First, one correction - the Olympic tourney was expanded from 10 to 12,
not 8 to 12 as I had said.  It was expanded from 8 to 10 in 1980.
 
USA was seeded 7th in 1980 and placed in what was called the Blue Division
with Czechoslovakia, Sweden, West Germany, Romania and Norway.  USA and
Sweden qualified for the medal round and carried over the result of their
head-to-head match (a 2-2 tie).  USSR and Finland went to the medal round
from the Red Division.  USA played USSR first because USA was 2nd in their
division (Sweden was 1st on goal differential) and USSR was first in theirs.
 
I don't know of the seeds in 1984 and 1988.  Japan does play hockey as
do many of the Asian nations, although they tend to play in the C or D
worlds, from what I recall.  A Chinese team toured here about 4-5 years
ago right after Christmas and was thrashed by Merrimack at Harvard's Bright
Center, 10-1.
 
Japan actually appeared in the 1980 Olympics and finished 0-4-1, GF-GA 7-36.
They did tie the Netherlands.
 
 
- mike