US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

[mnstate0fhockey]

We get it, you're a Brandt fan.

No, if you just think this is me being a Brandt fan, you really don't get it. The girl put up 2pts/game as a freshman, was a +77, and was a Patty Kazmaier Top-10 Finalist. Fan or not, it was a big snub.

If coach Stone truly believes she has the best team to win, I applaud her conviction. I applaud the Herb Brooks-like statements. Thing is, Brooks backed up his roster decisions by winning Gold. I expect nothing less from Stone. If she doesn't win Gold, this decision should rightfully be criticized. She will deserve the criticism.

Ok, now I'll end rant

 

[WCHFan]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

No, if you just think this is me being a Brandt fan, you really don't get it. The girl put up 2pts/game as a freshman, was a +77, and was a Patty Kazmaier Top-10 Finalist. Fan or not, it was a big snub.

If coach Stone truly believes she has the best team to win, I applaud her conviction. I applaud the Herb Brooks-like statements. Thing is, Brooks backed up his roster decisions by winning Gold. I expect nothing less from Stone. If she doesn't win Gold, this decision should rightfully be criticized. She will deserve the criticism.

Ok, now I'll end rant

Anyone that know's women's hockey should be a Brandt fan and yes look at the numbers. She an amazing player two way player! Ultimate team player, sees the ice better than most. Will look pass first and can freeze d or goalie at will. Not to mention a great character kid. I think this is the definition of a Olympic player. That being said we all have to give the coach a break. She's the coach and her decision to make. I'm sure the girls that made this team played their butts off and deserve the honor.



Oh and yes, I'm a huge fan of Brandt and I admit it.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Anyone that know's women's hockey should be a Brandt fan and yes look at the numbers. She an amazing player two way player! Ultimate team player, sees the ice better than most. Will look pass first and can freeze d or goalie at will. Not to mention a great character kid. I think this is the definition of a Olympic player. That being said we all have to give the coach a break. She's the coach and her decision to make. I'm sure the girls that made this team played their butts off and deserve the honor.



Oh and yes, I'm a huge fan of Brandt and I admit it.

If you read my post again, you'll see that I am giving coach Stone the benefit of the doubt. But if she doesn't win Gold, I will criticize her for this decision and I firmly believe she will deserve that criticism.

It's her team, and I think we should all give her the benefit of the doubt that she knows what players she needs most. But it was a pretty big snub and is something that will more than warrant questioning and criticism if this team comes up short of Gold.

I'm a Brandt fan too, but it has little to do with my opinion on this. I want to win Gold, and I think she would have been a big asset for this team, especially against a talented, physical Canadian team.

 

[Hockeysbest]

The roster is pretty much the same roster that competes game in and game out with the Canadian team. I have Enjoyed the changes and progress that this team has made over the last 3 1/2 years. The face of this team has changed dramatically from 2010 for the better. Coach Stone and staff have done a great job evaluating these players in camps. There will always be critics after a selection of this nature. This was probably the most competitive camp that I can remember. 15 years ago you barely had enough solid players to field a team that could compete with Canada. 15 years from now you be able to pick two teams and compete. This says a lot for the growth of women's Hockey. I believe that coach stone is the right coach for the job. She is taking this journey very seriously. The only thing that I would have done differently is maybe take another forward and one less D but I am comfortable with the decisions. To say the roster is a joke is saying your bitter hockeysbest. Your way out of line.

I'm sorry but when you pick a 16 year old over anyone that plays at the college level, that is a joke. And yeah, Brandt fan or not, she is arguably one of the best players in the USA. I can assure you that Canada would've put her on their team. Canada puts their best players on the ice period.

 

[DedicatedFan]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

I, too, am a Hannah Brandt fan. I was sad and disappointed that she was not chosen to represent the USA in the Olympics. Not only is she a very talented player, she is, and always has been, a great ambassador for the game. She may not be the prettiest skater or score the most goals, but good things happen when she is on the ice. In addition to generating attention on the ice, she generates media attention off the ice. She is charismatic, charming, smart, personable, and humble. It is clear that she loves the game, and fans love to watch her. I admit to my Minnesota bias, but Hannah also has an impact on others outside Minnesota. As wwhyte posted on June 22nd, “Everyone was as classy as you’d expect at the autograph session. My daughter was particularly taken with Hannah Brandt of the players she hadn’t met before.” This is the kind of good attention Hannah brings to women’s hockey and would have brought to the USA team.

 

[OnMAA]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

Canada puts their best players on the ice period.

Not everyone up here agrees with that. Just look on the Canuck boards after the loss this spring.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

Brandt not making the roster isn't really a surprise. It had already happened to her for the World championships and it seemed like she was tagged as not being a good enough skater. So maybe the polite answer is to say that is the perogative of those making the roster decisions and they are putting together the team that they think gives them the best chance to win.

Selfishly, as a Gopher supporter, I will be more than happy to see Brandt's "less than ideal" skating back for the 2013/2014 season.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Brandt not making the roster isn't really a surprise. It had already happened to her for the World championships and it seemed like she was tagged as not being a good enough skater. So maybe the polite answer is to say that is the perogative of those making the roster decisions and they are putting together the team that they think gives them the best chance to win.

