While 2010 is still pretty far on the horizon on most calendars, it is fast approaching for USA Hockey.
For that reason, the organization is treating the upcoming 2007 IIHF World Championships as the first of many dress rehearsals for the team that will eventually be selected to play in the Olympic tournament in Vancouver in three years time.
While it must be realized that USA Hockey does not have a full pool of players to choose from because of the ongoing Stanley Cup Playoffs, it is still somewhat stunning to see the list of new names and younger players that were included on the team's preliminary 18-man roster, released Monday afternoon.
More than half of the players named Monday have yet to turn 26. Defensemen Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Matt Greene and Jack Johnson, forwards Brandon Bochenski, Nate Davis, Phil Kessel, Chad LaRose, Paul Stastny and Lee Stempniak and goalie Cory Schneider are all 25-years-old or younger. Davis, who plays for the University of Miami (Ohio) and Schneider, who stars with Boston College, have yet to turn pro, in fact.
"Again, people have brought up our youth quite a bit, but we are bringing exceptional hockey players to this tournament," says Jim Johansson, senior director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. "They are young, but they are great hockey players. And, yeah, we have our eye on Vancouver in 2010 and all of these (tournaments) are buildup parts to that."
While all the young players that will compete in Moscow later this month at the World Championships certainly won't be in the discussion when the 2010 Team USA squad starts being bandied around seriously, there are a few players that will be on display in Russia that could well play big parts for Team USA in 2010.
Johnson, who just turned pro at the end of the NCAA season, is one of those players. Just 20, he is one of the most talked about defensive prospects in recent memory. A product of the United States National Team Developmental Program and the University of Michigan, Johnson has already played in several international tournaments, including a pair of World Junior Championships. This will be his first go-around at the senior level.
Johnson, who played just five NHL games after turning pro, tried to downplay his effectiveness at the NHL level, suggesting that he was a little overwhelmed by joining the Los Angeles Kings and playing with Rob Blake, a boyhood icon.
But Brian Burke, the GM of this edition of Team USA, says that Johnson has a very good chance to showcase his immense talent at this World Championships. Burke, also the GM of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, believes that it will not be long before Johnson is a dominant NHL player, as well.
"Jack sure looked comfortable out there (in the NHL), I can tell you that" said Burke. "Jack's a little modest at times, but he's going to be a dynamite player."
Johnson, the third overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft is just one of several former NTDP products that will be counted on in Russia. Kessel, the fifth choice in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, is another product of NTDP. Despite being sidelined for a small part of the season for successful cancer treatment, Kessel still had 11 goals and 29 points for the Boston Bruins. Another NTDP alum is Cory Schneider, a first-round choice of the Vancouver Canucks in 2004. He will serve as the third-string goalie behind NHL vets Robert Esche and John Grahame.
Johnson is looking forward to being reunited with both Kessel and Schneider. All three played together at the 2006 World Junior Championships. They also were all a part of successful teams at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships.
Johnson went on to be a part of the 2007 WJC team that lost to Canada in a shootout in the semis before winning the bronze medal.
Despite his youth, he brings a wealth of experience and success to this team, which will be coached by ex-Boston Bruins' coach Mike Sullivan.
"I expect that the experience I have had with the World Junior team and in Ann Arbor (The NTDP program) will help quite a bit," Johnson says. "I'm not going to be a stranger to these international games and how competitive they are and how much pride is on the line when you put on those jerseys.
"It'll be nice playing with those other guys I played with before, like Phil and Cory. Those guys are competitors and we are looking forward to getting back into the fire of international play. "
Stastny, who played in the United States Hockey League before enrolling at the University of Denver, is another player that could have an impact on the 2010 team. As a rookie with the Colorado Avalanche, Stastny, the son of former NHL great Peter Stastny, set several rookie scoring records this year before finishing with 28 goals and 78 points to finishing second behind Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin in the rookie scoring race.
Stastny, who was born in Quebec City, has never played in international competition. He does, however, have U.S. citizenship and has played both his domestic juniors and college hockey in the United States. That, according to Johansson, was enough to make him eligible for this team and all United States' teams going forward, according to IIHF quidelines.
And, the team will also have some veteran experience. Not only are Esche and Grahame manning the net, but Erik Cole, a member of the 2006 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, is on the roster. He also played for Team USA at the 2006 Olympic Games.
Other players already named to the team include: Chris Clark, Brian Pothier, Tyler Arnason, Toby Peterson and David Backes, who was added late Monday afternoon. The team still has four spots to fill before the tournament starts, plus the team can add an additional two players, under IIHF rules, after the third game of the tournament.
