US Hockey: Assembling the Best All-American Hockey Team of All Time

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To start, I would like to offer my humblest condolences to those affected by the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv plane crash tragedy in Russia. The hockey family mourns with you.

Hockey in the United States has continued to grow. While Canada may still be the top dog in the sport, the 2010 Olympics showed how far the program has come.

The future continues to look bright for hockey in America. While NHL expansion to the south and west may still be controversial, the expansion of talent blossoming from these areas is noticeable.

In this article, we take a look at some of the best players in the history of US hockey. While there are omissions, the goal was to assemble a team of the most talented players involved with hockey from the United States.

I stuck with historic players for the most part over the newer wave of guys, so if there is someone currently skating in the NHL that you feel should be mentioned, leave a comment. Also, there are some historical players that could be on this list, so you can make their case too.

Line 4, Right Wing

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Name: Tony Amonte

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 202 lbs

Born: Hingham, Massachusetts

Of note: Nearly 1,300 NHL regular season and playoff games, 400-plus goals

Line 4, Center

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Name: Pat LaFontaine

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 180 lbs

Born: St. Louis, Missouri

Of note: over 1,000 career NHL points

Line 4, Left Wing

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Name: Kevin Stevens

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 230 lbs

Born: Brockton, Massachusetts

Of note: Five NHL seasons with 20 or more goals, nearly 1,500 PIM

Defense Pair 3, Player One

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Name: Brian Rafalski

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 191 lbs

Born: Dearborn, Michigan

Of note: Did not have a minus regular season or playoffs in his NHL career

Defense Pair 3, Player 2

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Name: Mathieu Schneider

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 192 lbs

Born: New York, New York

Of note: Played at least one game in 21 NHL seasons.

Line 3, Right Wing

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Name: Patrick Kane

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 175 lbs

Born: Buffalo, New York

Of note: Scored 20 or more goals in each of his four NHL seasons

Line 3, Center

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Name: Doug Weight

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 196 lbs

Born: Warren, Michigan

Of note: Had 20 or more assists in 16 NHL seasons

Line 3, Left Wing

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Name: Zach Parise

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 195 lbs

Born: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Of note: Has 30 or more goals in four of his NHL seasons

Defense Pair 2, Player 1

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Name: Gary Suter

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 205 lbs

Born: Madison, Wisconsin

Of note: Over 200 career NHL goals

Defense Pair 2, Player 2

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Name: Chris Chelios

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 191 lbs

Born: Chicago, Illinois

Of note: Played at least one game in 26 NHL seasons

Backup Goalie

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Name: Tom Barrasso

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 210 lbs

Born: Boston, Massachusetts

Of note: won the 1984 Calder and Vezina Trophies

Line 2, Right Wing

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Name: Joe Mullen

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 182 lbs

Born: New York, New York

Of note: Was the first American born player to score 500 career NHL goals

Line 2, Center

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Name: Jeremy Roenick

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 200 lbs

Born: Boston, Massachusetts

Of note: Over 1,500 career NHL regular season and playoff games

Line 2, Left Wing

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Name: John Leclair

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 235 lbs

Born: St. Albans, Vermont

Of note: Had three consecutive NHL seasons with 50 or more goals

Defense Pair 1, Player 1

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Name: Brian Leetch

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 185 lbs

Born: Corpus Christi, Texas

Of note: Career accomplishments include two Norris Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy

Defense Pair 1, Player 2

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Name: Phil Housley

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 185 lbs

Born: St. Paul, Minnesota

Of note: Over 1,200 career NHL points

Starting Goalie

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Name: John Vanbiesbrouck

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 175 lbs

Born: Detroit, Michigan

Of note: All-time winningest American goalie

Line 1, Right Wing

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Name: Brett Hull

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 185 lbs

Born: Bellville, Ontario, Canada

Of note: While technically he was a dual citizen, Hull's mom was from Chicago and he played for the United States internationally.

Line 1, Center

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Name: Mike Modano

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 210 lbs

Born: Livonia, Michigan

Of note: Over 1,500 career NHL points between the regular season and playoffs

Line 1, Left Wing

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Name: Keith Tkachuk

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 232 lbs

Born: Melrose, Massachusetts

Of note: Over 1,000 career NHL points and over 2,000 career NHL PIM

Head Coach

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Name: Herb Brooks

Born: St. Paul, Minnesota

Of note: Lead the United States to the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal, which included a victory over the USSR

 

Herb Brooks was killed in a single-car crash in August of 2003.

Honorary Captain

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Name: Bob Johnson

Born: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Of note: No list about America hockey is complete without the man who coined the phrase, "It's a great day for hockey!"

 

Bob Johnson died in November 1991.