The World Cup of Hockey has returned, after the tournament hasn’t been played since 2004.
For those that don’t know, the world cup of hockey is a two week long tournament hosted by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association. Six countries and eight teams ice their country’s best roster in hopes of proving that they are the best hockey nation.
Maybe I should say five countries.
Team USA went 0-3 and never stood a chance in this tournament. The team and coaching staff were built entirely wrong and it was evident throughout the entire tournament.
I know it sounds weird. Having players on your roster Like Patrick Kane, Joe Pavelski and Ryan Kesler should at least be good enough to win one game, right? Wrong.
Not when star U.S players are left off the roster because team USA was looking to have a “grittier roster” and a team that was specifically designed to “beat Canada.”
From the very top to the bottom, the team was badly configured.
It all begins with Dean Lombardi who was appointed General Manager. He was ultimately the man in charge of picking the coaching staff and players that would be representing the red, white and blue at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
I’m not saying Dean Lombardi is a bad General Manager, but I don’t think he’s a good one either.
He has had much success in this position over the Los Angeles Kings, where he has led them to being Stanley Cup champions in 2012 and 2014.
Why is he not the right man for the job? Because he didn’t build a winning team. He got lucky.
Look at the players who won him the Stanley Cup. Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown were all drafted before Dean Lombardi was appointed GM.
Dean Lombardi has simply been benefiting from his own luck as well as the success of others.
In terms of how he selected the World Cup of Hockey team, he appointed John Tortorella as head coach. Tortorella is one of, if not the most, controversial coaches in the National Hockey League and has quite literally won nothing since his Stanley Cup victory in 2004.
This leads to the roster that was selected for this year’s team.
Phil Kessel lead the Pittsburgh Penguins in points this past playoff run, where they also went on to win the Stanley Cup. He was left off the roster.
Just sitting around the house tonight w my dog. Felt like I should be doing something important, but couldn’t put my finger on it.
— Phil Kessel (@PKessel81) September 21, 2016
Kevin Shattenkirk is one of the best American offensive defenseman in the National Hockey League. He was left off the roster.
Bobby Ryan. Left off. Tyler Johnson. Left off.
Team USA shot themselves in the foot and didn’t give themselves a chance to win because they took size and grit over skill by selecting players such as Justin Abdelkader and Jack Johnson in hopes of trying to dethrone Canada.
Some of these players left off the roster were also quick to show their displeasure on twitter about being left off the team and the play of Team USA.
USA hockey fans have the right to be angry by this team’s performance and the management that put it together. They should be pissed off by their country’s misrepresentation on the ice.