Carol writes:
> Here's a new challenge for you...PICK "YOUR" OLYMPIC TEAM FOR 1992!!!
>    Using the list that mike m sent out last week of all the players invited
> back to St. Cloud, pick your team.  Maximum number of players on the team is
> 24, enough for four lines, three pairs of defensemen and at least two goalies.
> You also have a few "spares" in case of injuries, etc.
 
Well, since I will admit that I don't know some of the Western players as
well as I know the Eastern players, I will spend most of my time discussing
the ones I know and their chances.  It wouldn't be right for me to select
an entire team when I am going to be biased in favor of those Eastern
players who I have seen play many more times.  Perhaps people from the
West can balance this off with some talk about players they've been able
to see quite a bit.
 
All this is barring unforeseen developments, such as injuries, players
outside the 50 becoming available, etc.  I also won't claim to be
perfect in my evaluations - or else I'd probably have the job. :-)
 
GOAL:
Stauber is clearly the US's goalie, IMO.  I also like Gordon for the
experience he brings.  He knows what it's like to see a lot of pucks
coming from Quebec, and I expect this US team will find itself in a lot
of high-scoring games again, like '88.  At that time, inexperience in
net and on defense hurt the team.  A pair of experienced netminders
should go a long way towards solving that problem.  As for the third
goalie, I see it coming down between Dunham and Gilmore.  Dunham is too
inexperienced to get the call, but maybe a year of touring will help him
if the brass wants to use him in '94.  Gilmore has performed well in
the chances he's had to impress the USA Hockey folks and a good camp
in August could earn him the right to travel.  But I doubt that we will
see anyone other than Stauber and Gordon in France.
 
DEFENSE:
The weakest part of the US's game.  There are a lot of guys who can
move the puck, but not that many who want to knock guys out of the
slot.  With that in mind, I like almost any 7 of the following 9 players:
Carney, Crowley, Keczmer, Lachance, Osiecki, Pederson, Pitlick, Tretowicz,
and Zmolek.  Carney and Lachance are solid two-way players; Lachance has
only one year of college hockey under his belt but was named to the All-Star
team at the World Juniors.  Unlike some of those people you saw quoted
after the NHL draft, I can't put him in the category of a Brian Leetch,
but I still think he's one of the best available to this team.  Tretowicz
and Crowley would compliment each other well; Crowley doesn't always want
to play defense, and Tretowicz was a big reason Clarkson's goalies put
up the numbers they did.  And he can also move the puck well.  Pitlick
always impressed me with the Gophers and he'd be one of the leaders of
this young defensive group - another reason I think Keczmer would be a
good pick as well as Osiecki.   Gophers may end up dominating USA's D.
 
FORWARD:
This should turn out to be a talented group that may need to learn a
little about covering its own zone.  I read that a St Paul writer wrote
that the only players who had locked up spots were, I believe, Emma,
Heinze and McEachern.  There's little doubt that Emma and McEachern
should make it along with Dowd.  The question is, who is going to center
the first line?  McEachern is such a great two-way player that I think
he will emerge as the US's top centerman.  We will see if one of the other
two gets turned into a wing or not.
 
I'm a little wary of Heinze, which is virtual blasphemy since he is
from North Andover (home of Merrimack).  But he hasn't seemed to develop
as well as everyone thought since his freshman year at BC.  Injuries have
played a part in that - and yes, he is injury-prone, so that could be
a problem.  He has been the epitome of inconsistency the past two years
at BC, but maybe the idea of playing on the Olympic Team has given him
something to shoot for.  Maybe someone who saw him play a few times during
the Trials can tell us.
 
My three sleepers from the East for the forward spots are:
1. Rob Gaudreau, Providence.  Crafty player who has developed into one of
   the top two-way players in Hockey East, perhaps one of the most
   underrated in the country.  Teamed up with Mike Boback and Rick Bennett,
   fellow invitees to the camp, to form the deadly BBG line two years back
   until Bennett graduated.  Spent half of this year playing on different
   lines to balance out the Friars' attack while Boback recovered from an
   injury, but once Boback returned the two were brilliant together.  It
   will be a huge mistake if Gaudreau doesn't make the team.
2. Ed Ronan, BU.  Another North Andover product, he had to be the Unsung
   Hero of BU's great 1990-91 season.  Jack Parker said recently that he
   improved his game 100% from when he entered BU as a freshman.  Ronan
   is the quintessential hard worker who will grind in the corners and
   is perfect to compliment the guys who don't want to be touched. :-)
3. Bill Guerin, BC.  Well, maybe he's not that much of a sleeper.  But he
   has also developed into a great player, *deadly* in the offensive
   zone.  Doesn't like to play defense, and he does take some foolish
   penalties, but he will score some big goals for USA.  Very possible
   that he could be matched with BC teammates Emma and Heinze to form a
   potent combination.
 
I also think Scott Fusco would be a great selection to provide stability
as a guy who's been there before.  I'd love to see Lane MacDonald wearing
the red, white and blue if it is safe for him to play.  I can't imagine
how fast a line of MacDonald, McEachern and Joe Sacco would be!
 
Add C.J. Young to the list as another solid two-way player.  He also
brings a year of pro experience.  I'm also curious to see how the
other Crimson like Ciavaglia and Donato will match up against the other
forwards in competition for the team.
 
I guess I'm trying to say that other than a few guys I know I want to
have on the team, I really can't choose from the rest.  Johannson will
probably get another turn in '92 to provide some strength up front.
I think that whoever they select from the group they have assembled,
USA will end up with a solid bunch of forwards that will again be able to
skate with any of the other teams.  The question is whether they can
backcheck those teams!  That's why I suggest that players like McEachern,
Gaudreau, Young, etc. may turn out to be USA's most valuable players.
 
Not to mention Stauber...
 
 
- mike