Backes and Johnson Selected to Team USA

by gallagher on Jan 1, 2010 4:29 PM CST

USA Hockey announced the finalized roster today and Blues David Backes and Erik Johnson both made the 2010 Olympic team. It is the first selection to an Olympic team for both players.

Backes joins forwards such as youngsters Dustin Brown (LA), Phil Kessel (TOR), Zach Parise (NJ), Ryan Kesler (VAN), Patrick Kane (CHI), Bobby Ryan (ANA) and Paul Stastny (COL). Team USA veterans Chris Drury (NYR) and Jamie Langenbrunner (NJ) will be providing the experience up front. The forwards are filled out with Ryan Malone (TB), Ryan Callahan (NYR) and Joe Pavelski (SJ).

Defensively, Johnson will join Jack Johnson (LA), Ryan Suter (NAS), Brooks Orpik (PIT), Mike Komisarek (TOR), Paul Martin (NJ) and the only defender with prior Team USA Olympic experience, Brian Rafalski (DET).

In net Ryan Miller (BUF), Tim Thomas (BOS) and Johnathan Quick (LA) will split the duties.

Notably, Blues forward T.J. Oshie was invited to the US Olympic tryout camp this summer but did not make the cut. His slow start and lack of offensive production when compared to the other forwards who were selected are probably the reasons why he did not make the team.

Team USA is not considered to be one of the top Olympic teams in this February's tournament in Vancouver. While they have some scoring capability up front in Kessel, Stastny, Parise, Kane and Ryan, as well as a nice stable of gritty forwards in Backes, Brown, Kesler, Malone, Langenbrunner, Pavelski and Callahan, they don't match up to the depth of teams like Canada and Russia.

The defense looks to be a good, mobile corps that should be able to take advantage of the larger international ice with their speed and passing ability, thought they too do not have the depth that other nations do.

Finally, the goaltending has the ability to get hot and win some games, but doesn't match up to the overall depth of some of their competitors.

Overall, Team USA looks built to compete and to win a few games, though they'll need to steal a couple contests from better teams if they want to medal.

Tweet Comment 16 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Team USA?

Really? No Team America?

by averagejoe on Jan 1, 2010 4:36 PM CST reply actions

I must still be drunk.

Sorry.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jan 1, 2010 4:45 PM CST up reply actions

Locals

Although he’s not a member of the Note, Statsny was announced as being from St Louis. While sad Osh and Walt didn’t make it, nice to see some decent representation of this area.

Anyone else hear Kessel’s announcement get booed by the Fenway crowd after this past summer’s departure?

Proudly waving the Cubbie Blue from Northern Missouri! GO CUBS GO!

by Tater01 on Jan 1, 2010 4:43 PM CST via mobile reply actions

I liked the PA saying Ryan Malone was “from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.” Boston sports fans: Fuck yeah!

Lighthouse Hockey: Eyes on Tavares, mug full of Moulson.

by Dominik on Jan 1, 2010 5:28 PM CST up reply actions

You caught that too?

I thought I was still hungover, because it took me longer than usual to process that and then laugh. I thought booing Kessel’s announcement was a little much, but still pretty damn funny.

Reporter: There`s a "stamp out the Beatles movement" underway in Detroit. What are you going to do about it?

Paul McCartney: We`re going to start a campaign to stamp out Detroit.

by hildymac on Jan 1, 2010 10:06 PM CST up reply actions

Anyone else hear Kessel’s announcement get booed by the Fenway crowd after this past summer’s departure?

Yup… and I thought it was a riot.

I’d probably have put Oshie on the team ahead of Ryan Callahan. but overall, it’s hard to make a case against any of the guys who were selected.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 1, 2010 7:36 PM CST up reply actions

By the way, having the kids dressed in sweaters with the players' names on them was a nice touch...

…as was Burke handing that flag to Tim Thomas, and the announcement that each Team USA player will be “adopted” by a wounder soldier.

If that won’t motivate these guys, then they don’t deserve to be Americans. I’m as anti-war as a veteran of military service can be, but I still think that’s a fuckin’ great idea.

It couldn’t have been anyone from the NHL who came up with it… it’s got to have been someone from USA Hockey, because the NHL couldn’t market an ice store in Death Valley…

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 1, 2010 7:40 PM CST up reply actions

Loved that too.

Say what you want about Burke, he has his moments of classiness.

Reporter: There`s a "stamp out the Beatles movement" underway in Detroit. What are you going to do about it?

Paul McCartney: We`re going to start a campaign to stamp out Detroit.

by hildymac on Jan 1, 2010 10:07 PM CST up reply actions

yes, hilarious

no love for Kessell, but this team will do fine. Being an underdog is always the best position an american!!

you smell that? that's what a winner smells like....

by stonewall jackson on Jan 1, 2010 4:59 PM CST reply actions

Ice Surface

These games are being played on an NHL sized surface.

None of this International sized nonsense.

No beer and no TV make Homer...something something.

by Poor College Student on Jan 1, 2010 5:47 PM CST reply actions

"We're a laughing on the outside kind of clown."

I do feel quite Pagliacci-like.

Good joke. Everybody laugh.

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are? - Satchel Paige

by Dan. on Jan 1, 2010 7:16 PM CST reply actions

SWE, CAN, and RUS are the only countries that are really clearly better than the US on paper. That means it wouldn’t be much of a shock for the US to play for a medal. Sure, they’d have to pull an upset in that game, but until that round I don’t think they’ll be over-matched.

In an ideal world all ten fingers would be on my left hand so my right hand could just be a fist for punching.

by Rob Parker on Jan 1, 2010 11:27 PM CST reply actions

Actually...

If I’m not mistaken, Statsney was born in Canada…

It is quite amazing how some of these guys with dual-citizenships can pick.

Almost getting to be like the world cup. Oh, you were born in Brazil? And you lived there for 16 years? But you don’t want to be lost on a team of masters, so you decide to ‘live’ in Croatia for a year so you can play for them?

Um….. Ok, that’s fine. (sorry, I’m a big Arsenal supporter, and they have a player on their team, Eduardo, who plays for Croatia, but was born in Brazil)

It is actually a joke because who really knows what country someone should play for? I think you should always play for the country you were born in. Makes it simple and easy.

But, then again, I also don’t think there should ever be any ‘professional’ athletes allowed to play. But that’s just me.

Go USA!

Its weird... half the year my blood is red... but then the other half... it's blue... hm...

by PeacockJac on Jan 1, 2010 11:34 PM CST reply actions

Stas was born in canada

But he grew up in St.L.
“Peter joined the St. Louis Blues in 1993 and settled there after finishing his player career, working as a scout for the team.7 " according to wiki. Peter was his dad so hes lived here for 16 years and also "Šťastný began his junior hockey career with the River City Lancers ".

by Icion on Jan 2, 2010 1:15 AM CST up reply actions

Oshies time will come

Id like to congratulate Backes,Johnson,and Thomas(4th favorite player after Osh, Jannsen, and Backes)

"Nothing is True, Everyting is Permitted"

by stlAJ on Jan 2, 2010 12:07 AM CST reply actions

It sounded like Toronto got no love from the Buffalo crowd. Everyone from Toronto got booed. Congrats to Backes and Johnson though. Good for them, and I see Oshie being very high up on the list of replacements if someone gets injured.