Selfishly, as a Gopher supporter, I will be more than happy to see Brandt's "less than ideal" skating back for the 2013/2014 season.

And that's the prerogative of the powers at be. However, if they fail to get passed Canada and/or don't win Gold, I think we are entitled to lay the criticism on hard and heavy. Brandt may not be the best skater, but she isn't horrible. And she brings other skills to the table that would be extremely valuable against a talented, physical Canadian team that we have had matchup problems with in the past.

 

[frozenfeet]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

Brandt and Rigby are definitely head scratchers. One conclusion I could see is Stone has seen the east coast players compete a lot more in competitive situations and Brandt is one of those players whose value is more with the intangibles. I still think given this possibility they made a misjudgment. Especially given the comments “we were looking for role players”…well I’ve always seen her as the ultimate role player. Want a scorer… she can score, want a playmaker…oh ya, two way player…you get the picture. However, of all her abilities and attributes the one that is prevalent above all others is simply… the kid is a winner. Nuff said.

As for Rigby, she was probably not going to play so why mess with it.

Oh and Stone…try to be original. Please, enough with the Brookisms already. You not he, and never will be. It only comes off as sounding like a cop out by taking away all accountability. Make your choices and stand by them. The biggest losers in my opinion (other than the players) are the other WCHA teams. The exclusion of these players makes the Badgers and Gophers respectively, automatic contenders.

 

[wwhyte]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

As wwhyte posted on June 22nd, “Everyone was as classy as you’d expect at the autograph session. My daughter was particularly taken with Hannah Brandt of the players she hadn’t met before.” This is the kind of good attention Hannah brings to women’s hockey and would have brought to the USA team.

Yes, from that brief experience, both Hannah and Erika Lawler would have been great public faces for the team (though with no disrespect meant to anyone who was selected -- everyone acquitted themselves well at the press conference yesterday, and Amanda Kessel has real star quality on and off the ice). My daughter is an Eagles die-hard and as stubborn as a not-quite-seven-year-old can be and based on that session she decided spontaneously that she could support Minnesota, so long as they're not playing BC, even though they beat BC last season, so Amanda and Hannah obviously made quite an impression on her.

 

[WCHFan]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

I, too, am a Hannah Brandt fan. I was sad and disappointed that she was not chosen to represent the USA in the Olympics. Not only is she a very talented player, she is, and always has been, a great ambassador for the game. She may not be the prettiest skater or score the most goals, but good things happen when she is on the ice. In addition to generating attention on the ice, she generates media attention off the ice. She is charismatic, charming, smart, personable, and humble. It is clear that she loves the game, and fans love to watch her. I admit to my Minnesota bias, but Hannah also has an impact on others outside Minnesota. As wwhyte posted on June 22nd, “Everyone was as classy as you’d expect at the autograph session. My daughter was particularly taken with Hannah Brandt of the players she hadn’t met before.” This is the kind of good attention Hannah brings to women’s hockey and would have brought to the USA team.

This is a great post.

 

[WCHFan]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

Brandt not making the roster isn't really a surprise. It had already happened to her for the World championships and it seemed like she was tagged as not being a good enough skater. So maybe the polite answer is to say that is the perogative of those making the roster decisions and they are putting together the team that they think gives them the best chance to win.

Selfishly, as a Gopher supporter, I will be more than happy to see Brandt's "less than ideal" skating back for the 2013/2014 season.

Brandt not a great skater?? You're kidding me right! If this is why she wasn't picked then I have a problem with whomever made that call. 2 pts a game in the best conference in women's hockey(sorry easterners my opinion). Brandt and Kessel played so well together and knew where each other was going to be. Crazy!

I think they didn't want too many Minnesota players

 

[ARM]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

Brandt not a great skater?? You're kidding me right!

At the international level, there is some validity to this claim. It is tough to question her hands, eyes or head, and for a young player, I was impressed by her strength and toughness. There is room for improvement in her skating, and by the time the next Olympics rolls around, I expect that it will be improved in terms of both speed and strength on her skates. There are some players on this roster that aren't great skaters, so apparently, that wasn't a be-all, end-all factor. I don't have a problem with having role players on a roster to fill a particular niche. They just shouldn't come exclusively from your own roster.

As for Stone, I wouldn't say that there is hatred for her. She just seems to have her own way of doing things that isn't always apparent to less knowledgeable folks like myself. As for a comparison to Coach Johnson, I don't think she has proven herself to the same level. She did win a national title with a roster that included three Olympians that would go on to win four Kaz awards and another player who would be a top three finalist. Beyond that, her biggest accomplishment as a college coach was reaching the final three straight years. She's won the ultimate game at the international level before; here's hoping she does so again.

