Gordon to the Olympics and Other Notes

Newsday and Point Blank were amongst the first to report that Islanders coach Scott Gordon has been named an assistant coach for the 2010 USA Olympic hockey team under Toronto's Ron Wilson.

Kyle Okposo--to no one's surprise--has been asked to the US Olympic training camp in Chicago this July. Okposo did very well for the US team in the World Championships after the Islanders season ended.

Here is the entire list of invitees to the American camp:

Goalies: Ryan Miller, Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas.

Defensemen: Tom Gilbert, Tim Gleason, Ron Hainsey, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Brian Rafalski, Rob Scuderi, Ryan Suter, Whitney Ryan.

Forwards: David Backes, David Booth, Dustin Brown, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Malone, Mike Modano, Kyle Okposo, T.J. Oshie, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny.

Strange to note--as they did on NHL Live--that only 5 of these players have previous Olympic experience: Langenbrunner, Modano, Gomez, Drury, andRafalski.

Also worth mentioning is that while these players have been invited to camp, none are guaranteed to make the team. So a guy like, oh, let's say Rick DiPietro, could still make the team if he comes back and is okay and gets some major wins and playing time under his belt.

An NYIFORLIFE.com exclusive editorial: What's the deal with Ron Wilson

There's going to be a press conference today to introduce Ron Wilson as the coach of the 2010 USA hockey team and all I can think is that this is truly an uninspired choice.

First off, we have to recognize that Leafs' GM Brian Burke is the GM of the American Olympic team and that the Leafs' head coach is Ron Wilson. Plus, they're like best buddies. This would be like me hiring my friend Victor to run the Olympic team just because he's had my back for the last twenty or so years.

Wilson is always remembered for coaching the US to a stunning victory in 1996 when everybody expected Canada to win the inaugural World Cup of Hockey. No one can deny the importance of this tournament victory as the second-most important in the annals of American hockey.

Wilson also had the reins in 1998 when Team USA made us all feel like ugly Americans with their behavior on and off the ice in Nagano. I will always remember that Olympics as the one where I was all excited for the games and my Dad went out and bought me the US sweater but now it sits in the back of my closet and is never worn because I was so disgusted with the reports of the team coming out of Japan. I still blame Roenick for this.

Were there better choices for the job? Well, there surely are other candidates. The first two that jump to mind are John Tortorella and old friend Peter Laviolette. Johnny Torts is legendarily cantankerous so he might rub some of the players the wrong way.

Of course, Herb Brooks also had some sandpaper in him, and he turned out to be a legend.

Laviolette does well with younger players and in case you haven't noticed, this 2010 Team USA is going to be very young. The core of the 1996 team is out to pasture and into an easy chair now and the nucleus of the team is going to skew closer to High School Musical than it to Led Zep.

Laviolette has Olympic experience as a player and oh by the way has a big fat Stanley Cup championship ring on his hand. Wilson lost with another disappointing and AARP-sponsored World Cup team in 2004.

The question remains: if you're going into a tournament with a very young roster, doesn't it make sense to employ a coach who is used to working with younger players and getting them to play to the best of their abilities?

You know where I am going with this.

Can we get Scott Gordon on the team? Wilson is going to have a couple of assistant coaches. Johnny Torts is a decent idea, I suppose, and he has the Rangers profile. Laviolette has been coaching the USA entries in the World Championships so he'll get the nod as a company man. But if we are to truly go forward, USA Hockey has to be more active in developing the next round of coaches in the same manner that it tries to develop the next round of players. Saying that, they're going to have to wake up and see that Scott Gordon's Islanders are playing at a .500 clip since Christmas without the benefit of having well-known talent and two goalies who probably had "AHL" next to their names on many league-wide roster lists.

No matter how you look at it, Gordon has really done a heck of a job with the Islanders over the last half of the season. He's done it with kids and call-ups and AHL vets making their NHL debuts. He really can get the kids ready to play and he must know how to push their buttons to give them all the confidence to go out there and play their hearts out.

Now I am not saying that Scott Gordon is Scotty Bowman-in-training here...but we do have to face facts. Would USA Hockey get hammered by those who think they know if Scott Gordon was appointed to Team USA as an assistant coach? Probably. The knee-jerk reaction from talking heads without an understanding would look at the Islanders' record and their last place standing and wonder what the heck USA Hockey is smoking by letting this guy have an Olympic job. But those who understand and love the game and have followed the Islanders have seen nothing but improvement and growth over the past few months. If you truly wanted to develop a coach the way you would develop players, you'd need to give guys like Gordon some exposure at the the highest levels--and not just hire your best buddy retread.

Of course, I want to win games and develop talent; not just hire my friends.

Update from the Worlds; courtesy Yahoo sports

I had held out hop that the World Championships would be on the NHL Network but they aren't. Apparently there is a PPV outlet online where you can check out the games if you're inclined. With little news coming out of Long Island right now, we here at nyiforlife.com will do our best to keep everyone up to date on what is happening at the Worlds.

--Bill


Kane, Thomas lead US past Latvia world opener

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP)—Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists and Tim Thomas made 24 saves to help the United States beat Latvia 4-0 on Friday night in the Americans’ opening preliminary round game in the world championship.

Kane, the 19-year-old star who had 72 points in 82 games for Chicago this season, assisted on Dustin Brown’s first-period goal, then added a goal midway through the second. Kane took the puck near Latvia’s blue line, skated in and fired a snap shot past goalie Edgars Masalskis. Kane also set up Zach Parise’s third-period goal.

“He’s an unbelievably skilled hockey player,” Thomas said about Kane. “He has a heck of future in front of him.”

The United States, wearing throwback jerseys from its 1960 Olympic victory at Squaw Valley, scored all four goals on power plays.

“The power play was cooking tonight. We scored four goals. It was good to get that going,” Kane said. “It’s just nice to start off with a win, especially against a team that we probably should beat.”

Patrick O’Sullivan also scored, and Paul Martin had three assists.

American forward Lee Stempniak was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down on a breakaway shortly after Kane’s goal. Stempniak couldn’t beat Masalskis, who closed his pads to stop a shot. Masalskis made 45 saves.

“I have not been involved in too many international tournaments,” U.S. coach John Tortorella said. “But the two games I have been involved in, Latvia has been a tough opponent. And tonight was not exception.”

The Americans will return to action Sunday night against Slovenia.

In the other Group B opener in Halifax, Dany Heatley had three goals and an assist in defending champion Canada’s 5-1 victory over Slovenia.

Heatley has 23 goals in the world championships, the most by a Canadian player. The Ottawa Senators star broke the mark of 21 set by Marcel Dionne.

Dan Hamhuis and Martin St. Louis also scored for Canada. Cam Ward made 21 saves, allowing only Anze Kopitar’s goal on a 5-on-3 power play.

The Canadians had a 65-22 shots advantage.

In Group D play in Quebec City, the Czech Republic beat Denmark 5-2, and Russia routed Italy 7-1.

The tournament is being played in Canada for the first time.

Photo courtesy USAHOCKEY.com