Wanted to make this thread for awhile. It might just be me posting in it, with so many Canadians in this thread, we will see. Going to open with a tribute Despite staring at the University of Wisconsin, Brian Rafalski was undrafted in an NHL that did not yet value smaller skilled defensemen. After a brief stint in Sweden Rafalski moved to Finland where he became the first ever non Finnish player to win the Kultainen kypärä award for best player in the league. In 1999 he was named best hockey player in the world not playing in the NHL and that same year signed a contract with the New Jersey Devils. With his partner Scott Stevens the Devils won the cup in his first year and he would add two more rings to his fingers with the Red Wings and Devils, along with two other finals appearances. Rafalski represented team USA at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, where he took home a silver medal. He was also on the US teams in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and 2006 Olympics. In 2010 he was an alternate captain for team USA in Vancouver, where they again took home silver. Rafalski is retiring this year after what can only be described as an improbable and stellar career. He played the final playoff games in his career without an ACL, and has now decided he wants to spend more time with his family.
Very nice tribute, I think he'll be missed by fans of the NHL, US hockey and the Detroit Red Wings alike. Definitely think it was amazing when he scored 2 goals vs Canada in the 2010 Olympics when we beat them; that was awesome.
Doug Weight played for six different NHL teams in his 19 year career. He finished with 1238 games played in the NHL with 278 goals, 755 assists, 1033 points in his career. He played 97 playoff games with 72 points, 49 assists and 23 goals. In 2006 he was traded from the Blues to Carolina and contributed 16 points in 23 games on route to both his and Carolina's first and only Stanley Cup championship. For team USA Weight had a distinguished career. In 1996 he and team USA defeated Canada in two out of three games to win the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in the greatest American hockey achievement to date since the 1980 Olympics. Weight also represented the US team in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Olympics as well as the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In 2002 with Brian Rafalski, Weight helped the Americans to a silver medal. As he retires Weight leaves as one of the great American players and a member of American hockey's greatest generation.
Since this is a thread about US hockey, I wonder if some of you might comment on the current status of a few of these American NHL players. Basically how well you think they've played so far, where they can improve, and what the future might hold. Doesn't have to be a really lengthy response, just a brief summary to give me an idea of where they are at. --Erik Johnson --James van Riemsdyk --Bobby Ryan --Jack Skille --T.J. Oshie --David Booth
Chacal, My take is that Erik Johnson still has all the potential in the world right now. He's still only 3 years into his NHL career, and the Blues were asking him to play the most mentally demanding position for a skater, a shutdown defenseman. I think he will continue to learn the game and really be s cornerstone rock for the Avalanche. Van Riemsdyk probably made a mistake picking and staying at New Hampshire for so many years. You could see his first year in the league he had a lot to learn. This year he really started to show the flashes that he could be a future superstar. Bobby Ryan also seems like a kid that is still growing mentally. He's already a consistent 30-30 guy but I see 80 point potential in his future. Skille has all the talent in the world, he can skate, he's fast, good skill, but he's never been able to put it together. Chicago sort of gave their verdict on him when they traded him to Florida for nothing. Future upside is 3rd liner if he figures it out, but questionable NHL future if he doesn't. Tj Oshie is an extremely skilled if a but undersized center. He has shown growth in his first three NHL seasons but got hurt this year. His problem has been question marks with his work ethic and dedication. He got suspended for skipping practice this year, and has rubbed some teammates the wrong way. With his talent I'd say he could be a 70 point guy, but it's reall questionable if he will reach it unless something changes upstairs. Probably going to an average NHL player that bounces around different teams over his career. David Booth is a real tough one. He was really blossoming into a legitimate NHL power forward scoring 31-29-60 in 72 games in only his 3rd season. Then the Mike Richards happened and was obviously catastrophic for him. It's a real question mark how well he will recover from that hit. He was only 23-17-40 this season, but the qualifiers are that he is still recovering and was on a terrible Panthers team. It's really unknown where he will go at this point with the head injury.
^ Thanks, RC. It'll be interesting to see how many (if any) of these guys end up on our final roster in Sochi.
Assuming full health I'd say Van Riemsdyk and Ryan are locks, Johnson provided he doesn't regress is almost assured. But the rest of your list I'd put at doubtful (Booth and Oshie) to no chance (Skille).
Another American player that I was thinking about recently is Peter Mueller. High draft pick, huge disappointment in Phoenix, gets traded to Colorado where he thrives at LW and as a point-man on their PP, then gets crushed by Rob Blake and misses all of this season. Very sad, hope he makes it back.
He's in the same position as David Perron or Marc Savard. His career is really in question right now. The Avs say he will be ready for next season but they have no way to know that.
Article on Weight and the greatest generation of American players. http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/pu...s-retirement-and-passing-of-th?urn=nhl-wp5760
Tim Thomas, Flint Michigan native and University of Vermont alumni, wins the Conn Smythe trophy for a dominating performance. After everybody thought he was done last year, after everybody said his style was never going to work, Thomas proved them all wrong. Hours and hours of hip rehab, and a determination second to none, Thomas lead his team to victory.
