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Several players, like Robert Esche, got a taste of international play at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
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Chelios, Tkachuk named
to fourth Olympics
By John McGourty | NHL.com
Dec. 19, 2005
Brian Gionta, the leading American scorer in the NHL this season, heads a roster of 23 players named to the 2006 U.S. Olympic team that will compete Feb. 15-26 in Torino, Italy. Gionta is one of 12 Americans who will be making their Olympic debuts as Team USA blends youth with experience.
Defenseman Chris Chelios and forward Keith Tkachuk will be making their fourth Olympic appearances. Chelios, a member of the Detroit Red Wings, also played in the Olympics in 2002, 1998 and 1984. St. Louis Blues left wing Tkachuk appeared in the 1992, 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics.
All three American goalies, Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders, Robert Esche of the Philadelphia Flyers and John Grahame of the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, will be making their first Olympic appearances.
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Returning American Olympians include defensemen Derian Hatcher of the Flyers (1998), the Los Angeles Kings' Aaron Miller (2002), the New Jersey Devils' Brian Rafalski (2002) and the Kings' Mathieu Schneider (1998) and forwards Chris Drury of the Buffalo Sabres (2002), the Dallas Stars Bill Guerin (2002, 1998), the Stars' Mike Modano (2002, 1998), the Minnesota Wild's Brian Rolston (2002, 1994), and Blues' center Doug Weight (2002, 1998).
Newcomers include Calgary Flames' defenseman Jordan Leopold, Colorado Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles and forwards Jason Blake of the New York Islanders, the Carolina Hurricanes' Erik Cole, the Kings' Craig Conroy, the Devils' Scott Gomez, the Flyers' Mike Knuble and the Islanders' Mark Parrish.
DiPietro, Esche, Chelios, Liles, Miller, Rafalski, Blake, Conroy, Drury, Gomez, Guerin, Modano, Rolston, Tkachuk and Weight were members of the 26-man Team USA at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
"We are extremely pleased with our team and feel very confident that we've put a solid group together that will best put us in a position to compete for the gold medal," said Don Waddell, the general manager of Team USA and also the executive vice president and general manager of the National Hockey League's Atlanta Thrashers. "The selection process was an extremely difficult one and that's a terrific statement for hockey in the United States. It means our talent pool in this country continues to grow."
The roster doesn't include such past American Olympic stalwarts as Brian Leetch, Brett Hull (retired), Jeremy Roenick, Scott Young, Tony Amonte, John LeClair, and Eric Weinrich.
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Bill Guerin is part of a the US veteran core.
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Although many of the familiar veterans aren't returning, the American team isn't young, averaging 31.2 years of age. The goalies average 27.3 years old, the defenseman (led by Chelios who will be 44) average 32.7 years old and the forwards average 31.3 years old, topped by Modano, Guerin and Weight, all 35.
DiPietro, at 24, is the squad's youngest member, followed by defensemen Leopold and Liles, both 25. Gomez, 26, is the youngest forward.
Hatcher, Chelios, Rafalski, Schneider, Drury, Gionta, Gomez, Guerin, Modano and Rolston are all Stanley Cup winners. Rolston, Drury, Gionta, Leopold, Chelios and Blake all won NCAA championships.
Several players have won major NHL awards, including three-time James Norris Memorial trophy winner Chelios. Drury and Gomez both won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. Chelios was runner-up to Mario Lemieux for the rookie award. He also led the NHL with a plus-40 rating in 2002. Esche shared the 2003 William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed on the season.
Gionta, of Rochester, N.Y., has 18 goals and 15 assists this season for 33 points. He ranks 27th in NHL scoring but is the most productive American this season.
During this NHL season, Grahame has the best record of the American goalies, 14-10-1, with a 2.86 goals-against average and .890 save percentage. Esche is 11-4-2 with a 3.14 GAA and .890 save percentage while DiPietro is 12-10-2 with a 3.14 GAA and .899 save percentage.
The U.S. team will be coached by Carolina Hurricanes head coach Peter Laviolette, assisted by Boston Bruins' head coach Mike Sullivan and former Yale goalie and veteran NHL goalie coach Keith Allain. Waddell is assisted by Paul Holmgren, the assistant general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers. USA Hockey's Jim Johannson is director of hockey operations.
The Americans are seeking their first gold medal since 1980. They took the silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City. The United States has won the hockey silver medal six other times and the bronze medal once.
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