Bill Guerin said USA Hockey built a team, not a group of individuals, for the Olympic men's hockey squad. That left some very talented players off the roster.
Let the second-guessing begin.
Team USA announced its 25-man roster for the Olympics on Friday. And, like Canada's roster announcement on Wednesday, there were some notable omissions.
Dallas' Jason Robertson, who leads all Americans with 48 points in 41 games, was curiously left off the team. So, too, was Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Adam Fox.
Alex DeBrincat, Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson, who are all ranked in the top-10 in scoring among U.S.-born players, didn't get an invite. Neither did Patrick Kane, who won a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, was also not selected to go to Milan next month.
But according to GM Bill Guerin, this isn't an all-star team.
While individual stats and resumes are important, Team USA was looking for specific players to fill specific roles, which meant that some very talented players, such as Robertson and Caufield, were ultimately left off the roster.
"We're putting together a team, not just a group of individuals," GM Bill Guerin told reporters on Friday. "It's a team."
Indeed, even without the NHL's fourth-best goal-scorer and a former Norris Trophy winner, this is still a very good team.
Arguably, it is the best version of the Americans that we'll ever see at an international competition. You've got a one-two-three punch down the middle of Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Jack Hughes. You've got Matthew and Brady Tkachuk on the wings, who will be a handful to defend against. And you've got last year's Vezina and Hart Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck, as the No. 1 goalie.
And yet, it's the players who were passed over that many fans will be fixated on if the U.S. is unable to win gold next month.
Guerin told reporters that he didn't want to comment on who didn't get picked, but said that size was not a factor in keeping some of the smaller players, such as Caufield and DeBrincat, who are both 5-foot-8, off the team in favor of Tage Thompson, who is 6-foot-6.
"It doesn't help if you're big and you stink," said Guerin, who added that Thompson's ability to play wing and center is as asset. "He's got an incredible shot and scoring ability, but he's got versatility as well … the versatility, the size and skill level are a pretty unique package."
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As well, Guerin said that last year's 4 Nations Face-Off, where Fox was on the ice when Connor McDavid scored in overtime, was not the sole reason for leaving the New York Rangers defenseman off the team.
"Well, I think it's exactly that — it's perception," said Guerin. "And you know what? That's for you guys to wrestle with and talk about. That's not for us. If you think we made a decision on one play, then you must not think we're very smart. Other than that, I'm going to keep those conversations private. Our decision was made, and we're moving forward."
Fox, who has 28 points in 28 games, was passed over in favor of Seth Jones, who won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season. When asked about not having Fox on the team, U.S. coach Mike Sullivan, who is also Fox's coach with the Rangers, told reporters that it was a "difficult decision."
"Adam and I have had a number of conversations around this, and I will keep that conversation between Adam and I," said Sullivan. "What I will tell you is these teams that are being picked are the best of the best. And there's so many good players and there are very, very difficult decisions that have to be made. It is a collaborative effort on everybody's part. And that's just the reality of the circumstances.
"We'll do our very best to be as professional and straightforward as we can be with everyone that's involved. But Foxy and I have had a number of conversations, and I'll keep those between us."
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