IIHF

2014 Winter Olympics Rosters – United States

Here is the roster for the United States for the Winter Olympics in Sochi:

Teams play in the National Hockey League (NHL) unless otherwise stated.

KEY: Player Name, Team, History At Olympics

FORWARDS

David Backes, St. Louis Blues (2nd appearance – 6GP 1G 2A 2PIM)
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings (2nd appearance – 6GP 0G 0A 0PIM)
Ryan Callahan, New York Rangers (2nd appearance – 6GP 0G 1A 2PIM)
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (2nd appearance – 6GP 3G 2A 2PIM)
Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks (2nd appearance – 6GP 2G 0A 2PIM)
Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs (2nd appearance – 6GP 1G 1A 0PIM)
T.J. Oshie, St. Louis Blues (1st appearance)
Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens (1st appearance)
Zach Parisé, Minnesota Wild (2nd appearance – 6GP 4G 4A 0PIM)
Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks (2nd appearance – 6GP 0G 3A 4PIM)
Paul Stastny, Colorado Avalanche (2nd appearance – 6GP 1G 2A 0PIM)
Derek Stepan, New York Rangers (1st appearance)
James van Riemsdyk, Toronto Maple Leafs (1st appearance)
Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets (1st appearance)

DEFENSEMEN

John Carlson, Washington Capitals (1st appearance)
Justin Faulk, Carolina Hurricanes (1st appearance)
Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks (1st appearance)
Paul Martin, Pittsburgh Penguins (1st appearance)
Ryan McDonagh, New York Rangers (1st appearance)
Brooks Orpik, Pittsburgh Penguins (2nd appearance – 6GP 0G 0A 0PIM)
Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues (1st appearance)
Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild (2nd appearance – 6GP 0G 4A 2PIM)

GOALTENDERS

Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (2nd appearance – OGP 0.00SV% 0.00GAA)
Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres (2nd appearance – 6GP 94.56SV% 1.35GAA)
Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings (1st appearance)

Chicago Blackhawks

BoredHockeyFan.com congratulates..

BoredHockeyFan.com congratulates the Chicago Blackhawks in winning the 2013 Stanley Cup, by defeating the Boston Bruins in 6 games.

After being behind by 2 games to 1, the Blackhawks win three straight, including two goals from Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland in 17 seconds of Game Six to clinch their second Stanley Cup in four years.

Patrick Kane, who scored the Cup winner against the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, walked away with the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP. Kane finished with 19 points (9G, 10A), including nine points, in his final ten games.

Chicago Blackhawks

Analyzing The Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have had one of the best starts to not just an NHL season, but any sport. In their first 19 games, the Blackhawks have a record of 16-0-3.  That’s 16 wins, and 3 losses all via the way of a shootout. They have not lost a single game in regulation thus far. Just three years off since their Stanley Cup victory, Chicago look poised to enter this year’s playoffs as the number one seed in the Western Conference, already amassing an 8 point advantage over the second placed Anaheim Ducks. The reason they have had such an amazing start is no coincedence. it all starts with their goaltending.

Corey Crawford, through the 11 games he has started, as a GAA of 1.5, and his back-up, Ray Emery has started 8 games with a GAA of 2.08 for a combined GAA of 1.79. When you’re conceding less than two goals a game, you should be at least winning more games than you are losing, especially when your opponents have only 34 goals past your goalies.

Patrick Kane on the other hand, is leading the way on offense, with 24 points in 19 games. Being helped along by the usual suspects of Marian Hossa (9G, 6A), Jonathan Toews (7G, 8A) and Patrick Sharp (4G, 11A), Chicago have a 4th best 3.1 goals per game, and with star defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook starting to find form, it seems that the streak could last a lot longer in Chi-Town.

General

Why The Lockout Was A Good Thing

It was. I assure you. I know it may not seem like it, and that people predict it will kill hockey in the United States. But, the lockout may not have benefited the NHL as much as a full season may have, the lockout allowed players to play elsewhere. Where else would Joe Thornton, Patrick Kane and Loui Eriksson play in the same team, if it wasn’t for the lockout? Speaking of which, here is just a small example of where the lockout was actually beneficial.

SPENGLER CUP

The Spengler Cup is an invitational tournament played in Davos, Switzerland every year, and normally contains European hockey powerhouses, and Team Canada, which is mostly made up of European-based Canadians. However, this year’s edition of the Spengler Cup was a little different. For starters, Team Canada was stacked this year. The biggest name competing for Team Canada in 2011 was former NHL Goaltender Marty Turco, with only three other players currently playing outside of Europe. However, thanks to the NHL Lockout, Team Canada was able to select from those locked out, then playing for teams in Europe, as well as the four outside Europe selections. It wasn’t just Team Canada that benefited, with other teams competing in the Spengler Cup, being able to include NHL-based stars playing in Europe as well, allowing for stronger lineups, and including names familiar to the viewing public, due to them playing in the National Hockey League pre-lockout.

IIHF WORLD U20 CHAMPIONSHIP

Ah yes, the World Juniors. Where the brightest and best up-and-coming stars of the world of hockey come together to compete for their country, usually made up of the best young prospects that will be the names called out in the next NHL draft. This season was different however, this season, the NHL was locked out. Which meant that the best juniors currently applying their trade for an NHL team could compete for their country if they so chose to, allowing the likes of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to be available for Team Canada, and Nail Yakupov for Team Russia as opposed to being on the ice for the Edmonton Oilers. Every country competing had at least one player currently on an NHL roster, and not having those players, quite possibly would’ve led to a completely different result than what actually happened. Who knows, Canada may have actually won a medal!

THE CASUAL VIEWER

No casual viewer of any sport wants to sit down for an entire 82-game season, as chances are they’ll be bored inside the first 20 games and not watch the season out. But, this season is a shortened season, maybe 50 games maximum, and the casual viewer may tune in for the first 20 or so games, but rather than being 60 left.. there’s only going to be 20 or so left, which could very well mean that the casual viewer may be more intrigued as divisions will be tighter, the playoffs will loom, players will be fresher, and hockey will thrive again. Even ESPN are dragging Barry Melrose out of cotton wool, and called it ‘the top story of the day’. When ESPN start caring about hockey, you know it’s getting serious.

There is just a sample of what having a lockout actually improved. The lockout wasn’t all bad, but now that’s it’s back, don’t ever leave again. Lockouts are bad bad things.