The U.S. men's ice hockey team doesn't have a goaltender yet for the 2002 Olympic Games. The Americans only have one defenseman so far, too.
Of course, that merely seems like a slight inconvenience when considering what Team USA does have.
Defense may be a mystery as of now, but scoring shouldn't be a problem for the squad sporting the Stars and Stripes next February at the E Center. On Saturday, USA Hockey announced the selection of nine highly touted and talented NHL star forwards to represent the country at the Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
That potential offensive machine will include Brett Hull (Dallas), Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis), Jeremy Roenick (Phoenix), Tony Amonte (Chicago), Chris Drury (Colorado), Bill Guerin (Boston), John LeClair (Philadelphia), Mike Modano (Dallas) and Doug Weight (Edmonton).
New York Rangers' Brian Leetch was the only defenseman picked among this first group of U.S. players to make the elite list.
"The players in their primes (of their careers) are mostly forwards in our country," said U.S. team general manager Craig Patrick at a press conference announcing the obligatory initial partial roster Saturday. "We have some very quality players up front . . . Right now we feel our strength is our forwards."
The selection committee must pick the rest of the 23 players by late December. That chore will be harder, Patrick believes, because there is an abundance of talent, just not an abundance of stars as is the case with the forwards.
"We have great depth at all positions," Patrick said. "Tougher decisions are to come on Dec. 22 when we have to name a full squad."
Just knowing who the core group includes is enough to get Leetch all goose-pimply about playing for his nation on home ice. Leetch and Tkachuk are the veterans of the squad, having each participated in two previous Olympics.
"It's nice going into a tournament and not feeling like the underdog," said Leetch, the captain of the 1988 U.S. team that played in Calgary. "If we play and perform to our capabilities, we have as good a shot as anyone to go away with a gold medal."
Drury, one of the bright young stars in the NHL, is the only Olympic newcomer included so far. All the other nine guys participated in the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, when the U.S. suffered an early and disappointing exit from the competition. It was the first time in Olympic history NHL players were allowed to play.
Leetch said he and his countrymates are eager to make new Olympic memories after the P.R. disaster in 1998 when some U.S. players trashed a hotel, among other distasteful things.
"We're excited for this (Olympics)," he said. "It's a new opportunity for Team USA and all the players who are going to be a part of it."
Patrick said the United States will take its time to evaluate the rest of the American talent out there. It has been speculated that Nashville's Mike Dunham will fill one of the goalie spots. New York Rangers' Mike Richter, a two-time Olympian, is injured but hopes to be healthy enough to play as well. Dallas Stars captain Derian Hatcher is a shoo-in as one of the defensemen, too.
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