US Olympic Hockey Team 2014: Full Schedule and Predictions for Men's Squad
The 2014 Winter Olympics are underway, and the focus for many sports fans has shifted to Team USA’s men’s hockey team and its chances of winning a gold medal this year.
With a team full of talented players at forward, defense and in net, the U.S. national team will have the chance to make a deep run in the tournament with a favorable schedule and plenty of skill throughout the roster.
Here is the full roster for the men's Olympic team:
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| D | Cam Fowler | Anaheim Ducks |
| D | John Carlson | Washington Capitals |
| D | Paul Martin | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| D | Ryan Suter | Minnesota Wild |
| D | Kevin Shattenkirk | St. Louis Blues |
| D | Ryan McDonagh | New York Rangers |
| D | Brooks Orpik | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| D | Justin Faulk | Carolina Hurricanes |
| F | Joe Pavelski | San Jose Sharks |
| F | Zach Parise | Minnesota Wild |
| F | Derek Stepan | New York Rangers |
| F | Ryan Kesler | Vancouver Canucks |
| F | James van Riemsdyk | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| F | Dustin Brown | Los Angeles Kings |
| F | Ryan Callahan | New York Rangers |
| F | Paul Stastny | Colorado Avalanche |
| F | Blake Wheeler | Winnipeg Jets |
| F | David Backes | St. Louis Blues |
| F | Max Pacioretty | Montreal Canadiens |
| F | T. J. Oshie | St. Louis Blues |
| F | Phil Kessel | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| F | Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks |
| G | Jonathan Quick | Los Angeles Kings |
| G | Jimmy Howard | Detroit Red Wings |
| G | Ryan Miller | Buffalo Sabres |
Here is the full Olympic hockey schedule with Team USA’s games highlighted:
| Feb. 12 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Czech Republic vs. Sweden |
| Feb. 12 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Latvia vs. Switzerland |
| Feb. 13 | 3 a.m. | 12 p.m. | Finland vs. Austria |
| Feb. 13 | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | Russia vs. Slovenia |
| Feb. 13 | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | Slovakia vs. USA |
| Feb. 13 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Canada vs. Norway |
| Feb. 14 | 3 a.m. | 12 p.m. | Czech Republic vs. Latvia |
| Feb. 14 | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | Sweden vs. Switzerland |
| Feb. 14 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Norway vs. Finland |
| Feb. 14 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Canada vs. Austria |
| Feb. 15 | 3 a.m. | 12 p.m. | Slovakia vs. Slovenia |
| Feb. 15 | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | USA vs. Russia |
| Feb. 15 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Sweden vs. Latvia |
| Feb. 15 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Switzerland vs. Czech Republic |
| Feb. 16 | 3 a.m. | 12 p.m. | Austria vs. Norway |
| Feb. 16 | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | Russia vs. Slovakia |
| Feb. 16 | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | Slovenia vs. USA |
| Feb. 16 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Finland vs. Canada |
| Feb. 18 | 3 a.m. | 12 p.m. | Qualification Round |
| Feb. 18 | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | Qualification Round |
| Feb. 18 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Qualification Round |
| Feb. 18 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Qualification Round |
| Feb. 19 | 3 a.m. | 12 p.m. | Quarterfinals |
| Feb. 19 | 7:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | Quarterfinals |
| Feb. 19 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Quarterfinals |
| Feb. 19 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Quarterfinals |
| Feb. 21 | 7 a.m. | 4 p.m. | Semifinals |
| Feb. 21 | 12 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Semifinals |
| Feb. 22 | 10 a.m. | 7 p.m. | Bronze-Medal Game |
| Feb. 23 | 7 a.m. | 4 p.m. | Gold-Medal Game |
Top Scorer: Zach Parise, Forward
Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise is one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL, but his talent is often offset by bigger grinders neutralizing him with physical play.
While Parise always seems to find a way to contribute to a game—whether it’s in the offensive or defensive ends—the key to slowing him down offensively is putting a body on him.
During international play where hitting is much less frequent due to the sheer number of skill players—enforcers don’t make the Olympic teams—Parise will be able to continue playing his aggressive forechecking style without the fear of ramifications.
Parise buzzing around opposing forwards with his aggressive style of defensive play will create turnovers and give him constant chances to steal the puck and take possession for his team in all three zones.
Add in the fact that the captain will have some of the most skilled players in the world around him in every facet of the game, and Parise’s numbers will be very impressive.
Predicted Stat Line: six goals and four assists for 10 points.
Standout Star: James van Riemsdyk, Forward
The Olympics will be the perfect opportunity for young Toronto Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk to break out as one of the best American players in the 2014 Olympics.
Van Riemsdyk has faced criticism for being a soft player who can be bullied at times despite his elite size and strength. While that may be an issue in the NHL, the lack of physical play at the international level will allow the naturally larger van Riemsdyk to thrive.
Whether it’s leaning on defenders as he enters the offensive zone or as he’s charging the net with the puck on the attack, van Riemsdyk’s imposing size and the defenders' inability to send a message with physical play will create confidence in the young player.
If van Riemsdyk accepts his role as the team’s power forward and takes the Olympics as seriously as he should, there is no doubt that this stage is perfectly suited for a player of his size and skill set.
Predicted Stat Line: six goals and one assist for seven points
Team Prediction
The men’s U.S. national team is the defending silver medalist from the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the team is looking to reach the championship game once again. While Team USA would love to win gold, it will have to go through the Canadians and the Russians.
The U.S. will take on the Russian team during group play. With the entire team fresh and excited to get the international play underway, this will be the perfect opportunity for Team USA to set the tone for the tournament by stunning Russia in its own country.
Beating Russia would send a clear message to every other team in the field that Team USA is a serious gold-medal contender. As good as Russia is, though, the biggest test will be Team Canada.
The Canadian team is full of the top players in the NHL, and the depth at every position will spread out Team USA. The Americans have plenty of talent of their own and will be able to hang with the Canadians, but the championship game will come down to experience.
With Canada beating Team USA for the gold in 2010, the experience and the memories are still fresh on the players’ minds. The mental edge goes to Canada, and that will be enough to send the U.S. home with silver medals.
Team USA Medal Prediction: silver medal
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