Interesting fact I just realized, the only other American to win the conn smythe was Brian Leetch, who won in 1994, against Vancouver.
Chris Drury has ended his exceptional hockey career this week. Chris Drury was also clutch, and as the saying goes, "clutch is everything is life." Chris Drury was above all a winner. Just about every trophy that could be won Drury won it. (One goal away ) As a kid growing up in Connecticut he drove in the winning run to beat Taiwan in the Little League World Series. Chris Drury was clutch. After being drafted by the Quebec Nordiques Drury went to Boston University, where in his first season his team won the NCAA championship. Drury was a winner. In his senior season he won the Hobey Baker for the best collegiate player. The next season, he won the Calder Trophy. Playing for a dominant Avalanche team that won a Stanley Cup (Drury was a winner), and consistently went deep in the playoffs, Drury completed a stretch where he scored 11 game winning goals in the playoffs in his 4 seasons for the Avalanche. Avalanche beat writer looked back ten years to when, Drury was traded twice, when the Avalanche sent him to Calgary for Derek Morris, Dater called it the precise end to the Avalanche's dynasty years. Drury represented team USA early and often throughout his career. He played for the American jersey in the 1996 World Juniors, where the Americans lost to Sweden in the knockout rounds. He was a member of the 2004 World Championship team, which won the bronze medal in the Czech Republic, one of only three medals the US has ever won at the World Championships since the 1960 Olympics, all bronze. Drury represented team USA in the 2006 Olympics in Italy and has two silver medals from representing the US in 2002 and 2010. The 2010 Olympics were perhaps a defining moment in Drury's career. Despite struggling to live up to his contract with the Rangers, Drury was selected for the US olympic team, to a loud chorus of jeers from media members and fans. When asked, Brian Burke later said that the first name he put on his roster was Chris Drury. Jeremy Roenick said he was "baffled" as to why Drury was on the team. Drury responded to the criticism by becoming one of the Americans key players on the way to the silver medal. He killed penalties, he did the dirty work in the corners, or as Ron Wilson said, "He has those -- well, I'll say it -- Mike Eruzione-type qualities. [He's] diving in front of shots, blocking them, winning big face-offs, doing a lot of dirty grunt work that often gets overlooked. But not by coaches." And against Canada in the preliminary rounds he scored the critical third goal to stymie a Canadian comeback and give the Americans their first win over Canada in the olympics since 1960. "We picked Chris Drury because he's Chris Drury." -Brian Burke Chris Drury was always clutch. 17 playoff game-winning goals, most of any active player as of this year. Chris Drury was a winner.
Another one rides off into the sunset.... When it comes to talking about Mike Modano's position in the pantheon of American hockey stars, the question the instantly arises is, the greatest ever? It's always hazardous to proclaim one true leader of the pack. Heck, if everyone can't even agree that Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player ever, can we ever agree on anything? But the numbers don't lie. The most goals by an American born forward: 561 The most points: 1374 The most playoff points: 145 The most games played: 1499 The numbers don't lie, but do they tell the whole story? How about his hardware cabinet? Canada Cup silver medal World Cup of Hockey Gold Medal Olympic silver medal a point per game player in all three competitions 1999 Stanley Cup champion, 23 points in 23 games Looks pretty stacked. Maybe the question is irrelevant. Greatest ever, is something fans like to talk about, debate about, argue over, but does it change anything? Does it make Mike Modano's career that much better than Pat LaFontaine's? I think the answer drifts towards, it doesn't matter. What matters is the 21 seasons Mike Modano played in the NHL. Twenty of those seasons with the same stars organization, even if in different cities, followed up with a homecoming swan song, playing for his childhood team. Does it get any more story book than that? What matters is this list: 1988 World Juniors 1989 World Juniors 1990 IIHF World Championship 1991 Canada Cup 1993 IIHF World Championship 1996 World Cup of Hockey 1998 Olympics 2002 Olympics 2004 World Cup of Hockey 2005 World Championship 2006 Olympics That's answering the bell for your country. Mike Modano was a true NHL star. He wasn't an American star, he was a hockey star. He was good looking, he was talented, he was charismatic. The 1980s and 1990s was when the NHL broke out of the northeast and into American homes across the country and Mike Modano was a face of that expansion. He was the Dallas Stars poster boy. He appeared on non hockey magazine covers! Mike Modano's hardware cabinet is full, his personal accomplishment list drags on longer than the Harry Potter series. When most people my age think of a Mr. American hockey, we think of this guy: May the next generation be as good as the last.
USA HOCKEY UPDATE!!!!!!!! What's this? Is that Corey Schneider stealing another goalie job! The man is a thief, robbing shooters and robbing Luongo of his job. Pride of Marblehead High School in Massachusetts has taken the reigns in Vancouver and isn't looking back. Last game he made 47 saves for the win against the poor, glad I'm not them, Columbus Blue Jackets and has a cool .937 sv% and 1.93 GAA right now. Oh and the Canucks have won like five straight. Why couldn't the Avs have given Vancouver a first round pick for him! I digress. Schneider is just a smidge behind Timmy Thomas who is 2nd in both GAA and SV% with stellar numbers of .937 and 1.86. Watch out for Boston again this year. Meanwhile the Hart trophy winner so far this season, leading the league in points and goals with 31 and 16.............. Redemption year for Phil Kessel
Real Corona, Obviously it's ridiculously early to worry about 2014, but what group of forwards do you think would go to Sochi if the Olympics started in a week?
