Stepan played on North american Ice surface in 2010. His ability to think the game well and Hockey IQ made up for his lack of speed and poor faceoff ability.
- tomburton99

They have a lot of guys from that 2010 World Junior team.

Dump Orpik and Faulk for Byfuglien and Yandle and I'd take Ryan over Wheeler any day of the week. I think they were thinking too hard on these decisions. Sometimes you gotta take the player with the pedigree.

So Canada is going to ice theyre top 12 scoring forwards?
- poisondhearts37

No, but do you think they are going to leave off a their 2nd highest scoring foreward? Because the US did.

No, but do you think they are going to leave off a their 2nd highest scoring foreward? Because the US did.
- GSDIV

To be fair Getzlaf has much more of a long-term acumen than Okposo if you mean by points. Thornton is 4th among Canadian players. I would say there's a shot he doesn't make it.

Dump Orpik and Faulk for Byfuglien and Yandle and I'd take Ryan over Wheeler any day of the week. I think they were thinking too hard on these decisions. Sometimes you gotta take the player with the pedigree.
- flyler

Guys please stop with the buff stuff. He's fat slow and bad in his own end. Bobby Ryan is not on this team because he plays with no heart and no hustle. He would be perfect for team Russia.

Guys please stop with the buff stuff. He's fat slow and bad in his own end. Bobby Ryan is not on this team because he plays with no heart and no hustle. He would be perfect for team Russia.
- mjh609

sweet baby jesus you're clueless

Guys please stop with the buff stuff. He's fat slow and bad in his own end. Bobby Ryan is not on this team because he plays with no heart and no hustle. He would be perfect for team Russia.
- mjh609

Buff also has character questions from the past. All good reasons not to have him on the team.

sweet baby jesus you're clueless
- sensarmy_11

The team USA committee...multiple people...identified similar reasons in the Burnside article. My eyes tell me similar. "No hustle" is an exaggeration of course. But he's not a defensive player and he isn't a penalty killer. Does team USA really need him as a third liner when they already have Kane and Kessel as their top two RW's?

I guess we have different definitions of fast. He's not Kreider. Or Hagelin. That doesn't make him slow. He's certainly a better skater than Ryan.

Ryane Clowe...is slow.
- BarryB1124

Ryane Clowe has a brain made of mush and is in his 30's. Stepan is not an olympian based on his lack of speed and lack of strength on his edges. It's pretty simple. He also is under 50% on faceoffs. No good.

Ryane Clowe has a brain made of mush and is in his 30's. Stepan is not an olympian based on his lack of speed and lack of strength on his edges. It's pretty simple. He also is under 50% on faceoffs. No good.
- tomburton99

Everything you post on this website is negative. Whether it be about the rangers or currently the US roster. Go see a (frank)ing doctor or something. It's annoying. And more often than not you're wrong.

Everything you post on this website is negative. Whether it be about the rangers or currently the US roster. Go see a (frank)ing doctor or something. It's annoying. And more often than not you're wrong.
- mjh609

I agree , the guys a jackass.

Everything you post on this website is negative. Whether it be about the rangers or currently the US roster. Go see a (frank)ing doctor or something. It's annoying. And more often than not you're wrong.
- mjh609

So you think Stepan is an olympian? Honestly? You think he can compete or keep up with the like of Crosby, Oveckin, The Sedins, etc and do you thin a guy currently at 44.8% on faceoffs will win key faceoffs against Bergeron, Backstrom, Koivu etc. You're an idiot.

I agree , the guys a jackass.
- JohnnyNYR

I can see the shallow end of the gene pool in full affect tonight. Stepan is a good 2nd line NHL center. He's not an Olympian.

So you think Stepan is an olympian? Honestly? You think he can compete or keep up with the like of Crosby, Oveckin, The Sedins, etc and do you thin a guy currently at 44.8% on faceoffs will win key faceoffs against Bergeron, Backstrom, Koivu etc. You're an idiot.
- tomburton99

You're a jackass go root for the isles.

who said to leave kessel off the team......i never said leave him off the team. the guy is a great player. i was saying that ryan is also a great player, and deserves to be there just as much.

if kessel were left off the team, i would think that was also insane.
- sensarmy_11

From what I have read, Team USA has soured on Ryan for whatever reason. Seems like he wasnt making this team regardless of his play. Whether it be attitude issues or lack of intensity, the powers that be for Team USA seem to be happy he is not part of the team.

I can the shallow end of the gene pool in full affect tonight. Stepan is a good 2nd line NHL center. He's not an Olympian.
- tomburton99

Shallow end ... You're pond scum. Get lost.

