ISW

For me, current NHLers Jeremy Roenick, Mathieu Schneider, Bill Guerin, Mike Modano, Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight represent a golden age in USA hockey. In their prime, each of these players played crucial productive and leadership roles for their respective NHL teams as well as Team USA.

Speaking of which, the Americans won the 1996 World Cup over Team Canada marking its first major trophy since 1980 - you know, the one with the Olympic Miracle kids. The also won a silver at the 2002 Olympics losing to Team Canada for the gold medal. They won bronze at the 1996 World Championships - their first medal since 1962. I’ll assume most of these players were on that roster. Actually, I emailed USA Hockey and I’m currently awaiting the roster from ‘96. I wonder if Eric Weinrich was on it.*

Before the six aforementioned off the top, let me recall there was Joe Mullen, Pat Lafontaine, Chris Chelios (still active at 46 so he crosses a couple of generations), John LeClair, the Broten brothers and Gary Suter - to name a few off the top of my head. I won’t go as far back as Frank Brimsek, ok?

But I will mention that Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Mike Richter were contemporaries but no longer play.

Scott Gomez and Chris Drury are tweeners.

But all have paved the way for a new crop of American players harvested. The list is impressive: Among them, Patrick O’Sullivan, Jack Johnson, Erik Johnson, Peter Mueller, Dustin Brown, Rick DiPietro and Patrick Kane.

Let me get to my point regarding the six players.

Prior to the season beginning, everyone was talking about how old they’re getting and that they’d have to accept reduced roles. True as this may have been consider these stats:

Modano: Dallas Stars. 5 goals-7 assists -12 points - 18 games: With Morrow out for the year, Modano becomes the focus again.

Schneider: Atlanta Thrashers. 2-5-7- 16: Did you know that four of the six players with the name “Schneider” are American? Yes. Now there’s a trivial stat in every sense of the word.

Weight: New York Islanders. 2-17-22- 22: Sits in 20th for overall points - another geezer Teemu Selanne of the Anaheim Ducks joins him. Everyone avoided Dougie in my hockey pool. Shows you what we know.

Guerin: Islanders. 9-7-16 - 22: Four goals away from 400.

Tkachuk: St. Louis Blues. 10-4-14 - 20: Tied with 11 others (including Evgeni Malkin) in 20th spot for most goals.

Roenick: Somewhere in space. Or is it San Jose Sharks? 1-4 -5 - 22: While his stats are not strong, at least he’s healthy. And he’s probably a prolific provider of paroles and parables. Alright, maybe not. But you have to like the alliterative effect. Roenick is all leadership now.

All things considered, especially measured against other stuff gripping the great USA, not bad at all. Not bad at all.

* My assumption was wrong. Never assume, kids. The good folks are USA Hockey confirmed the 1996 roster. Lo and behold, NONE of these players were there. Maybe because they were participating in the NHL playoffs. Neither was Weinrich. Brian Rolston, for his part, was.