Basically the entire group from Vancouver except for Drury, Langebrunner and maybe Stastny who has fallen off a bit. Maybe put in Oshie, Van Riemsdyk and Dubinsky. Parise-Kane-Backes Kessel-Kesler-Brown Van Riemsdyk-Pavelski-Callahan Malone-Dubinsky- Oshie Or something like that, just off the top of my head probably forgetting someone.
OK yeah that's pretty similar to what I was thinking, perhaps Bobby Ryan and Jason Pominville would be considered right now as well. And as for the captain of the team, I'd probably choose Ryan Suter or David Backes.
USA hockey's team for the U-20s Seth Jones was injured and would likely have made the team, Justin Faulk is in the NHL, and would have led the team, but here is who is going to be wearing the three lettered jersey. G 1 Jack Campbell*^ 6-2 182 1/9/92 L Port Huron, Mich. Soo Greyhounds (OHL) G 35 John Gibson 6-3 200 7/14/93 L Pittsburgh, Pa. Kitchener Rangers (OHL) G 29 Andy Iles*% 5-9 180 1/30/92 L Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell Univ. (ECACH) D 5 Adam Clendening 5-11 190 10/26/92 R Niagara Falls, N.Y. Boston Univ. (HEA) D 4 Derek Forbort* 6-5 200 3/4/92 L Duluth, Minn. Univ. of North Dakota (WCHA) D 12 Kevin Gravel 6-4 190 3/6/92 L Kingsford, Mich. St. Cloud State Univ. (WCHA) D 28 Stephen Johns 6-4 221 4/18/92 R Wampum, Pa. Univ. of Notre Dame (CCHA) D 15 Jon Merrill* 6-3 209 2/3/92 L Brighton, Mich. Univ. of Michigan (CCHA) D 24 Jarred Tinordi 6-7 215 2/20/92 L Millersville, Md. London Knights (OHL) D 8 Jacob Trouba 6-2 191 2/26/94 R Rochester, Mich. U.S. NTDP U-18 (USHL) F 21 Josh Archibald 5-10 170 10/6/92 R Brainerd, Minn. Univ. of Nebraska Omaha (WCHA) F 14 Bill Arnold 6-0 215 5/13/92 R Needham, Mass. Boston College (HEA) F 27 Nick Bjugstad* 6-4 204 7/17/92 R Blaine, Minn. Univ. of Minnesota (WCHA) F 23 Connor Brickley 6-1 195 2/25/92 L Everett, Mass. Univ. of Vermont (HEA) F 3 Charlie Coyle* 6-2 207 3/2/92 R East Weymouth, Mass. Boston Univ. (HEA) F 2 Austin Czarnik 5-8 152 12/12/92 R Washington, Mich. Miami Univ. (CCHA) F 10 Emerson Etem* 6-1 197 6/16/92 L Long Beach, Calif. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) F 11 J.T. Miller 6-1 195 3/14/93 L East Palestine, Ohio Plymouth Whalers (OHL) F 20 Kyle Rau 5-8 172 10/24/92 L Eden Prairie, Minn. Univ. of Minnesota (WCHA) F 22 Brandon Saad 6-2 206 10/27/92 L Gibsonia, Pa. Saginaw Spirit (OHL) F 19 T.J. Tynan 5-8 170 2/25/92 R Orland Park, Ill. Univ. of Notre Dame (CCHA) F 26 Austin Watson 6-3 195 1/13/92 R Ann Arbor, Mich. Peterborough Petes (OHL) F 16 Jason Zucker*^ 5-11 180 1/16/92 L Las Vegas, Nev. Univ. of Denver (WCHA) Here is what I like 3 players from Pennslyvania Jason Zucker being from Las Vegas JT MIller and Emerson Etem from Ohio and California. Yes the team still relies on the old favorite haunts of USA hockey, Minnesota, Michigan, New York and Massachusetts, but the expansion of the player pool is a great advantage for team USA. Seth Jones would have added a Texas player to the team. Nick Bjugstad has been hurt, and he is likely the US team's best forward when healthy. I assume he'll play once the games start to count, since he was named to the roster, so based on the three exhibition games I'd guess that the lines will look something like this.... Zucker-Coyle-Saad Etem-Bjugstad-Miller Brickley-Czarnik-Watson Rau-Arnold-Tynan D- pairings, who knows Johns-Merrill Tinordi-Clendening Forbort-Trouba Were the pairings against Slovakia. Merrill is head and shoulders the most talented defenseman on the team, so I've ranked them in the order I would guess those pairings would be used in terms of ice time and situations.
I think he's more a #2 maybe #3 on a real good team, who will physically engage and score a bit. He's got good puck skills but he's not Ryan Nugent Hopkins or anything.