Edit: you can't even write in proper English, you idiot.

Shallow end ... You're pond scum. Get lost.
- JohnnyNYR

Ahh pond scum. Right. So tell me how a center who's under 45% percent at the dot will fair against the best players in the world. Most of whom, are 55% or greater. Stepan has taken 746 draws. Good for 14th in the league. He ranks 80th. Yes 80th in the percentage category. Good night.

From what I have read, Team USA has soured on Ryan for whatever reason. Seems like he wasnt making this team regardless of his play. Whether it be attitude issues or lack of intensity, the powers that be for Team USA seem to be happy he is not part of the team.
- Leafs43

Perhaps they observed him in the playoffs last year in particular and before that as well.

I can see the shallow end of the gene pool in full affect tonight. Stepan is a good 2nd line NHL center. He's not an Olympian.
- tomburton99

Well put it another way. They wanted 5 centers, which does make sense. Is there a center you would take in his place?

My thought process is, I want a guy who can be on the ice against Canada in the final 5 minutes of a 2-2 game or a 3-2 lead. If you're down, you have other guys you can put out there to score. But Stepan can be trusted in any situation (besides face offs) and he has a solid skill level and excellent defensive acumen. Is there a center you would prefer? As it is Stepan is tied for 5th (USA) among true NHL centers in points and he's probably better than he has played for much of this year.

Full Disclosure, I am a very huge Dustin Byfuglien fan. That being said there is no way on God's Green Earth that he or Keith Yandle should be on this team. Buff's inability to skate rapidly from here to there, and Yandle's complete lack of defensive awareness make them a no go for this team.

This team was built with the Herb Brooks philosophy in mind. Get the right players not necessarily the best players.

Well put it another way. They wanted 5 centers, which does make sense. Is there a center you would take in his place?

My thought process is, I want a guy who can be on the ice against Canada in the final 5 minutes of a 2-2 game or a 3-2 lead. If you're down, you have other guys you can put out there to score. But Stepan can be trusted in any situation (besides face offs) and he has a solid skill level and excellent defensive acumen. Is there a center you would prefer?
- BarryB1124

That post wasn't ment for you. It was ment for the two blowhards who think Stepan is the next Ron Francis

Bolded: Pretty important for a center right? I mean. A center should be able to win half his faceoffs.

Full Disclosure, I am a very huge Dustin Byfuglien. That being said there is no way on God's Green Earth that he or Keith Yandle should be on this team. Buff's inability to skate rapidly from here to there, and Yandle's complete lack of defensive awareness make them a no go for this team.

This team was built with the Herb Brooks philosophy in mind. Get the right players not necessarily the best players.
- dab44lb

That about sums it up.

Canada is different they have players that can actually score. USA is filled with very good second and third liners. Having a few players that can score wouldn't hurt, especially against teams like Canada and Russia
- mighty13duck[/quote
Disco Dan loves Orpik and Martin, Martin will be an on the top pp and will be very valuable on the wider ice surface, Orpik? Not so much

That post wasn't ment for you. It was ment for the two blowhards who think Stepan is the next Ron Francis

Bolded: Pretty important for a center right? I mean. A center should be able to win half his faceoffs.
- tomburton99

True. But he's still tied for 5th among American true centers in points. And for a lot of the year he has played below what he is arguably capable of. Is there someone else you would pick? Kesler, Pavelski and Stastny are all good faceoff guys. If there is an important defensive zone draw he does not have to take it.

Stepan was chosen because they wanted a fifth center...period. He may not even play, if there are no injuries, or bad play. Would Okposo play if he went? No, because he is not versatile enough to do different things on the ice. At least Stepan can kill penalties.

Bobby Ryan kept Bobby Ryan off this team. Yes, he can score goals. But, he cannot kill penalties, and he is not a good power play player, contrary to popular belief. Is he better then Kane or Kessel? No. Is he suited for a third or fourth line role? Certainly not. He coasts through games at times, and they wanted players who bring a lot more passion to the game, whether they are putting pucks in the net or not. So, he doesn't belong on this team, when there are people who can better fill third or fourth line roles.

On D, Buff would have possibly been the slowest skater IN THE TOURNAMENT. That, plus his poor defensive play, exclude him in my mind, though I do like him as a player. Yandle is just not a good defenseman. His offense is great, but he could have been a turnstile in the Olympics. Again, I like the player, but not for this team.

This is not an All-Star team they are building, guys...it is an Olympic hockey team. Taking the top twelve Amercian scorers would result in disaster. They want a team that plays well defensively, like we did back in 2010. We won silver then, in one of the best games ever.