McKee: the solution to USA hockey's problems?

Well, no, not really.

But Off Wing Opinion, a pretty good sports/hockey blog, takes a look at some of the criticism of USA hockey following its disappointing Olympic performance, and it references McKee as the exception to the rule that all U.S. players come from the "M" states. Looks like he's saying the solution to Team USA's problems is to produce more David McKees (so to speak).

[q]Sure, more kids play hockey in the U.S. than ever before, but it's safe to say that the vast majority of our top athletes don't get anywhere near a sniff of hockey. Despite growing roots in the Sunbelt (Cornell's starting goaltender is a Dallas Stars fan from Texas), hockey is still a regional sport in the U.S. Like it or not, that's going to hurt our national program.[/q]
[www.ericmcerlain.com]

Assuming that this guy is serious in his belief that USA Hockey's problems can be solved by the cultivation of talent from a broader geographic area, he has to realize that this process can't happen overnight, right?

Observation: There are no giraffes in Lapland.
Solution: Begin stretching reindeer necks, immediately.

Last time I checked, the combined population of the hockey-player-bearing states of the US was far greater than the population of Slovakia or Finland or the Czech Republic. The talent pool is not the problem.

As much as we hate the Gophers, the US should just send Minnesota to the games. They will have been playing as a team for years and are comprised primarily of Americans.

nyc94
As much as we hate the Gophers, the US should just send Minnesota to the games. They will have been playing as a team for years and are comprised primarily of Americans.

But sending a team of amateurs would go against everything the NHL worked for in hijacking the Olympic tournament!

many of the top young us players were kept off the Olympic team this time around. its stupid because many of the younger players such as zack pairse and ryan miller (a bad example of a play making combo to be sure) have all players with each other in usndp, national junior teams or whatever. the politicks of keeping the chris cheelios' and mike modanos (love those guys but come on now...4 time losers) on the team are ridiculous. bring back the amateurs and let Juniors with no nhl time play. then we will see what league is better... NCAA or Juniors. ha!

RichH

nyc94
As much as we hate the Gophers, the US should just send Minnesota to the games. They will have been playing as a team for years and are comprised primarily of Americans.

But sending a team of amateurs would go against everything the NHL worked for in hijacking the Olympic tournament!

Let's be fair, here. The NBA destroyed the Olympics. The NHL just waddled in behind.

Trotsky

RichH

nyc94
As much as we hate the Gophers, the US should just send Minnesota to the games. They will have been playing as a team for years and are comprised primarily of Americans.

But sending a team of amateurs would go against everything the NHL worked for in hijacking the Olympic tournament!

Let's be fair, here. The NBA destroyed the Olympics. The NHL just waddled in behind.

True enough. Interesting to note that Gary Bettman was an NBA executive until 1993. I'm fine laying much of the blame on one person. I think there's room for more villification.

Trotsky
Let's be fair, here. The NBA destroyed the Olympics. The NHL just waddled in behind.

and look how well they have done...

RichH
I think there's room for more villification.

I want that on my tombstone.

nyc94
As much as we hate the Gophers, the US should just send Minnesota to the games. They will have been playing as a team for years and are comprised primarily of Americans.

And they are used to the Olympic ice surface.

nyc94
As much as we hate the Gophers, the US should just send Minnesota to the games. They will have been playing as a team for years and are comprised primarily of Americans.

HA! Talented though the Gophers might be, they'd get smoked by any Olympic team one of the big seven countries fielded this year, and possibly some of the smaller ones as well.

They'd beat Italy, though.

jmh30
HA! Talented though the Gophers might be, they'd get smoked by any Olympic team one of the big seven countries fielded this year, and possibly some of the smaller ones as well.

HOPP SCHWIIZ!!

jtwcornell91

jmh30
HA! Talented though the Gophers might be, they'd get smoked by any Olympic team one of the big seven countries fielded this year, and possibly some of the smaller ones as well.

HOPP SCHWIIZ!!

Yes, John, Switzerland might beat the Gophers. I'm not sure what, exactly, that proves.