 

[granddaddyscout]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

I'm not sure this is a fair question. Although I think Coach Stone has a good bit of say in who is picked and who is not, she can't be the only & final person making the decisions (can she?). If she is, then I'd gather that the system as a whole over at USA Hockey is screwed up & having Coach Stone at the helm is the least of their problems. But, considering the amount of success USA Hockey has had of late, I'm going to assume picking nat'l team members is done as a group with Coach Stone's philosophies being kept in mind along the way. And, even then, I know Stone has been with USA Hockey a long time. If there was a sense that she was more interested in pushing a personal agenda, I doubt she would've been the choice as coach.

If I'm not mistaken, weren't there more Univ of Wisconsin players selected to the 2010 team than any other school with Coach Johnson as the head coach? As others have pointed out, the amount of Harvard players is proabably due to Stone being more comfortable and having more trust in their styles than anything else. .

Look at the collegiete success of the UW players on Johnson's 2010 team and compare them to the Harvard selections. Let's be honest Stone does't get chance to attract all the top players to begin with , academics and lack of scholarship money take a lot of top player off of her list. It is pretty clear that there was some degree of bias in the selection process, Stone has done a great job facilitating the rise of her loyalists within USA Hockey to backstop a lot of her desired outcome. We will see how it plays out, this is her team with out a doubt. A lot of selection that may bot have been made with by any other head coach. If she wins she will be on par with Herb Brooks, if she falls short the blame should be shouldered by her as well. That said it will be a lot easier to beat Canada in 2014 than it was to beat Russia in 1980.

 

[WCHFan]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

Great skater? Don't tell me Brandt needs work as a skater. They also said Gretzky couldn't skate. She has all the skills and ready now. Saw many games last year and she was always one of the top skaters/players on the ice. I'll take a player that reads the ice and puts the puck in the net over just speed any day. And let's not forget +77 at D1? Crazy! Give me a break.


Coach didn't pick her and that's ok. Don't tell me she's not ready.

 

[brookyone]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

Great skater? Don't tell me Brandt needs work as a skater. They also said Gretzky couldn't skate. She has all the skills and ready now. Saw many games last year and she was always one of the top skaters/players on the ice. I'll take a player that reads the ice and puts the puck in the net over just speed any day. And let's not forget +77 at D1? Crazy! Give me a break.


Coach didn't pick her and that's ok. Don't tell me she's not ready.

I agree. Especially in the midst of "claims" it's not about an All-Star team but rather a focus on team "dynamics." So...if someone feels Hannah Brandt is not "the greatest skater" the "dynamic" her gifts bring to any team is in this instance insignificant...or something? What?

HB is not the only bizarro cut / selection IMO...but I know such criticism & opinion is frowned upon in this venue.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I agree. Especially in the midst of "claims" it's not about an All-Star team but rather a focus on team "dynamics." So...if someone feels Hannah Brandt is not "the greatest skater" the "dynamic" her gifts bring to any team is in this instance insignificant...or something? What?

HB is not the only bizarro cut / selection IMO...but I know such criticism & opinion is frowned upon in this venue.

I agree, very puzzeling. Hope it works out and we win Gold. All this frustration will be forgotten. Personally, for me, I just wanted to get my criticisms on record before the games are played as I feel like it wouldn't be right to bring them up after the fact

 

[maf]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

There seems to be a lot of sentiment in this discussion that people should give USAH and Coach Stone the benefit of the doubt about questionable picks. I agree that it's a hard decision making process, especially as the women pick their roster so early, but there seem to be some pretty iffy picks this time around and, frankly, there often are. Why should anyone give the coach a pass or give her the benefit of the doubt? One of the major reasons that women's hockey lacks professionalism and favorites do get played is a lack of oversight. This extends big time to college. No one is calling into radio shows and demanding that coaches get fired for poor decisions as happens in major men's sports. Either no one cares enough, which is highly likely, or everyone is too wrapped up in supporting the prerogatives of coaches. Coach Stone is clearly a pretty good coach, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know exactly what she's doing. For those who think that coaching a college sport automatically makes someone a virtuous person, really?

Secondly, I'm personally pretty skeptical that Rigby doesn't deserve to be on the roster. So what if maybe she doesn't get to play. If she's the third best (or second or first best) goalie you should take her. Do they not want to take her because she might push for more playing time?

 

[YabaDabaDoo]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

I'm not sure that Rigsby or any of the goalies are the best? what was the measure? don't get me wrong, she's good but what makes her better than them or them her? NO Measure! Team sports don't belong in the Olympics just for that reason! True there are without a question several players who are hands down great all the time but the whole tryout thing is a feel good thing and not everyone will agree!

From the time the player starts down the path with USA Hockey at Player Development to National Team Selection there is a file kept on them. They NEVER really know how or where they stand until they are selected to the next camp. I do know that some players "with an insider" have been taken aside and told they are next in line! And I have seen come to fruition! Sad but 100% true!

What is the measure? Track has times and distances same with swimming, archery and shooting has scores ALL team sports are about which country can field the most great players?

 

[YabaDabaDoo]

Re: US National Teams: U30s & Mrs. Potter, U22s, U18s Part II

Does anyone know if there will be a U22 team this year?