2013-14 NHL Season

ESPN's Scott Burnside was given access to USA hockey meetings where they made decisions about team selection. This is an amazing story and an insight into why certain players were chosen and others not

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/10195703/how-us-hockey-team-bound-sochi-olympics-was-named

Here's the basic premise of the team:

This team must be fast, aggressive, smart and patient, and those are qualities that must be reflected in the selection process. A team cannot assume that identity if the players selected do not possess those qualities. It seems basic but it will take steely resolve to remain true to that principle when the final selections are made.

And here are their comments about Ryan:

The issue is where he fits. If he's not a top-six forward, his skating doesn't really lend itself to him being a third-line checker.
He cannot kill penalties, and while in Anaheim, he was not on the team's top power-play unit.

"I think he's sleepy. I think he skates sleepy," offers one member of the selection committee.

No one questioned Bobby Ryan's talent, but he made the U.S. decision-makers nervous.
Poile asks for a show of hands: "Are guys nervous about Bobby Ryan?" A flurry of hands go up in the air.

"That's a lot of guys," Poile notes.

I know we're all big hockey brains but I submit these guys know more about hockey players than any of us would ever know in about a hundred years.

Bottom line: there was no role for Ryan.

 

The dinosaur Burke won out. You could tell in that article he was the Alpha male. My favourite part is how Lombardi came with an actual binder full of material to make a case for Yandle and all Burke could do was mock him.

 

Seems funny to me that so many of the USA Hockey decision-makers - Poile, Tallon, McPhee and Bowman - were all born in Canada.

 

Bobby Ryan not being on the first powerplay unit may or may not be a byproduct of his playing the same position as Corey Perry.

 

Fascinating to see Burke's disdain for a guy he drafted No. 2 overall. Of course, now he claims he didn't want to pick Ryan - it was the scouts who got their way when he really wanted Jack Johnson.

All that tells me is that Burke has to tear down what he feels is a mistake that, in his mind, is actually somebody else's fault. In other words, it's vintage Brian Burke.

 

The reasoning is so foolish is almost makes it worse. Bobby Ryan has too many even strength points?? As if that's a bad thing??

Even under the umbrella that he might've been a malcontent in a bottom 6 role, what are the top 2 lines? Backes with Kessel and JVR and Kesler/Pavelski with Kane? Pavelski can check and is versatile enough to play the middle, so how is the team not better off with Kane and Ryan together and Pavelski with say Brown and Callahan on a third line? And that's gifting a top line spot to JVR based on chemistry and not actual goals scored in the NHL.

 

You're forgetting Parise.

 

Longtime scout I know told me once he always gives more weight to even-strength points than points racked up on the power play. His rationale is pretty simple: "You're supposed to score on the power play."

 

... and Teemu was usually stationed on the left side during PPs.

 

David Poile is now apologizing all over the place.

 

What do they mean Ryan makes guys nervous?