WJC fallout

It shows how far USA hockey has come that a non-medal finish brings soul-searching articles like this one. It shows how far they have to go that Matt Lashoff, Jack Johnson, and AJ Thelen weren't on the team basically because they had "conflict" with associate coach David Quinn. So, instead of the probable #2 pick in this draft, a top-15 pick in last year's draft, and Lashoff, who will go pretty early, we get to see the defensive stylings of Brian Lee and A Bunch Of Guys Who Don't Have The Excuse of Still Being In High School.

Of course, given the way Montoya played it may not have mattered. But the USA doesn't have the depth of talent that Russia or Canada does and can ill afford to politicize the selection process. Canada decides to bump off a guy because of some reason or another (usually because he's playing college hockey) and they'll replace him with a near-equivalent. The USA decides to leave off a guy and they're scouring AAA teams for really tall sixth graders.

And why is Scott Sandelin coaching the team anyway? He has a day job. If Ron Mason wasn't 0-fer since about 1986 in the NCAA tournament I'd say he's the man for the job.