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(2x WJC Media) Team USA Roster Rundown
#1
(This post was last modified: 01-11-2023, 11:27 AM by erikvm. Edited 1 time in total.)

The S68 Team USA Roster is an interesting team, mostly because of the varying levels of experience on the team, and what happened to this team during the last World Junior Classic. Team USA had the tournament-leading point-getter in Bobby McGinnis, who was dishing the puck to everyone on the team and pushing USA to a 2nd overall finish after 12 games of round-robin play, going 7-3-0-2, which for those of you keeping score at home, is 10 victories to 2, and every single game they recorded a point in the standings. They were looking like a true contender to win the Gold, as the year before that they placed 2nd and this USA team was better going into the tournament stage, but then a nightmare struck. They got goalied. The tournament’s 2nd best offense dried up at the worst time, and the British Isles goalie, Alexis Texas, stonewalled Team USA to an upset. Now we look at the season 68 roster and see who team USA lost, who they gained, and where their expectations lie. 


Who they lost


Tommy Thompson - Tommy was the 1C of last year’s tourney and that line was doing magic, Thompson, McGinnis, and Murray lit up the tournament and now the team is missing their 1C, will Ralph Ryan be able to step up into the 1C role? He lead the round-robin stage in goals last tourney, so I’m thinking it’s a yes.


Trap Zelenock - Zelenock was on the third line and put up a PPG, they are going to miss his defensively sound game, as well as his scoring touch deep into games. 


Angry Gilmore - Angry was the number 1 defenseman of last year’s tourney, and he’s going to be tough to replace in the grand scheme of things, Offensively sound, defensively gifted, and a leader in the locker room, he set the tone of last year’s team, and Team USA will have to channel their inner Angry Gilmore for this tournament. 


Benson Florentini - Benson was on the 2nd line last tournament, but he struggled putting up points on the world stage, but I say he is a gifted scorer who had a bad tournament, and replacing his potential on the 2nd line will be tough.


Cole Dasice - A solid 3rd pairing defenseman, who also put up points, finding a 3rd pairing d-man to replace his value will be tough.


Nichael Fitted - Solid 3rd line winger, helped Trap put up the points he did while shutting down the opponent’s top line.


Who they gained


Loosh O’Sullivan - A young center who has experience playing with McGinnis, Calavera, Towne, and Valentine, he will head into a team USA locker room who knows he is and what he can bring to the table as the 3c of this tournament. 


James Lutz - Lutz is a great young player who I believe will shine with the quality of teammates he will have at this tournament, and I think team USA has found a future leader for this team.


Adam Liebold - A solid young winger, he will look to build chemistry with Lutz for the future to try to establish themselves on this USA team and hopefully, be the first line of the future.


My Predictions


This team lost a lot of good players, and while they still have most of the core from last year intact, Valentine will have to take Gilmore’s place as a true 1st pairing defenseman to go along with Meagher to help Towne shut down teams. Ralph Ryan should slot right into the first line, and the secondary scoring should still be there for this team, but I can’t help thinking that last year’s team was better, but this team isn’t much worse, and last year’s team was a favorite, I see this USA team going deeper than last year’s team due to the simple fact that last year’s team underperformed in the tournament stage, and most of the players from that team are still here, looking for revenge and to go for gold, but this United States offense will be something to fear, and if McGinnis, Ryan, and Murray can dominate play again, this a championship-caliber team.


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#2
(This post was last modified: 01-10-2023, 12:53 PM by Atox. Edited 1 time in total.)

Font's in all black, don't make it white cause people not in dark mode won't be able to read it, remove the formatting and then add formatting back in. Also you dupe posted

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#3

01-10-2023, 12:52 PMAtox Wrote: Font's in all black, don't make it white cause people not in dark mode won't be able to read it, remove the formatting and then add formatting back in.  Also you dupe posted

I think I fixed it, and whoops yeah, I think I double clicked when I posted

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