreal brilliance at this year’s World’s — most especially in games against the Finns — but neither he nor his 2008 netminder teammates are a trio with which a nation pins medal hopes on.
There were also huge American names absent from this Worlds’ rsoter because of the NHL playoffs: Drury and Gomez, Mike Komisarek and Chris Higgins in Montreal, perhaps Dallas’ Matt Niskanen, certainly Paul Stastny. You have to think Higgins is a prime candidate for the 2010 team. I was especially disappointed to see neither of Erik or Jack Johnson rostered for the Americans this spring — both competed for the Americans in Moscow last year. Those two, along with Komisarek and Niskanen, you have to think would play important roles on the Olympic team in two years. After goaltending, the biggest difference we may well see between this year’s Worlds team and the Olympic one in Vancouver likely will be on the blueline. An entirely different top 4, for instance.
Up front, there appears to be greater certainty. Peter Mueller, Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, Phil Kessel — the latter distinguishing himself now in consecutive World Championships — along with Stastny and perhaps Cole and Higgins, that’s a lot of skilled MoJo seriously on the move. And I began getting excited about David Booth’s game very early his past season with the Panthers. He’s likely to be a super quick skilled pest on the Americans’ third or fourth line in Vancouver. One very young American player I’m eager to watch next season with an eye on the 2010 Games is the Islander’s Kyle Okposo.
The Americans almost certainly won’t enter the 2010 Olympics on hockey folks’ list of medal contenders, but as with the Worlds, you need win only one game against a great team on a given night, and that’s where someone like Ryan Miller can elevate American hockey dreams. Next year’s American Worlds roster, to the extent that the NHL playoffs and injuries allow, ought to be assembled as a test run for 2010. This year’s simply couldn’t be.
But looming large as a challenge for USA Hockey is finding the right guy behind the American bench. It’s fair to say, I think, that a new name needs to be considered. The last three years American Worlds teams have been led by Mike Eaves, Mike Sullivan, and John Tortorella. Shouldn’t USA Hockey name a coach for next year’s Worlds with an eye on having that man guide the Americans in Vancouver as well? If so, I have an outside-the-box pick. A man with significant ties to USA Hockey, a man with an unrivaled record in winning with young hockey players and one who may just well be the best hockey coach outside of the NHL right now.
Jeff Jackson.
